07. Going Clear

Director: Alex Gibney

Release date: June 18, 2015

Alex Gibney’s revealing documentary about the cult of scientology draws largely on the book Going Clear by Lawrence Wright, and through anecdotal accounts confirms what most of us already might have already assumed: that Scientologists are bat-shit crazy. While the accounts of former high-ranking Scientologists are revealing, particularly fascinating is the doco’s account of the religion’s history. L. Ron Hubbard, an extremely prolific science fiction author, was mentally unbalanced but managed to start a successful cult through his invention of Dianetics. Full of mystery and intrigue, Going Clear makes for riveting viewing.