Thought provoking. The best way Me and the Cult Leader: A Modern Report on the Banality of Evil can be summed up. The sheer strength exemplified by Sakahara in confronting a delegate of the cult responsible for his PTSD, paralysis and fatigue after the 1995 sarin gas attack deserves to be commended. Through a startling journey across Japan, Me and the Cult Leader, Sakahara and Araki explore the implications of desire, disappointments and the true meaning of renunciation. 

Renunciation quickly becomes a prevalent theme in Me and the Cult Leader. In one of the many heartfelt discussions Araki and Sakahra have, it is apparent the dedication Araki has to Aum in how he left his family for the cult. Shedding those who brought you into the world could be seen as extreme and one cannot help but feel for Araki in his belief that this will bring his family merit. Surely, him leaving will only bring sadness to everyone? 

Towards the end of the documentary, renunciation becomes more pertinent to Araki and Sakahara’s relationship. In a striking conversation, Sakahara picks up on how Araki went home when he was ill. The question posed to the viewer is whether Araki should have done that or whether it was disrespectful. This exploration of renunciation and whether we can truly leave our past behind is so key to how we view society across the globe. We ultimately are all connected, no matter how hard we try to pretend we are not.

 For an inspiring documentary, Me and the Cult Leader is at the top of my list. Bound by atrocity, Sakahara provokes a conversation about the banality of evil and how we will always be affected by it. 

Written by Tess Cox