Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
The film profiles eight former members of the Church of Scientology, shining a light on how they attract true believers and the things they do in the name of religion.
Going Clear is a meticulously constructed investigative documentary that presents its case against Scientology with damning clarity. The structural 'plot' — built from testimony, archival footage, and thorough research from Lawrence Wright's book — earns a top mark for how compellingly it builds its argument and reveals institutional abuse. The subject interviews and talking-head segments are engaging but not cinematically distinctive, landing in solid but unremarkable territory for the documentary form. Alex Gibney's direction is professional and propulsive without being visually inventive. Novelty is above average given the unprecedented access and the depth of insider testimony, but investigative Scientology documentaries were not entirely new ground. The ending lands with impact but doesn't deliver a dramatic or surprising final revelation — it closes the case rather than reframes it.