“The Vow” is a horror story. The HBO docuseries pulls the curtain back on the NXIVM organization, a headline-making “sex cult” that operated under the guise of a self-help group. Described by founder Keith Raniere as a “methodology for enhancing human experience and behavior,” the Albany-based group attracted followers with promises of connection, compassion, and love. NXIVM roped in members with hopes of improving themselves, but the org was never really dedicated to teaching people to be their best selves — it was about grooming them to willingly provide unpaid labor and worship at the altar of Rainere, whom they’re taught to address as Vanguard.
The nine-part docuseries takes its time to unravel the mysteries behind NXIVM, and that’s a good thing. We get to spend time in the seminars that served as followers’ first exposure to NXIVM, and are introduced to the stripe path, a hierarchical structure that sees members moving up in the org and earning different colored sashes. At first, NXIVM seems like little more than a cheesy multi-level marketing scheme. It’s only gradually that the darkness within the cult is revealed.
“The Vow” features incredible access into NXIVM, and that’s thanks to Mark Vicente, an ex member who was entrusted with making a doc about the group. He spent years recording footage of seminars, gatherings, and phone calls with Raniere, his beloved mentor. This allows us to see, first-hand, what exactly was going on in NXIVM — how these people are manipulated and exploited. Most of them aren’t even able to realize that they are being mistreated. They’ve been trained to embrace discomfort through sophisticated gaslighting. All of their teachings ensure that they will defend NXIVM and Raniere at all costs, even if it comes at the expense of their own well-being.
The docuseries illustrates just how difficult it is to get out of NXIVM. Even if followers are able to overcome their brainwashing, they can’t just change their mind and leave Albany, Raniere, and group members — who have become their closest friends and surrogate family members — behind. NXIVM keeps detractors caught up in long, expensive legal battles, and subjects them to campaigns of harassment.
NXIVM is most infamous for branding some of its female members with Raniere and “Smallville” actress and NXIVM member Allison Mack’s initials, and turning them into “sex slaves” who were forced to starve themselves with restricted diets and calorie counting. The women invited to participate in this secret, exclusive group within NXIVM were told it was dedicated to empowering women. “The Vow” helps contextualize why these women ever got in the room — and why they stayed there and now bear this permanent marking.
As the docuseries digs into Raniere’s past, we see that he’s always been an abusive egomaniac. The soft-spoken intellectual has a long history of terrorizing women, and the branding is just the latest manifestation of his control over them.
“The Vow” is a testament to NXIVM’s survivors. Vicente and his former business partner, Sarah Edmondson, as well as their spouses, bravely escape and expose the cult, sharing their horror stories with the media. The docuseries sees them grappling with guilt and shame over their involvement with the group and their role in recruiting members. They didn’t just drink the Kool-Aid, they enthusiastically served it to many others — some of whom are still involved in NXIVM.
Vicente and Edmondson’s families and others risk a great deal by speaking out, but refuse to be silenced. We see them fighting to get the media and law enforcement to pay attention to NXIVM, and finally having their voices heard. In June 2019 Raniere was convicted of sex trafficking of children, and conspiracy, among other crimes. He’s currently awaiting sentencing.
“The Vow” debuts on HBO August 23. The docuseries is directed by Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer, who previously collaborated on “The Great Hack.”
