Escaping Twin Flames review: Harrowing account of ‘cult’ escapees

Escaping Twin Flames is Netflix’s newest docuseries. It takes a deep dive into a couple’s business of coaching people on finding their true love, which soon turns into an abusive organization rife with disturbing teachings.

Story

Jeff and Shaleia build their business by coaching people on how to find true love — their twin flame.

However, former members who left the group over the course of the last few years, brand it a cult while recounting the emotional and social torment they suffered from.

Twin Flames grows and Jeff steers the group in a different direction, turning the organization into a religion and himself, the second coming. Meanwhile, distrust and mental health struggles impact the group.

The last episode sees Jeff’s demands getting more intense as troubling parts of the group are shed light upon. Former members finally reclaim their lives while a group of mothers whose children joined TFU unite to go against the alleged cult.

Positives

The docuseries is comprehensive in its account of how cults are formed and sustained by taking advantage of vulnerability. It’s a pitiful and outrageous sight, and it’s also important for one and all to behold.

Thanks to the former Twin Flames members and a treasure trove of footage from the online sessions and YouTube videos helps convey in detail the depravity and greed of the prime perpetrators of this business of abuse.

Negatives

The background music doesn’t just overwhelm the content but also drowns out the severe and heartfelt accounts of a slew of traumatic experiences.

This usual, and unfortunately expected manner of presentation again ruins a docuseries by making matters kitschy and loud when they inherently are dramatic and don’t need an overbearing score to tell viewers that.

Verdict

Escaping Twin Flames is a harrowing look at how cults are made and how vulnerable people fall prey to them.

There are moments of extreme sorrow and moments that make one rage at the predatory nature of greedy people, and the lengths of abusive behavior they will adopt to keep expanding their empire by exploiting vulnerabilities.

While presentation and storytelling issues hold it back, the docuseries is a compelling and effective watch that should caution one and all.

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