True crime fans are only just discovering a disturbing Netflix documentary that some viewers say was criminally overlooked when it first arrived — and those watching it for the first time have been left calling the film “wild”, “crazy” and “absolutely insane”.
Released in 2019, Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator follows the extraordinary rise and dramatic downfall of Bikram Choudhury, the controversial founder who transformed hot yoga into a global fitness phenomenon.
What begins as the story of an ambitious teacher building a celebrity-backed empire eventually takes a much darker turn.
From Yoga Superstar To Controversial Figure
Directed by Academy Award winner Eva Orner, the documentary charts Choudhury’s arrival in Beverly Hills from Calcutta, India, in the early 1970s and his rapid rise to fame.
He built a worldwide yoga empire and attracted a devoted following, becoming enormously wealthy in the process.
But by the 2010s, his reputation had begun to collapse.
Numerous sexual abuse allegations emerged, while former students and others described an aggressive, cult-like training environment. Lawsuits followed, pushing Choudhury’s controversial methods into the headlines.
Netflix’s documentary focuses heavily on the women who came forward and examines the disturbing contrast between a discipline associated with healing and an environment that, according to those accounts, could also cause profound harm.
Viewers Say They Can’t Believe They Missed It
The documentary has recently resurfaced among true crime viewers, with one reviewer describing it as an “insane” watch that never received the recognition it deserved when it was released.
After sharing a video about the film, the reviewer warned that it would leave viewers with their “jaw on the ground”.
The reaction was immediate.
One viewer wrote that they “loved” the documentary, while another simply described it as “WILD”.
Others called the story “very strange” and “crazy”, with several viewers remembering just how shocking they found the documentary when they first watched it.
The renewed reaction suggests the film has found a second life among audiences searching for true crime stories that went under the radar.
A Documentary That Leaves Viewers Angry
The strong response is not limited to social media.
One IMDb reviewer praised the documentary as “impeccably put together” and called it a must-watch for anyone interested in yoga.
Another described it as exceptionally well made and warned that the story would likely leave viewers feeling angry for “a variety of reasons”.
That combination of polished filmmaking and an increasingly disturbing story appears to be a major part of its appeal.
Rather than simply documenting the rise of a fitness trend, the film follows how power, celebrity and influence can create a very different picture behind the public image.
For true crime fans who somehow missed it the first time around, Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator is now getting another wave of attention — and the reason becomes increasingly difficult to ignore as the story unfolds.
Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator is available to stream on Netflix.