I am venturing off the beaten path and reviewing this Apple-produced mini-series, which could just as well have been a movie. Told in three parts, it takes the testimony of several women who were abused in the infamous cult of Gregorian Bivolaru, a Romanian yoga guru.
I was young when Bivolaru was arrested in the 2000s but it was a big thing in the media, which led me to believe this was not in any way a present-day story. The man was a perverse phenomenon, being voted the 20th greatest Romanian to have lived in a crazy poll of the mid 2000s. Guess I missed the 2023 news cycle, when Bivolaru was arrested by the French authorities, after being once more accused of some heinous acts against women.
The Spiritual Bait and the Erosion of Consent
It all starts out as a hopeful story of self-fulfilment: young (mostly) women, in their 20s, looking to discover who they are, or quell the discontent that flows within them, go on a spiritual journey through yoga. This takes them from spiritual awakening to abuse and exploitation.
The problem is a matter of consent: all the participants embarked on this spiritual journey willingly and became victims of the psychological machinations which define cultist behaviours. I’m no fan of any cults, but some are convincingly more criminal than others, with this elaborately structured enterprise spearheaded by Bivolaru making the list.
The Shallow Dive
Unfortunately, the documentary fails the gravity of its own subject matter. Its testimonials are sourced from several victims (and one happy client), who mostly seem to come from above-average privilege. It offers personal reconstructions detailing the warping of their minds, while avoiding sensationalism. Yet it doesn’t go outside the confines it sets out for itself.
The true scope of Bivolaru’s reach, which likely spans thousands of lives, remains elusive. Maybe it’s a legal thing, but I kept wanting to understand more of the context, hear from field experts, and get a better image of the failings of (Romanian) justice that have allowed Bivolaru to exploit people for decades.
The Verdict
Alas, Twisted Yoga is mostly superficial in its approach, leaving many questions unanswered. Despite a generous runtime that promises a deep dive, it plays more like a 60-minute exposé stretched thin. It offers a glimpse of the trauma, but stops short of providing the comprehensive autopsy this story deserves.
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