GOING CLEAR

GOING CLEAR is a powerful and daring documentary about the Church of Scientology, its history, and the ways former members say it maintains power. It exposes deceit, manipulation, intimidation, shunning, blackmail, lawyers, and physical, mental, and emotional abuse. Its accounts of slave labor, dismal living conditions, neglected children, and members risking everything to leave are deeply disturbing.

The film’s central weakness is theological. It defines a cult morally, sociologically, and humanistically, but does not address what the source review identifies as Scientology’s heretical theology and rejection of God, Jesus, and the Bible. It also contains strong foul language and disturbing material.

Adults who want to understand Scientology may find real value here, but the content and worldview make a controlled home viewing wiser. Watch at home only if you are a discerning adult or mature older teenager prepared for the material.

GOING CLEAR follows former Scientologists, including Jason Beghe and Paul Haggis, as they describe how they entered the movement and gradually recognized its alleged lies and abuses.

The documentary then traces the life of founder L. Ron Hubbard and examines the organization’s methods, beliefs, leadership, celebrity connections, and battles for religious recognition. Its focus is the machinery of a worldwide cult and the human cost described by those who left.

Three stars means this is a strong, compelling documentary with a significant weakness. Alex Gibney’s film is described as powerful, daring, fascinating, and especially compelling for viewers interested in Hollywood and the inner workings of Scientology.

The documentary gives substantial attention to the movement’s history and to former officials and members who describe abuse, manipulation, and control. Its limitation is not primarily its subject or filmmaking, but its framework: it offers a humanist critique rather than a Christian, biblical examination of Scientology’s deepest errors.

GOING CLEAR exposes many serious evils associated with Scientology, including deceit, manipulation, intimidation, shunning, blackmail, abuse, and the exploitation of vulnerable members. It presents the movement as a worldwide cult and gives a light moral critique of the suffering described by former members.

But the film does not identify the root spiritual problem from a biblical perspective. Instead, it uses a moral, sociological, and humanist definition of a cult. It therefore avoids a direct examination of Scientology’s rejection of the God of the Bible, Jesus Christ, and biblical truth. It also references the occult background of Scientology and its founder.

The documentary presents a politically correct, pro-homosexual perspective in its treatment of Proposition 8 and the Church of Scientology’s support for traditional marriage. The source review regards that attack as a serious flaw while also noting that Scientology’s support for traditional marriage is one thing it gets right.

The film rightly awakens concern about deception and abuse, but it does not point viewers to the biblical answer: truth in Christ and salvation through Him. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

GOING CLEAR is compelling and exposes serious abuse, but its humanist framework misses the deepest theological problem. Because of the strong language, disturbing accounts, and worldview concerns, our answer is WAIT FOR HOME — ADULTS ONLY. For a different family movie night, see.