Netflix’s harrowing new cult thriller Unchosen is your next must-watch binge

‘Over two thousand cults exist in the United Kingdom.’

Seconds after pressing play on the first episode of Netflix’s new drama Unchosen, I could already feel chills creeping up my spine when these words appeared on the screen.

I know very little about cults. When I hear the word, I instantly think of horrific historical cult leaders like Charles Manson, or Klaus growing a hippie cult in The Umbrella Academy. But in my ignorance, the idea of thousands of cults existing in 2026 shocked me to my core.

So watching this harrowing psychological thriller – led by Molly Windsor, Fra Fee, Asa Butterfield, Siobhan Finneran and Christopher Eccleston – I was in for a rude awakening.

Inspired by real cults that exist in the UK, Unchosen tells the story of the fictional Fellowship of the Divine, a secluded Christian sect in England.

The women’s roles are to be demure homemakers, looking after their children and caring for their husbands. The men’s roles are to provide and be the leaders for their families. And they’re all expected to lead devout lives dedicated to the tenets of their religion.

At the beginning of the series, the Fellowship is painted as a picture of peace and serenity, with smiles all around and laughing children playing together. But everything changes when a mysterious outsider called Sam (Fra Fee) enters their community and upends their lives.

Sam is an ex-convict with a violent past, whom Rosie (Molly) feels an instant gravitational pull towards when they inadvertently cross paths. Their connection is undeniable from the start, and as time goes on, the deep-rooted cracks in her marriage to Adam (Asa) deepen.

The Fellowship is led by Mr Phillips (Christopher), a charismatic man with the power to wield unrestrained influence over his followers, convincing them that they are the ‘Chosen’, and that anyone who isn’t in their community is ‘Unchosen’.

That same philosophy goes for anyone who chooses to renounce their cult. They are seen as unworthy, ungodly, are treated as though they’re the scum of the earth, and are forced to cut off all contact with their friends and family as they’re cruelly discarded.

Sam’s arrival might help Rosie realise that her sheltered life was not the idyllic utopia she thought it was, but the horrors within the Fellowship were there all along. This society is run on a culture of coercive control, where brutality and abuse take place behind closed doors.

When Netflix released the trailer for Unchosen, TV fans were hooked right away, drawing instant parallels with films and TV shows like Midsommar and The Handmaid’s Tale. Nonetheless, it’s so rare to imagine a story like this set in modern-day England, which makes the reality around which this fictional tale is based feel that much more haunting.

Through Rosie’s eyes, I could see how someone who has only ever known this life would accept all she’s ever been told, and fear the unknown. Molly’s earnest performance tugged on my heartstrings, even when she frustratingly kept being drawn back into her toxic society.

That frustration made me feel even more proud of her when she stood up for herself and called out behaviour that was not ok, knowing that doing so could at the least cause shame for her family, and at the most result in her being ostracised and separated from her daughter, Grace (Olivia Pickering).

The most impactful dramas on TV aren’t just a one-off thrill. They stay with you when the final episode has ended, making you question what you knew about certain parts of life, or even yourself. Unchosen demonstrates how important it is to look beyond the surface, delving deep until you discover what’s really bubbling underneath.

Rosie, a reserved and dutiful wife, is willing to rebel to do what’s morally right. Sam, a former prisoner, has kindness in his heart, but has also spent years refining his own skills of manipulation to ensure his survival. Adam, one of the most pious followers of their religion, is secretly harbouring a ruthless streak that his wife has never seen.

It’s plain to see that Mr Phillips is a dark and menacing figure. At first, his wife, Mrs Phillips (Siobhan Finneran), appears as though she is too – but the women in this series are not to be underestimated.

The horrifying violence inflicted by men in the drama is, at times, sadly no surprise, given the devastating world that we live in, but it is haunting nonetheless. I felt particularly unsettled watching Asa play such a sinister character, when I’ve come to know him so well as the kind-hearted Otis from Sex Education.

Fra’s masterfully cunning performance had me second-guessing Sam at every turn, changing my mind over whether I believed he had sincere intentions or was using Rosie for his own gain.

The creative brains behind Unchosen couldn’t have chosen a better person to play a cult leader than Doctor Who star Christopher, with the nefarious air that Mr Phillips brings into every room he enters. And Siobhan stole every scene as Mrs Phillips, reminding me why I loved watching her so much as the sharp-tongued Miss O’Brien in Downton Abbey.

The thriller is coming out during what’s become an important release window for Netflix in the UK. In April 2024, the streaming platform launched the critically-acclaimed Baby Reindeer. In March 2025, Adolescence came out and became a global phenomenon.

Now, in April 2026, it’s Unchosen’s turn. Your next must-watch series has arrived – and you’re going to struggle not to binge it in one go.

Unchosen is available to stream from today on Netflix.

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