Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief: Season 1

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Universal acclaim based on 21 Critic Reviews

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Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

Season Details & Credits

HBO | Season Premiere Date: March 29, 2015

Summary: Alex Gibney's documentary features archival footage and interviews with former high ranking officials about the history of the church and the alleged practices it uses to keep or punish members.

Genre(s): Movie/Mini-Series, Documentary

Season 1 Episodes

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Joshua Alston

Jul 23, 2015

Going Clear is the most scorching, disturbing documentary in recent memory, not because Wright and Gibney smuggled agendas, but because the institutionalized cruelty and avarice alleged against the church of Scientology precludes pure objectivity. Read full review

100

Melissa Maerz

Mar 13, 2015

If Going Clear were a Hollywood thriller, I’d complain that it’s too over-the-top. But this is real life, which is hard to believe. And it’s disturbingly good. [20/27 Mar 2015, p.95] Read full review

Bruce Miller

Apr 7, 2015

Although it’s two hours long, Going Clear speeds by.... Mesmerizing? If you’ve had even a passing interest in Scientology, Going Clear will fascinate in ways you never thought possible. Read full review

Kristi Turnquist

Mar 26, 2015

While Going Clear is unapologetically one-sided in its dim view of Scientology, the issues it raises--what is a religion? What motivates people to follow a faith, even when it comes under attack?--will make you think about the film long after it's over. Read full review

Sara Smith

Mar 27, 2015

Haggis’ journey into and out of Scientology could have made a fascinating film by itself, and he’s just one of a dozen articulate talking heads. Read full review

Ken Tucker

Mar 27, 2015

This frequently jaw-dropping documentary by director Alex Gibney, drawn largely from the book of the same name by Lawrence Wright, demonstrates vividly how a cult can spread among people searching for something greater in their lives, some advantage over others, some grand answer.... At times threatens to get swallowed up in the loony-land it wants to analyze, it helps a great deal to have regular check-ins with Wright. Read full review

Josh Bell

Mar 26, 2015

The case may not necessarily be new or groundbreaking, but it is worth presenting, and Going Clear gets it out there in a direct, engaging way that will leave viewers eager to learn more. Read full review

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User Reviews

dyshpo

May 29, 2015

The most intriguing and engaging documentary about a brutal criminal operation given immunity from it's crimes protected by the 1st amendment and shows us why churches should not be immune from government regulation and all churches should be taxed and randomly investigated . Insights intoThe most intriguing and engaging documentary about a brutal criminal operation given immunity from it's crimes protected by the 1st amendment and shows us why churches should not be immune from government regulation and all churches should be taxed and randomly investigated . Insights into the mind of a cult leader and it's followers.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Denis_IRL

Sep 7, 2015

Brave movie. Think you've seen it all but this is worth watching. It's one of those productions that keeps HBO so relevant. Worth the inevitable law suits!

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

jfk049

Aug 4, 2015

From a former Scientologist's perspective (I got out in the early 80's), I thought Gibney presented a very clear and understandable picture of the profit making cult and it's founder L. Ron Hubbard. It didn't matter to me that there wasn't anything that new or groundbreaking. As long asFrom a former Scientologist's perspective (I got out in the early 80's), I thought Gibney presented a very clear and understandable picture of the profit making cult and it's founder L. Ron Hubbard. It didn't matter to me that there wasn't anything that new or groundbreaking. As long as it will dissuades a good number of well meaning souls from joining up, I a happy guy.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

BogKid

Apr 15, 2015

I was distinctly disappointed in this HBO documentary on Scientology. First, let it be clear that I consider Scientology to be a cult, and a ridiculous one at that. I've read quite a bit about Scientology over the years and the disappointing thing about this documentary is that it includedI was distinctly disappointed in this HBO documentary on Scientology. First, let it be clear that I consider Scientology to be a cult, and a ridiculous one at that. I've read quite a bit about Scientology over the years and the disappointing thing about this documentary is that it included very little, if any, new information. Mostly what I saw and heard was a series of presentations and interviews that were not much more then a compilation of stuff that I had heard and seen before.

