Documentary on the inner workings of the Church of Scientology, based on the book by Lawrence Wright. Eight former members talk about their experiences, shed light on the organisation's origins and share stories of what they were willing to do for their beliefs.
Considering the legal problems that beset the making and release of this documentary, the latest release by the prolific Alex Gibney - director of The Armstrong Lie and We Steal Secrets: the Story of WikiLeaks - is surprisingly thin on revelations. Though it also acts as a primer on the life and work of writer L Ron Hubbard, whose 1950 self-help book Dianetics is the foundation stone of the controversial Scientology movement, Going Clear mostly charts the course of this contentious - and, in the US, tax-exempt - "religion" since Hubbard's death in 1986. Much is made of the support given to Scientology by the likes of Tom Cruise and John Travolta, but Hollywood gossip is in scant supply. Instead, this cautious exposé morphs into a list of grievances from former, quite senior, disgruntled employees. Their claims are serious and damaging but don't add much to a documentary that simply draws a picture of an organisation that is wealthy, secretive and controlling, a narrative that has been dominant for years.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Paul Haggis | Paul Haggis |
| Jason Beghe | Jason Beghe |
| Marty Rathbun | Marty Rathbun |
| Lawrence Wright | Lawrence Wright |
| Monique Rathbun | Monique Rathbun |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | Alex Gibney |
