My Scientology Movie

source: My Scientology Movie

I watched the movie and then looked at the overall rating and was completely shocked. I knew the movie wouldn't be the greatest for all people but to get a rating below 7 just seemed stupid. There are parts in the documentary in which it seems as if the viewer is invited to believe absurd things with the documenter. For instance, when Louis says there is a car following them and it goes a while with that scene, you get the sense that the editor is trying to make you doubt what Louis says. Maybe he is just getting paranoid because he is in too deep. There is a time in which Louis is trying to talk to the man being persecuted about him also doing the same persecution with others and he (the ex-Scientologist) wants to get out of that conversation while shaming Louis for bringing it up. It's an amazing part because it also makes the poor man a villain for a while. The part in which they wanted to record near the camp at the closed public road and lights start appearing, it is just marvelous. I watched a bit of the other Scientology movie that people say it's way better and I just stopped at the middle. It was just plain boring. So maybe this documentary doesn't bring something new to the discussion, but it definitely sheds a new light on it. The reenactments were awesome and to think there is a possibility (a good one) that those things took place makes you just amazed at what lengths the humans can go to. At the end of the day, it's not just a documentary about a religion, it's also a bit of a thriller. Maybe my rating will change at a next watching but for the time being it is a very big 10.

The biggest problem with this documentary from Louis Theroux is that it is very, very low energy...and other documentaries have covered this same fascinating material and infused it with more energy and passion. My advice is to try one of these other films, such as Leah Remini's very passionate and personal series about the same subject, "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath". However, instead of hearing folks talking about their own personal experiences, often Theroux recreates scenes or talks with very little energy or enthusiasm...which is strange because he CAN make amazing films on cults, such as his seemingly heartfelt films on the infamous Fred Phelps cult "The Most Hated Family in America"--and the best film about the Westboro Baptist Church and their hate-filled protests. I have almost always loved Theroux's films...but this one is clearly the exception and I wish he just hadn't bothered.

I was really REALLY looking forward to this documentary but I was left wondering what I had just watched. A good portion of the documentary was actors being filmed as they went through auditions. No reason at all Louis felt he needed to include this. Louis drove around with a few ex-Scientology members who told uninteresting and repetitive stories. The only semi-interesting bit was when he had a boring run in with a couple of members who told him to get off their road. It's a very boring, uninformative documentary and you will learn nothing you don't already know.

My Scientology Movie is one of the weakest of all Louis Theroux's films to date. It starts with the intro being a collection of Twitter posts and reactions of Theroux making a movie about Scientology. This seems to be an excuse for the doco just to have text on screen to explain itself to the audience This is also easily Louis' most comedic investigation yet but, unlike his previous movies, the comedy is not infused well or makes a statement of how absurd a subject matter is but rather it goes out of it's way to make jokes. The completely unnecessary recreations of scenes famous in Scientology history, like the notorious Tom Cruise promotional video, just seem out of place and are only there to get a cheap laugh. Louis himself is still fantastic playing the straight man in a ridiculous film but after viewing, I realized I failed to learn anything new. This movie sheds no new light on the infamous religion and only states facts that are well known to people familiar with the subject matter. It's only worth seeing if your're a Louis fan like myself but other that that, you might as well read the Wikipedia page the Church itself

I am a big fan of Louis Theroux, and also enjoy him in this documentary. But it kind of misses its mark. Louis never gets to spend much time with Scientologists (though not for lack of trying), which is sad, as those few bizarre moments are the clear highlight of the documentary. Instead, he goes on a mission to make a vague reenactment of certain moments in David Miscavige's life, as a way to explore the background and motives behind the organization and Miscavige himself. It's not that interesting, and it doesn't really reveal much beyond what you learn from other documentaries on the same subject (Going clear, for instance). The meetings with former church members are alright, and there is at least a couple of really good moments with them. But perhaps because they are not the people he is after, Louis never probes that deep into them. If he did, those moments does not end up on screen. It's a documentary worth watching if you like his stuff, but it's not as good as many of the episodes of his shows.

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.

Horrible. There was a certain scene that ruined this for me and exposed the film makers as being worse than the group they are 'investigating'. There was a woman in public with a single camera man and the director of this film pesters her with questions. She doesn't have to answer them and is obviously not comfortable. He persists and follows her around, he then pesters her cameraman with questions. When she says she wants to leave he chases her down and starts yelling at her to come back and to stop running away. What a psycho. The camera pans out and you see the scene unfold. The director has a crew of camera men and sound guys so he has a party of about five, chasing a woman who is with a single cameraman and minding her own business but since she may work for the Scientologists she MUST be crazy right? If someone is going to make a movie about how certain religious groups harass, manipulate and stalk others perhaps they should not conduct those behaviors themselves. Creep director, who harasses apparent 'harassers'. The apparent 'harassers' being 5'2 quiet blonde women. Ridiculous.

This is the worst film that I have seen in a very long time and it was so bad I felt compelled to write my first IMDb review. Few things: 1) I am a fan of Louis Theroux and his documentaries 2) I like the documentary genre. This so called "film" first of all is very, very boring. Nothing really happens during the entire film and we don't actually learn anything new about Scientology. Others have covered Scientology far better. A good chunk of this film is simply Louis driving around, not really saying much and the overall production quality is low. Another good chunk of the film consists of YouTube clips and ripped VHS films. These do not translate well to the big screen. Early on in the film Louis announces that he was never going to be let inside the organisation so is going to try another approach of recreating video clips or things that apparently happened within the organisation. We are now subjugated to watching Louis hiring actors, casting them and watching them act out scripted scenes by former scientologist and henchman Mark Rathbun. This is very painful to watch and downright boring. One of the few people that Louis interviewed who had anything remotely interesting to say said that Mark knew 'where the bodies were" and was hiding significant secrets for Scientology. Louis timidly tried to probe Mark about this on two occasions throughout the entire film. Mark immediately shut Louis down and started swearing at him. As most of the film hinged on Louis getting Mark to write scripts and direct a bunch of actors in a barren studio Louis apologised and stopped probing him. Seriously if anything this guy needs investigating along with the rest of the senior people in Scientology. There was a scene where Mark was getting the actors to play a scene where David Miscavige abuses a group of "senior" Scientologists by roughing them up, verbally threatening them and getting them to smash things up. Mark Rathbun was loving it! Seriously look at this guy's facial expression it was like he was getting off to the improve abuse. Sorry about the general lack of direction of this review but that film was so frustrating I had really high hopes for it and was left bitterly disappointed. If you are a Louis Theroux fan I suggest you watch it so you can form your own opinion. But if you are not really a fan or just want to learn about Scientology and the messed up things they get up to, don't watch this film. Others have done significantly better work.

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.