If Scientology is an "unknown" to some viewers, the documentary probably did a good job of making them aware. For those more alert to the world, it was much like, "So, what's new?"… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

DRauchDoes2015

Apr 23, 2015

For someone with a morbid curiosity of the cult of Scientology, Going Clear isn't exactly revelatory. Rather, it serves as a horrifying reminder of the ongoing abuse, espionage and crime of an organization whose (as one interviewee put so elegantly) rapacious thirst for power renders themFor someone with a morbid curiosity of the cult of Scientology, Going Clear isn't exactly revelatory. Rather, it serves as a horrifying reminder of the ongoing abuse, espionage and crime of an organization whose (as one interviewee put so elegantly) rapacious thirst for power renders them seemingly infallible for decades of heinous behavior. I have no doubt that those unaware of the group and their reprehensible deeds will find this expose the most impactful. For the informed viewer, in spite of it's redundancy and untimely release (Going Clear would have been most groundbreaking had it been in the works a decade ago), this is still a disturbing watch with a subject as mystifying and baffling as any supernatural entity of evil in the science fiction novels that popularized founder L. Ron Hubbard.

That doesn't mean Going Clear portrays it's subjects as entirely draconian. The film captures one of the most vital aspects of the church quite empathetically, that being the element of enticement and brainwashing new inductees fall prey to. Gibney reminds us that, however barbaric the Church of Scientology is, it is still composed of human beings, albeit people that have been warped and damaged, some beyond repair. The interviews conducted with former members are tinged with deep regret, shame, and humility. But, in the early section of the film, they also exuberantly detail the happiness and euphoria the group brought to their lives, how connected they felt to a community of like-minded people. That makes it all the more tragic then, when the curtain is pulled back and Gibney turns his lens on the group's more dark practices.

Even to I, someone with an understanding of the proverbial scandal at the core of the church, as well as a proponent of the well-warranted mockery in the absurd, contradictory belief system Scientologists hold, there are some crimes depicted in Going Clear that are, frankly, horrifying. We hear testimonials of Sea Org members being paid less than two quarters an hour for backbreaking, mind numbing labor. Several of the members describe beatings and humiliations at locations similar to prison camps, and one sequence in particular is excruciatingly heartbreaking, as these inmates are forced to play a deranged, mind game of musical chairs (I won't elaborate further, but it's messed up).

Nothing however, is more upsetting than hearing firsthand how many of the former members were subject to a horrid practice known as 'disconnection'. Entire families are torn asunder, as the church orders their followers to cut off ALL communication with anyone they deem a threat. One scene in particular, where a mother breaks down in tears over the forced estrangement of her daughter and granddaughter, is particularly affecting.

In-depth examination of celebrity Scientologists Tom Cruise and John Travolta and their induction into the group depicts a series of briberies and manipulations, extorting these popular figures for their influence and poster-boy image. Going Clear reprimands both of these men for having spearheaded and popularized the cult, and offers a solution in Cruise and Travolta turning their backs on the group, a proposition that will sadly not be taken into consideration by either actor, as they have released statements after the release of this doc demonizing Gibney and the sentiments it expresses.

We are also treated to a telling of the birth of the 'religion' and founder L. Ron Hubbard's schizophrenia and delusional paranoia. Rather than portraying him as the antichrist, however, we see a man torn apart by his psyche, whose extremist actions are the product of illness, rather than a ruthless evil. These flashbacks and accumulated archival footage is interesting and quite bizarre, though the inclusion of a voice actress reading over the testimony of his first wife rubs me the wrong way for some reason, I would have preferred they display the text on screen, rather than present a fictional re-enactment.

Going Clear is a must-watch documentary, one of early 2015's most important, if not the most vital and urgent. It isn't groundbreaking from a presentation aspect, but it doesn't need to be; the polished and concise HBO aesthetic is more than serviceable. There is a feeling of stagnancy and bloat at times (the two-hour runtime, though justified, can be a bit indulgent), but the topic is just so damn baffling and hypnotic, it's hard not to look away, even at the most repulsive discoveries at the core of Going Clear… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

Seasons & Episodes

84

Series Overview
Season 1

84
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: March 29, 2015
- No episode information is currently available for this season