My Scientology Movie (2015) Reviews

• Best insight into this paranoid organisation

  baf-898932017-01-19

  I find Scientology and cults in general a fascinating subject and have watched most documentaries on the subject including the most recent one by Alex Gibney, Going Clear. Both this and Going Clear are excellent exposes but in different ways. As one reviewer said Going Clear is more factual whilst this one gives you a better feeling of Scientology is all about - a good description in my opinion. I've often got the feeling that Scientology is somewhere between a cult and a religion but this film, more than any other, puts it squarely in the cult category. Right from the outset you get a feel for this. Requests for interviews by Theroux are turned down by the church an almost unheard of response for an organisation that large. Most will have P.R departments ready to go to any and all media interests. This makes it hard for Theroux of course. His usual film making style is subtle and he spends considerable time those involved, something impossible with this subject. So he decides to use actors and actresses to re-enact some of the abuse by the organisation's head, David Miscavige. This is powerful stuff which is different to simply hearing reports of the same abuse. But I found the real behaviour of the real Scientologists even more damning, particularly when coupled with commentary by ex-Scientologists. Near the end of the film the organisation sent a letter to Louis Theroux saying because he was making a documentary about them they intended to make a documentary about him. Such a response seemed just so totally infantile, like a young child's tit for tat: if you take mine I'll take yours kind of response. On top of the rest of the film this gave an insight into just how separated this group is from mainstream society - to even think that was an appropriate response. All in all one comes away with the a real sense that Scientology is run by a powerful and paranoid sociopath who has somehow managed to get away with what he is doing for years. A great effort by Theroux that worked much better than his older documentary on another cult: the Westboro Baptist Church.

• one of theroux's most disappointing works

  houseoliverfragrances2016-10-06

  I was so excited to finally see this documentary, however the lack of access Louis is able to gain into the church makes for a very boring and uncaptivating documentary. apart from the odd confrontation with a church member which is somewhat entertaining, there is nothing of substance in this 'movie' no direction at all. We all know they're a bunch of loonies but this being a theroux doco I wanted something more. Something that would really shock me. Perhaps this is the reason for the delayed release of this film. With such little footage I can imagine this being a challenging piece to put together. Why couldn't he go undercover and try to gain some sort of access into the church? Perhaps do an auditing session and turn it into an interview very subtly (which we know he's good at). I'm a huge fan of this man's work but this this just doesn't do it for me. I rarely lose focus when watching anything louis. I just can;t find any sort of story in this. A strange movie that has left little impact, only repeating things we already knew about this psychotic church.

• Brilliantly done by Theroux

  karlodonnell-160992016-08-16

  A great movie, by the master of documentaries and as always it was both funny and enlightening. I don't want to spoil anything but definitely worth the watch and if you like louis theroux you know what to expect already. As Scientology of course denied access to any of its higher up people Louis improvised and created a unique documentary that can finally allow people to see what Scientology is and what the people are really like within it. Not sure about the other review, he must of been a Scientology troll. How can anyone not trust Louis :)

• Answers all your questions about Scientology. Finally.

  TheOneThatYouWanted2016-10-13

  Holy sh!t it is good. It is really good. This isn't the first documentary I've seen about Scientology but it maybe the best. Between this one and Going Clear, all your questions about the super secretive organization of Scientology are finally answered. The documentary Going Clear tells you about the history of Scientology but doesn't make you learn about it on a personal level or feel what it is about or why people are willing to not only join but stay in it. At first I thought the film was going to be dumb, they were casting actors to play some of Scientology's key figures but then you quickly learn why.. because they want YOU to feel what it is like to be a part of Scientology. You literally witness what it is like becoming a Scientologist and get to see the emotional roller-coaster of manipulation and feelings. One scene is so visceral for a former Scientologist to witness that he literally could not watch these actors acting out a simple scene. It was crazy but so powerful. I always wondered why people join Scientology and how they keep their members, and now I know. Unlike other documentaries where they tell you about the answers, this documentary shows you the answers. Brilliant.

• why do people join?

  ferguson-62017-06-12

  Greetings again from the darkness. Here's hoping Tom Cruise doesn't hunt me down, and that a group of believers doesn't shout insults at me in an airport; but I'll admit that the more I learn about the Church of Scientology, the more creeped out I get. Director John Dower and BBC reporter Louis Theroux do nothing to put me at ease or even help understand how people fall for this "religion" … a self-described "universal solvent". Yes, Scientology is a religion that was founded by a science fiction writer. The genre has seen many popular writers over the years - Ray Bradbury, Arthur C Clarke, H.G. Wells, and Philip K Dick were all great writers, and some were read religiously by their fans. However only one, L Ron Hubbard, had the pluck to actually start a religious cult and consider himself God's conduit. His 1950 book "Dianetics" is known as Book One and the foundation for the movement that became Scientology. Mr. Hubbard died in 1986. Twenty-something David Miscavige took control and to this day remains the mysterious leader of the organization. His one TV interview was in 1990 with Ted Koppell on "Nightline" and he has since refrained from public appearances – a stance that has only enhanced the weirdness and rumors surrounding Scientology. Instead, public figures like Tom Cruise and John Travolta have become the faces that people associate with the organization, and have been influential in recruiting efforts. The extremely polite Theroux takes an unusual approach to this and actually holds auditions for the key roles of David Miscavige and Tom Cruise, with the plan to reenact some of the more infamous ongoings behind the secure walls of Scientology. When the open call for participants hits social media, warnings to Theroux start flooding in – literally cautioning him to stay away from this subject. Undeterred, though maybe a bit shaken (is Paz de la Huerta a bikini-clad spy?), he enlists Marty Rathbun, a former senior leader in Scientology. He bolted after 27 years, and the organization now labels him as an embittered SP (Suppressive Person) and works to discredit everything he says. Andrew Perez wins the role of Miscavige by expressing the necessary level of "righteous anger" according to Rathbun. The reenactments of Miscavige speeches, the E-meter sessions, and bull-baiting (belittling to build backbone) provide us a simulated peek behind the cloak of secrecy. We learn about The Celebrity Centre, Gold Base, and The Hole – each adding to the creepiness that is difficult to shake. Three other former Scientologists are interviewed: Tom De Vochts, Marc Headley and Jeff Hawkins. It's through them that we learn about Sea Orgs – the most devoted of those within the organization. There is also a fascinating tie-in with Mr. Hawkins' wife Catherine Frazier, who not only remains an active Scientologist, but plays a key role in one of Theroux's contentious interactions on a road that is either public or private, depending on whom you ask. Alex Gibney's Going Clear documentary stands in contrast to Theroux's almost playful approach to getting information and details out of those who were/are there. Although the playfulness disappears when, late in the film, Theroux confronts Mr. Rathbun on his role in building the structure that he now condemns. We know we can't trust the "church", but we (including Theroux) are never quite sure whether to trust Rathbun, or if he is merely out for revenge. It's rare that a true story can provide such comical moments and yet, at its core, provide such frightening insights. Call it a cult, a religion, an organization, or any other label you prefer … it's still just plain creepy.