As a documentary, The Darkness Within doesn’t dig as deep as it probably could have. It doesn’t offer a particularly specific account of how La Luz del Mundo has achieved its popularity and what exactly keeps it in power today. However, due to the fact that many church members seem to remain loyal to its corrupt, criminal leaders, a straightforward testimony is also exactly what this film needs to be. In direct, uncompromising detail—but always edited with a solemn respect for the survivors, who get to make their statements without the camera in their face—it lays out the mountain of damning personal experiences that too many La Luz del Mundo have suffered, as the rest of the church has turned a blind eye towards them.
For the first time, complainants against La Luz del Mundo megachurch leaders expose the abuses they suffered through exclusive interviews.
Investigators, survivors, and other involved parties reveal the history of manipulation, rape, and human trafficking plaguing the church of La Luz del Mundo.
Perhaps the most fascinating thing about The Darkness Within is how much several of these survivors emphasize that they still believe the church can be a righteous organization, and that their faith does remain despite the horrific abuse they've endured. And the film doesn't depict this as cognitive dissonance; for a predominantly Christian nation such as Mexico, there is absolutely room for nuance here when it comes to the ways that religion exists in daily life. And to hear these survivors condemn La Luz del Mundo but not Christianity makes for a more compelling argument too; there is a way to be a good Christian, and protecting rapists is not it.
It's going to be hilarious when these self-appointed apostles of Jesus find themselves in hell.
