The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin

2021

80%
84%
5 episodes
Documentary
HBO

HBO docuseries from Emmy-winning director Marina Zenovich (Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired) depicting Christian weight-loss guru Gwen Shamblin Lara's rise... More

HBO docuseries from Emmy-winning director Marina Zenovich (Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired) depicting Christian weight-loss guru Gwen Shamblin Lara's rise to attain cult-like power over her followers.

After rising to fame with her Weigh Down Workshop, a Christian-based diet program that preached slenderness as next to godliness, Gwen Shamblin Lara founded the Tennessee-based church. Despite a carefully curated image, Lara and the church soon fielded accusations of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse, and exploitation for their alleged cult-like practices. Encompassing years of investigation and extensive interviews with former members and others personally impacted, The Way Down explores the legacy of Remnant’s infamous leader–whose life came to a shocking end after a plane crash in May 2021.

Less

Where to watch The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin

We aren’t aware of any way to watch The Way... More Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin in New Zealand. If we’ve got that wrong, please contact us.

Just one more episode. Aaand one more pizza. Get $5 off your next order with Delivereasy
Ad
Order

The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin episodes

The Kingdom

A deadly plane crash draws public attention to the Remnant... More Fellowship, a Christian-diet-program-turned-church, and its infamous leader, Gwen Shamblin Lara.

A Family Affair

Gwen’s divorce and prompt remarriage to struggling actor/musician Joe Lara... More raise questions about the odd couple’s checkered past – and the church’s finances.

Seen But Not Heard

When two Remnant members are charged with murder, Gwen rallies... More her congregation to defend against claims of abuse. As former church members recount their chilling experiences, another tragedy threatens to upend the future of the church.

Revelations

After a mysterious accident claims the lives of Gwen, Joe,... More and some of their inner circle, former Remnant members grapple with the leader’s complicated legacy, and new voices come forward for the first time.

The Way Forward

As the Remnant Fellowship fights to control the narrative, footage... More of a never-aired reality series pilot surfaces, casting new light on the ways Gwen shaped her image and the lives of those who followed her.

The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin | Ratings & Reviews

80_%10 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes® rating
84_%5 reviews
Audience score rating

"Zenovich structures her three-part documentary... like Dante's visit to the circles of hell; the deeper we wade in, the more grotesque the cruelties."

—