One of the most-anticipated docuseries, Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult, is now officially streaming on Netflix. This docuseries has been directed by Derek Doneen, who has previously directed documentaries like Spent: Looking for Change and The Price of Free. Undoubtedly, Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult is Doneen’s biggest work so far and dives deep into a dance cult that is now under the spotlight.
Docuseries and documentaries about cults are not rare on Netflix, in fact, this streaming platform has seen a rise in cult-based titles that are based on real-life stories, and Dancing for the Devil is yet another addition. However, this latest 3-part docuseries does set itself apart a little, and in this review, we will talk a little more about the same.
A Plea From Miranda Wilking’s Family
Melanie and Miranda Wilking might sound like familiar names if you have been a user of TikTok, a social media app where creators of all kinds share their content, and reach millions of people across the globe.
As of today, TikTok as an app continues to face criticism in the US, and has been on the verge of facing a ban, and it will be interesting to see if Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult might add any weight to the same.
Circling back to the Wilking sisters, who are at the center of the Dancing for the Devil docuseries, with Melanie Wilking and her parents begging for clarity and answers when it comes to the 7M TikTok cult, whilst Miranda is the supposed victim of the cult, who still is a part of the organization while she continues to remain an active part of social media but keep a distance from her family.
As a docuseries, Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult does a good job of providing viewers plenty of information about this organization, led by Robert Shinn. Shinn has often been quoted in the docuseries with the help of archival material and audio recordings that have been used across 3-parts, but the focus remains on the family of Miranda Wilking, who are beyond devasted that their daughter continues to be associated with Shinn, unlike several others who made it out of the cult.
In the three episodes of this docuseries, viewers take in a lot of information, but what they take in a heavier dose is the emotion that helps drive this series to its completion. It has been directed in a way so as to give the viewers all the information they couldn’t possibly get from just social media but also to evoke a sense of shock and sympathy as the cult and its leader, Shinn, wait for trial which will take place in 2025.
Compared to other cult-based docuseries, Dancing for the Devil feels lighter despite dealing with heavy material, but the way it has been created, with several dancing clips scattered across, makes it feel a little unserious at times, for the lack of a better term. Nevertheless, one can’t help but feel for Miranda’s family, especially her sister, Melanie.
Conclusion
Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult is a breezy 3-part watch that should be added to your watchlist especially if you are an ardent social media user, as it highlights just how many things may possibly be risen from some of the platforms.
