A gripping new Netflix series has captivated audiences with its exploration of “cons, cults, and kidnapping,” leaving viewers spellbound.
The school
Picture this: you’re just minding your own business in high school when, out of nowhere, you’re whisked away to the principal’s office, handcuffed, and escorted out by complete strangers.
It might sound like the opening scene of a horror film, but for Katherine Kubler and numerous other survivors of Ivy Ridge, a disciplinary school nestled in rural Ogdensburg, New York, it was a chilling reality.
Kubler found herself at Ivy Ridge after teenage rebellion, enticed by brochures depicting it as a typical high school. However, the harsh reality revealed a place where attendees suffered mental and physical abuse throughout their tenure.
Survivors recalled being kidnapped and taken to the school. Credit: Netflix
The rules
In the documentary, titled “The Program: Cons, Cults, and Kidnapping,” shocking revelations unfold as students are forbidden from conversing or even making eye contact with each other. Severe penalties are imposed for seemingly innocuous actions like glancing out of a window.
Survivors allege that students were frequently observed sleeping on mattresses scattered across the school’s corridors, while one individual recounted an unsettling ‘intervention’ episode where she was compelled to remain prone on the floor for hours.
The majority of the time, students found themselves unable to venture outdoors.
Ivy Ridge has since shut down. Credit: Netflix
The Documentary
Time reports that even though Ivy Ridge closed its doors in 2009, Kubler chose to produce the documentary because she felt there was a lack of resources to explain her experience to friends and family, and to caution them about such facilities.
Kubler explained that with the creation of the documentary, such a resource now exists.
The former student discovered video footage and files on students left in plain sight within the abandoned building, which once served as the students’ residence. Upon her return to Ogdensburg, she conversed with a former Ivy Ridge staffer who asserted that she was merely following orders during her tenure at the school.
Kubler expressed, “These programs devastate families, and it’s incredibly difficult, so I wanted viewers to witness the impact it has had on my own family.”
Kubler shared her story to help raise awareness. Credit: Netflix
The Reaction
The Program has enthralled its audience with its three episodes, with numerous viewers binge-watching the entire series in just one night.
Following the riveting documentary, a viewer expressed their thoughts on LADbible’s Netflix Bangers Facebook page.
“This must have been incredibly traumatizing!” they commented. “10/10, it definitely opened my eyes to things I had no clue were happening.”
On X, another viewer remarked, “The Program on Netflix is intense right from the beginning, but around 7 minutes into episode 2, the level of messed up psychological warfare escalates significantly. I have no idea how so many parents bought into this madness.”
Another commenter chimed in, stating, “Twisted AF. ‘The Program’ on Netflix is one of the wildest and most disturbing documentaries I have ever seen.”
Viewers have described the series as ‘disturbing’. Credit: X
The Future
After sharing her story in the documentary, Kubler has expressed hope that eventually the ‘troubled teen’ industry will be shut down.
“This sector thrives due to the scarcity of adequate resources available to families in crisis, prompting the necessity to explore alternative solutions,” she elaborated.
“In the end, the objective is to unveil these establishments and advocate for the shutdown of this industry,” she emphasized.