gayleloveland ----It always shocks me (almost physically) when listening to individuals explain the allures a certain cult had for them..."Going Clear" contains dozens of such interviews of individuals who had been ardent supporters of Scientology---many of them, quite successful in their particular fields of endeavour....---The truly "shocking" aspect for me is in realising the almost limitless number of the truly gullible and credulous who are living among us....WHAT makes a person so weak? WHAT causes an otherwise intelligent individual to suspend all rational disbelief---and buy into whatever claptrap a smooth-talking confidence man (such as L. Ron Hubbard) is selling?----I confess to being totally at a loss as to why anyone would be attracted to such a cult--- not being (at all) a "follower-type," and a born sceptic, to boot....It is fascinating, however, to hear the various stories of those who succumbed to Hubbard's siren song (the type of "fascination" one experiences when viewing an accident in slow-motion, in order to discover where the driver went terribly wrong).....

elizrug This is a great documentary, especially if you are also currently watching Leah Remini's series on A&E. It goes a little bit more in depth about certain aspects, namely the celebrities. I wish there had been more from Mike Rinder but luckily we see him with Leah Remini. He's interesting and well-spoken, and has seen quite a bit more of the inside than others.

Mr-Fusion With Scientology as a documentary subject, you pretty much know what you're in for. Not like there's a lot of love outside of Hollywood for these people. This isn't going to be a love fest. Even still, "Going Clear" goes to some pretty shocking places. Abuses of its members, unscrupulous scare tactics, a hard-on for aggressive litigation; doesn't sound like much when you read that, but it's the frankness of the testimonies from former members that really make it frightening. This is beyond scathing.The movie's kinda silly when it's about L. Ron Hubbard and the iffy beginnings of the cult/religion/what-have-you, but once it gets to Tom Cruise's involvement in the organization, Scientology just becomes a dark and twisted snakepit of paranoia. David Miscavige, the head of the church, is a true-believer of the scariest kind - only, whether that's in the philosophies that Hubbard espoused or the thirst for tyrannical power is anyone's guess. No one wants to be on that guy's bad side.This is some sinister stuff, but also utterly fascinating. Not sure it's something I want to sit through again anytime soon, but it's highly watchable from start to finish.Definitely recommended.7/10Seriously, you have to wonder what kind of dirt they have on these Hollywood stars (Cruise, Travolta) to keep them towing the company line like they do.

bob the moo Early in this documentary the author of the source material (Lawrence Wright) says he came to the subject because he was interested in the people within extreme religious groups, and what drew them into such beliefs. Whether or not Alex Gibny had the same interest is not stated, but his documentary on Scientology doesn't really explore this side of the story but instead is a fairly brutal documentary on the construction of the group, which he then deconstructs through the contributions of some very senior former members.Although it is hard not to feel like the film is missing a bigger, more complex picture by doing this, it is hard to judge it for doing so, because it really does have a treasure trove of madness to pick from. The film is well structured to take us through the roots of the movement's founding, the auditing process that it uses, and then builds into the higher level information on the history of the earth, alien spirits, and other stuff straight out of science fiction (which of course, is precisely where it does come from). This is fascinating in its clarity and structure; I think most people do know that Scientology is built on such madness, but to see it laid out so clearly is engaging and enlightening. The film moves beyond this to show a movement on the offensive at any attack, and to paint a picture of abuse, sacrifice, and ultimately great wealth.John Oliver recently did a strong bit on the nonsense of the legality of religious organizations being tax exempt, and this does rather reinforce it. The testimony of abuses is more specific, and more reliant on individuals, but the film builds to it in such a way that it is very easy to accept and believe. As a piece of filmmaking it is very much documentary 101, with talking heads and archive footage, but it is very well edited together and constructed to build a case. It is compelling viewing, even if it is very much focused on exposing and doesn't do a great deal of exploring of the why's.