The Clearing is an Australian psychological thriller series inspired by the real-life cult 'The Family' and its leader Anne Hamilton-Byrne. The story follows Freya, a woman haunted by the trauma of her childhood as a member of a sinister cult known as 'The Kindred.' As she struggles to protect her own son, she is forced to confront the ghosts of her past when a local girl goes missing, triggering memories of the indoctrination and abuse she suffered under the cult's charismatic leader, Adrienne Beaufort. The narrative unfolds across two timelines, weaving together Freya's present-day struggle to keep her family safe and the harrowing past of a young girl named Amy who was raised within the cult's isolated compound. As the investigation into the missing child intensifies, Freya must unravel the complex web of lies and psychological manipulation that still binds the cult's survivors, leading to a tense confrontation with the dark legacy of her upbringing.