Stream It Or Skip It: ‘John of God: The Crimes of a Spiritual Healer’ On Netflix, A Chilling Docuseries About A Faith “Healer” Who Took Abused His Followers

Our fascination with the idea of cults and what causes people to follow certain figures is endless; we’ve soaked it up in multiple Scientology documentaries like Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, My Scientology Movie, and Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, dove deep into NXIVM with The Vow and Seduced last year, and the immersive power of shows like Wild Wild Country speaks for itself. John of God: The Crimes of a Spiritual Healer, now streaming on Netflix, tells the story of a “man of faith” who used his position to take advantage of his most loyal followers.

JOHN OF GOD: THE CRIMES OF A SPIRITUAL HEALER: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: João Teixeira de Faria begins a prayer: “God our father, who is all power and kindness, who gives strength to those who face tribulations, give light to those who seek the truth, and fill the human heart with compassion and charity.”

The Gist: João Teixeira de Faria – or “John of God”, as he was best known – healed people. Or at least that’s what he led everyone to believe. From his home base in Brazil, he offered alternative treatments for a plethora of spiritual and physical ailments, all with the help of the “healing spirits” channeled through him. He claimed to feel the strength of an “entity” from God, and with their help – he might be King Solomon one day, and a surgeon the next – he was able to perform surgeries without anesthesia (his favorite tool was a pair of medical scissors he would shove up followers’ noses) or sanitizing anything. He claimed he helped the crippled to walk again, that he cured cancer, removed tumors, did things basic human logic and medicine would not allow for.

When he was unsuccessful, “John of God” would claim that he was reaching into the depths and his subject was unwilling to cooperate, putting the blame on them for his failures. But while thousands were falling at his feet (including Oprah Winfrey) and singing his praises, others were suffering by his hands. “John of God is not godly,” one victim tells us. As the story of this man and his “godliness” unfolds, as does the story of the hundreds of women he assaulted – and all the demons they’ve been left with as a result.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? John of God might remind you a little bit of Wild Wild Country, Going Clear, Seduced, and The Vow. Lovers of crime docuseries, cult followings, and stories about cons are likely to be intrigued by John of God. 

Our Take: Despite considering myself something of a true crime aficionado, I had pretty much no prior knowledge of the story behind John of God before beginning the series. This naivety only served to make the first installment of this 4-part series more of a horror show, a truly stomach-churning depiction of vile abuse committed by this man. Seeing a so-called religious leader abuse his followers is obviously not a new concept, but seeing this man in action and the people who claim he saved their lives only serves to make the whole thing more unsettling.

The details and the scale of the story are enough to help make any documentary on the subject successful, but John of God: The Crimes of a Spiritual Healer is well made, integrating perspectives from dozens of different individuals – both supporters and victims – who operated within João Teixeira de Faria’s orbit. By allowing us to hear from people who believe their lives were changed by this man and seeing footage of him putting on his show, it feels as though we’re immersed in this world, able to understand how and why he became such a phenomenon during the peak of his fame. All of this makes hearing from the survivors of his abuse even more gutting; while he was claiming he needed the “energy” from these women to “heal” (sounds like something out of Keith Raniere’s book) and raping them behind the scenes, he was receiving love and adoration from the thousands he performed for. By giving a real voice to his victims – including his young daughter – John of God: The Crimes of a Spiritual Healer succeeds in painting a disturbing portrait of this nefarious figure.

Sex and Skin: There is disturbing discussion of sexual assault and abuse.

Parting Shot: “I know what happened,” says Rejane Araújo tearfully, recounting when she was assaulted by this “John of God”.

Most Pilot-y Line: There are no particularly pilot-y lines, but there are some pretty memorable ones, and one from a victim that chilled me: “Where was God while I was in that room?”

Our Call: STREAM IT. John of God: The Crimes of a Spiritual Healer may be tough for some to stomach, but it’s a fascinating, devastating story, and one that needs to be heard.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines, hogging the mic at karaoke, and thirst-tweeting. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.

Stream John of God: The Crimes of a Spiritual Healer on Netflix