Wild Wild Country: Season 1

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Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews

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Generally favorable reviews based on 55 Ratings

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Wild Wild Country

Now Playing: Wild Wild Country

Season Details & Credits

Netflix | Season Premiere Date: March 16, 2018

Summary: An Indian guru's plans to build a 64,000-acre utopia in a small Oregon town in 1981 that eventually escalated into a bio-terror attack in 1984 is the subject of the Duplass brothers-produced documentary series from Chapman and Maclain Way.

Genre(s): Drama, Documentary

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Season 1 Episodes

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Critic Reviews

100

IndieWire Ben Travers

Mar 16, 2018

It’s a challenging piece that requires the viewer to acknowledge their own reactions and then question them. In that, Wild Wild Country may be even more vital to a divided nation. It demands you see the other side. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Nick Allen

Mar 16, 2018

After the six-plus hours of Wild Wild Country flies by, you won't want an approach to this story any different or shorter than what the Ways do. ... By handling this story so intelligently and by opening its heart to a very complicated idea of good and evil, Wild Wild Country has a profound, mesmerizing power itself. Read full review

Daniel Fienberg

Jan 25, 2018

Screened at the Sundance Film Festival in one exhausting, gripping gulp, it's a slice of partially forgotten history in which real life just keeps getting more and more outlandish and implausible. ... Wild Wild Country a worthwhile thought experiment in addition to a yarn that is, as the title promises, doubly wild. Read full review

Robert Lloyd

Mar 16, 2018

A highly pleasurable new documentary series. Read full review

Katie Rife

Mar 16, 2018

Wild Wild Country ends up being a character study, an attempt to suss out whether Bhagwan and Sheela really bought what they were selling to white spiritual seekers, making millions in the process. ... That being said, the filmmakers’ tendency to skim over the more unseemly aspects of a story with many unseemly aspects to it may leave viewers wanting to know more about the wilder aspects of the case. Read full review

The Daily Beast Nick Schager

Mar 12, 2018

In an effort to provide both sides of the story, the directors--especially in late, slow-motion-drenched elegiac passages full of uplifting and/or mournful music—buy too much of the pap being sold by the sannyasins. ... As a portrait of militant zeal and religious conflict, Wild Wild Country is a fascinating glimpse at the perils of fanaticism-run-amok and the contentious intersection between faith and freedom. Read full review

Mike Hale

Mar 16, 2018

[Chapman and Maclain Way] haven’t given it much of a shape or a perspective--they go from one mind-blowing event and image to the next, and seem to just adopt the point of view of whoever’s talking at the moment, reinforcing it with correspondingly bright or sad or triumphant music (which becomes increasingly intrusive). Their own attitude, as far as it can be divined, appears to be a credulous sentimentality. But it is a great story, even if you just turn on the camera and let it roll. Read full review

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User Reviews

Scraper

Mar 22, 2018

As documentaries go, Wild Wild Country is aces. A thoroughly detailed and gripping recount of one of the largest, most bizarre cult communities in the world, settled in a vast American landscape. The cinematography is terrific and the footage and interviews must have taken years to amass.As documentaries go, Wild Wild Country is aces. A thoroughly detailed and gripping recount of one of the largest, most bizarre cult communities in the world, settled in a vast American landscape. The cinematography is terrific and the footage and interviews must have taken years to amass. What makes it truly great are the details of the stories that came out of the era all perfectly backed up by the major players and interesting sub-players who were involved. They tell their stories intensely, with uncanny detail, without holding back a single secret. As a story it stands astounding on its own. As it relates to real life, as always, the history rhymes with other megalomaniacal figures and organizations.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

Kansler

May 21, 2018

One of the best documentaries I have ever seen. It tackles important topics of minority discrimination, religious tolerance, cult formation, indoctrination, group loyalty and the dark side of the human psyche. It is very entertaining from beginning to end, and it has some amazing archivalOne of the best documentaries I have ever seen. It tackles important topics of minority discrimination, religious tolerance, cult formation, indoctrination, group loyalty and the dark side of the human psyche. It is very entertaining from beginning to end, and it has some amazing archival footage combined with in-depth interviews with many of the people who were there. It attempts to be fair to both sides by just showing the facts and revealing the motivations and struggles that led to the various horrible events. Whether or not it manages to tell the full story, I found this documentary to be exceptionally educational. And from a popcorn point of view, it is gripping as hell.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

geewah

Jan 12, 2021

An amazing and incredible story. Brilliant doco that combines source footage as well interviews with key players to produce what is arguably 2018's best docu-series.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

senenino

Apr 15, 2018

A slow pace, brooding and provoking, a conclusion no real answers....but compelling

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Mar 27, 2018

I was 13 when I decided to step aside from any religion or spiritual stuff and that is because I believe religion is the worst disease the human race ever had.
I respect the decision of all people to believe in some sort of deity, if it makes them happy, go ahead but for me it has alwaysI was 13 when I decided to step aside from any religion or spiritual stuff and that is because I believe religion is the worst disease the human race ever had.
I respect the decision of all people to believe in some sort of deity, if it makes them happy, go ahead but for me it has always been a burden.

What happened in this place didn't really have something to do with religion per se but it does have to do with one of it's worst elements; when people abandon rationality because of their faith or their ''spiritual guidence''

I honestly didn't know about the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his Rajneeshpuram community but I'm not surprised of how things started to get out of control, especially with people like Ma Anand Sheela, who undoubtedly got drunk with power and used her resources and the people who supported her to do what he did.

This original Netflix documentary is divided into 6 episodes of 65 minutes or so and frankly is very is well done, the subject was quite attractive, I liked it, although I think its lenght could be somewhat smaller but in the end it's sufficiently relevant and fascinating to reflect after watching it or to have excellent conversation topic afterwards.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

HarryNuggets

Apr 2, 2018

I kept expecting it to dig into whether there was any merit to the accusations of fraud and other financial misfeasance by Osho himself. it's worth watching, if only to underline what a group of rich, spoilt brats New Agers tend to be. He surrounded himself with a lot of self-indulgentI kept expecting it to dig into whether there was any merit to the accusations of fraud and other financial misfeasance by Osho himself. it's worth watching, if only to underline what a group of rich, spoilt brats New Agers tend to be. He surrounded himself with a lot of self-indulgent professionals who, ironically, thought that their money, collectively pooled, would buy them happiness. Spirituality as consumption. The residents of Antelope come off as sympathetic even if they are/were a bunch of close-minded rural Christians. They just wanted to be left alone to live their lives in quiet and peace.

Some of the stuff these people did is pretty whacked, but that seems to be the optics and behavior of a small cadre. Sheela comes off as completely revolting. At the end of the day, the world peace these sorts talk about is peace for the well healed to do as they please and indulge their belief in their own importance.

Ultimately it presents the story well but offers little to no insight. Could have been cut by a fair amount as well. Too long with little to no pay off at the end.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

NBE1315

Mar 21, 2018

The lowlife, christian(supposedly), scum should sit down and read the US Constitution. These people were not bothering anyone. They should have been left alone. Didn't the same thing happen to the Mormons? They started Utah. It is good to see nothing changed, I am disgusted with these soThe lowlife, christian(supposedly), scum should sit down and read the US Constitution. These people were not bothering anyone. They should have been left alone. Didn't the same thing happen to the Mormons? They started Utah. It is good to see nothing changed, I am disgusted with these so called americans.… Expand

2 of 11 users found this helpful29

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Seasons & Episodes

79

Series Overview
Season 1

79
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: March 16, 2018
- No episode information is currently available for this season