Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

:

Season 1
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Mar 29, 2015
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 50 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 50
  3. Negative: 7 out of 50

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User Reviews

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  1. jfk049
    Aug 4, 2015
    8
    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 as it will dissuades a good number of well meaning souls from joining up, I a happy guy.
  2. dyshpo
    May 29, 2015
    10
    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 into the mind of a cult leader and it's followers.
  3. DRauchDoes2015
    Apr 23, 2015
    7
    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 them seemingly infallible for decades of heinous behavior. I have no doubt that those unaware of the groupFor 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
  4. BogKid
    Apr 15, 2015
    7
    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 included very little, if any, new information. Mostly what I saw and heard was a series of presentationsI 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
  5. Denis_IRL
    Sep 7, 2015
    9
    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!

Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Best TV Season of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
84

Universal acclaim - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Joshua Alston
    Jul 23, 2015
    100
    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.
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  2. Sioux City Journal
    Reviewed by: Bruce Miller
    Apr 7, 2015
    90
    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.
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  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Mar 30, 2015
    80
    More troubling, and the bulk of his case, is the testimony of former Scientologists, some of them high-ranked, some of them claiming inside knowledge. Defenders of the faith will say that they are lying now when they say they were lying then, but they seem quite credible and composed to me--amazed at the people they'd been, astonished by what they couldn't see, ashamed at their actions or inaction.
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