Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
Alex Gibney's incisive documentary investigates Scientology through insider testimony, archival evidence, and an unsettling examination of belief and institutional power.
Overview
Uncover the hidden truths of a controversial belief system and the lives it has impacted.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- disquieting
- confrontational
- serious
- serious viewing
- discussion night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a thorough, searing, and compelling investigative documentary, while noting its one-sided reliance on defectors and occasionally heavy-handed reconstructions.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Former high-ranking officials and public members provide firsthand accounts of Scientology's practices and internal culture.
The film connects leadership, coercion, psychological abuse, and alleged exploitation within the Church of Scientology.
Archive footage is interwoven with dramatic reconstructions and interviews to trace Scientology's history.
Its central investigation concerns indoctrination, blind faith, emotional abuse, and the mechanisms of religious control.
Films like Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, and why
The Keepers
investigative documentary exposing institutional abuse through survivor testimony, archival material, and rigorous reporting
Holy Hell
unsettling social documentary about coercive belief systems, psychological manipulation, and testimony from former insiders
Wild Wild Country
detailed documentary investigation into secretive organizations, charismatic authority, and abuses of power
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
searing nonfiction exposé built around interviews, institutional secrecy, and allegations of systemic wrongdoing
Movie Details
- Director
- Alex Gibney
- Release Date
- 2015-01-25
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (887)
Cast
- Paul Haggis
- Jason Beghe
- Alex Gibney
- Lawrence Wright
- Sherry Stringfield
- Katie Holmes
- Nancy Cartwright
- Kirstie Alley
- Karen Black
- Jenna Elfman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief about?
- Alex Gibney's incisive documentary investigates Scientology through insider testimony, archival evidence, and an unsettling examination of belief and institutional power.
- What is Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.
- What did critics think of Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a thorough, searing, and compelling investigative documentary, while noting its one-sided reliance on defectors and occasionally heavy-handed reconstructions.
- Which films are like Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief?
- Films with a similar feel include The Keepers, Holy Hell, Wild Wild Country, and The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst.
- How long is Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief?
- Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief runs 120 minutes.
- Where can I watch Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief?
- In United States, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max, Howdy Amazon Channel.
