National Geographic and Hulu are back with Cult Massacre: One Day In Jonestown which tells the story of an “idealistic religious organization” led by the infamous Jim Jones who set out to establish a “utopian community” in Guyana.
What began as a “peaceful movement seeking social justice” ultimately spiraled into a mass casualty event that left 918 dead.
Told by survivors and eyewitnesses, along with rare footage and recordings of Jones, the chilling series takes a deep-dive into the harrowing hours leading up to one of America’s darkest chapters.
Check out the trailer below:
The third installment in Nat Geo and Hulu’s Emmy-winning One Day In America series features first-person accounts from former Peoples Temple members, former Washington Post foreign correspondent Charles Krause, former Special Ops Air Force Sgt. David Netterville (who was among the first of three U.S. service members to enter Jonestown in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy and has never spoken about his experience for a documentary before), and Jim Jones’ son Stephan Jones.
Each episode focuses on the hours that led up to the shocking events of Nov. 18, 1978.
The wheels of Jim Jones’ twisted machination start turning in episode 1 (The Promised Land) set in tumultuous 1970s America where the charismatic church leader preaches social justice to his growing, diverse congregation.
To escape the inequities of the U.S., he founds Jonestown–a utopian commune in the Guyanese jungle–as shocking rumors of abuse make their way to California’s Rep. Ryan and reporters. Within 24 hours of visiting, they discover their presence is unwelcome.
The 3-part series from Emmy-winning 72 Films’ executive producers David Glover and Mark Raphael, BAFTA-winning director Marian Mohamed, along with Oscar-winning filmmakers Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin, premieres June 17 on Hulu and Aug. 14 on National Geographic.