this is important information but i also feel like a lot of people aren’t really able to identify cult-produced media on their own. here is a (non comprehensive) list of red flags for this:
presenting an image of a wholesome, good, unified in-group while simultaneously presenting the out-group as shameful, dirty, or evil
presenting the narrative “i would be dead if i didn’t join X”
bragging about adhering to high-control rules, such as restriction of sleeping, eating, or ability to leave
heavy emphasis placed on “retreats,” aka trauma bonding or brainwashing members en masse in a secluded area
spiritual leader (typically a living person, or often in the case of older cults, a board of directors) presented as an infalliable extension of god
“comfort zones” and similar concepts presented as an inherently bad thing that you need to overcome
constant recruitment efforts
public faces of the organization are typically extremely extroverted and physically abled, and there’s a spoken or unspoken shame placed on the group members who don’t resemble this
there is an ex-member community that insists the group should be acknowledged as a cult (search for “ex-[group name]” or “[group name] abuse” to find relevant online pages)
