Quick Facts
| Title | The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping |
| Type | Documentary miniseries |
| Director | Katherine Kubler |
| Composer | Gia Margaret |
| Genre | Documentary, Crime |
| Episodes | 3 (“Parts”) |
| Release Date | March 5, 2024 |
| Network | Netflix |
| Critical Reception | 100% on Rotten Tomatoes (critics), 88% audience score |
The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping Soundtrack: Directed by Katherine Kubler — a former student of the school it investigates — The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping is a Netflix documentary series that premiered March 5, 2024, to strong reviews (100% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics).
Genre: Documentary, Crime
Release Date: March 5, 2024
The series presents the Ivy Ridge Academy teenagers who faced legal action and closure due to its diploma-granting practices.
However, the school issued diplomas to students, but it lacked authorization; the school’s application to issue certificates was rejected, and it ultimately shut down in 2009.
Who Composed The Program Score?
Gia Margaret composed the original score for The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping. Her music — along with a handful of licensed needle-drops — sets the eerie, unsettling tone that runs through the series’ three parts.
The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping Soundtrack List
Here is the complete list along with the Part:
Part 1 “Where the Fuck Am I?”
- apathy by Gia Margaret
- Princess Rap Battle: Snow White Vs. Elsa
- Chhutki Budki by Gangadhar Bindhani, Rupali
- The Sound of Silence by Chromatics (2019 cover)
- Whispers In The Hall by Chromatics
Note: an earlier version of this list included the fragments “Bitanem by Mister,” “Upbeat music playing,” and “Happy Birthday” between other entries. These read as garbled scene-description text rather than real song credits and could not be verified against any soundtrack database, so they’ve been removed. “apathy” by Gia Margaret (from her 2020 album Mia Gargaret) is a genuine, verifiable track and has been kept.
Part 2
- Richard Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra, Sehr Breit
- A Space Odyssey
Note: a “Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Frilly” entry previously listed here could not be verified against any artist or release named “Frilly” and has been removed as unverifiable — see the confirmed versions of this song in Part 3 below.
Part 3 “Follow the Money”
- My Little Tina by Levi Brown and Junior Mintz
- Witchcraft by Danny Darrin
- Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper (1983 original)
- Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Radio Edit) by Dulo & Olivia Castriota (2022 cover)
Note: the original post listed “Girl Just Want To Have Fun by Dulo” as a duplicate entry beneath the Cyndi Lauper credit. Both are real, distinct recordings — Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 original and a 2022 radio-edit cover by Dulo & Olivia Castriota — so both are kept here, correctly attributed and distinguished, rather than treated as a duplicate.
You can search for these songs on various platforms, such as Spotify and Apple Music.
These platforms will provide you with a complete list of the songs in the soundtrack and the artists and composers behind them.
Brooke Workneh serves as producer of the series. The series’ executive producers are Diane Becker, Brian Knappenberger, Rachel Libert, and Melanie Miller.
The series follows Katherine Kubler and former classmates from the Academy at Ivy Ridge, a “troubled teen” behavior modification facility in Ogdensburg, New York, as they revisit the abusive conditions they experienced and the program’s eventual shutdown in 2009.
As of IMDb, Eric Gillingham and James Parnell are in the sound department. Eric Gillingham is the sound effects editor, and James Parnell is the Re-Recording Mixer.
Where to Stream The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping
The series is streaming exclusively on Netflix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who composed the music for The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping?
Gia Margaret composed the original score, which is paired with licensed needle-drops including Chromatics’ 2019 cover of “The Sound of Silence” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”
Is The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping a true story?
Yes. It is a documentary directed by Katherine Kubler, a former student of the Academy at Ivy Ridge, examining the real “troubled teen” facility and its 2009 closure.
How many episodes does The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping have?
The series consists of three parts: “Where the Fuck Am I?”, Part 2, and “Follow the Money.”
How was The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping received?
The series holds a 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 88% audience score, with reviewers praising it as a riveting, if often difficult, watch.
Where can I watch The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping?
The series is available exclusively on Netflix.
Related reading: Explore more TV soundtracks, browse the Netflix hub, or see our full Streaming guide.