They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and perhaps that is especially true if your intentions are driven by lip service to the other place. Which is our way of saying that the irony of the horrible scenario laid out in the new three-part documentary series Savior Complex is not lost on us.
How to watch Savior Complex in Australia
Savior Complex is now streaming on Binge in Australia.
Savior Complex: Docuseries
What is Savior Complex about?
Directed by Vice TV veteran Jackie Jesko, Savior Complex takes a deep dive into the weird world of Christian missionaries (which is somehow still a thing) in general, the Uganda-based Christian non-profit organisation Serving His Children in particular, and specifically its founder, Renee Bach. In 2019 the legal advocacy group Women’s Probono Initiative sued Serving His Children on behalf of two mothers whose children had died under the organisation’s care, and sought accountability for over 100 similar cases, accusing Bach of practicing medicine without a license. The series spreads a wide net, looking at the whole NGO industry, the long shadow of colonialism, and the whole “white saviour” thing.
The cast of Savior Complex
Well, it’s a documentary, so “cast” doesn’t quite fit, but the series includes interviews with Bach herself; Olivia Alaso and Kelsey Nielsen, the founders of No White Saviours, an organisation dedicated to fighting this sort of thing; and a veritable slew of other SHC employees, activists, and victims. It’s an exhaustive investigation that looks at all sides of the equation.
Savior Complex trailer
What are the critics saying about Savior Complex?
The series has drawn universal acclaim, with critics praising its lack of editorialising and even-handed approach to such a thorny situation, along with its close attention to detail. Nonetheless, this one is likely to make your rage levels spike, so maybe make sure you’re on an even keel, emotionally speaking, before cueing it up.
