Delayed Reaction: Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

The Pitch: Isn't Scientology crazy? Let me count the ways.

Is Going Clear a deep dive into a topic or an argument for one side of a debate? I make no secret that I prefer the former to the latter in documentaries. I think any argument is made stronger when the challenges to it are acknowledged. Otherwise, it becomes a story of positioning rather than investigation. That's my most common problem with a certain type of documentary (Blackfish, Making a Murderer), and it's certainly an internal debate I had while watching Going Clear.

Scientology is both an easy target and one that isn't gone after enough. "Scientology is crazy" is one of those phrases like "racism is bad" that is so commonly understood that people don't consider it enough. Racism is bad, but what counts as racism? Similarly, Scientology is crazy, but is it benign or malignant? That's the push and pull of Going Clear. It's not concerned with arguing for the followers of Scientology. It explains some of the appeal to members and explains how the movement gained in popularity to begin with and that's about it. Going Clear wants to figure out if Scientology is a problem. That's the part that isn't so clear.

This is a great deep dive into everything about Scientology from where it began to how it thrived. There are interviews from a wide variety of high profile defectors who give enlightening accounts about what happened behind closed doors. The stories of the handling of Tom Cruise are so insane and intricate that I can't help but doubt the plausibility. I'm not saying that I don't think they are true. I'm naturally doubtful of anything that sounds crazy. This film provides enough talking heads and evidence that I do believe most of it.

Going Clear would have a much different impact if Scientology wasn't already in decline. As a rising threat, this is almost a horror movie. As is, there's more of a quaint superiority we can feel over the subject (i.e. "That's ridiculous, so of course it hasn't been widely accepted). I'm not sure anyone needs to be convinced that Scientology isn't great, but Going Clear does a great job making the point regardless.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend