Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult series coming to Netflix in May

Netflix has created another compelling true crime limited documentary series with Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult. The docuseries takes a close look at Robert Shinn of the Shekinah Church, who also owns 7M Films in Los Angeles and will premiere on May 29.

Shinn has been accused of being exceedingly controlling by church members and employees, and 7M Films has been categorized as a cult by many people. Study.com defines a cult as “a system or group of people who practice excessive devotion to a figure, object, or belief system, typically following a charismatic leader.”

Much of Dancing for the Devil deals with Miranda Wilking, who along with her sister Melanie, became very successful as a dancer via social media. Together, the sisters amassed millions of followers on TikTok, and were signed with brand partnerships.

Everything changed in 2019, when Miranda became unusually close with employees of 7M, the talent management company that was representing her. So close was she with these people that she began to turn her back on her family, with whom she had always been very tight knit. When she cut herself off from her family completely, they started to look a little more closely into 7M.

In 2022, Melanie and her parents, Kelly and Dean Wilking, began speaking out, accusing 7M of actually being a cult. They honestly felt that Miranda was being brainwashed and exploited.

Miranda’s family members are interviewed in Dancing for the Devil, providing valuable testimony as to what it feels like to virtually lose a beloved member of your family who you think is being manipulated.

Director Derek Doneen said, “I think audiences will be surprised by how easily regular people can get sucked into cult-like groups, and how devastating the impact can be on families, friends and communities.” He said he was “in awe” of the Wilking family, and the other families who have spoken up because of how determined they are to “rescue their loved ones.”

In addition to the Wilking family, Dancing for the Devil also tells the stories of other dancers and church followers who pulled away from 7M Films, and are now trying to stop the company. It should be interesting to hear what they have to say about the organization and its leader, and at what point each of them began to recognize that they might actually be in a cult.

Watch the just-released trailer for Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult below.

Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult premieres on Netflix May 29.