AUM: The Cult at the End of the World

AUM: The Cult at the End of the World is a documentary about Aum Shinrikyo, a doomsday cult that carried out a lethal nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995. The film examines how the group, established by a former yoga instructor named Shoko Asahara, evolved into a terrorist organization despite the lack of intervention from the Japanese press and police. The narrative incorporates an interview with a former high-ranking member of the group and utilizes rare archival footage.

The film was directed by Ben Braun and Chiaki Yanagimoto and produced by Josh Braun, Dan Braun, and Ben Braun. It was produced in the United States by Fifth Season, Greenwich Entertainment, and Submarine Deluxe. The production features archival appearances by Shoko Asahara, Takeshi Kitano, Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump. Following its premiere at the Sundance festival, the crime documentary was released on March 19, 2025, with a total runtime of 106 minutes.