In this widely acclaimed and often misunderstood documentary, Louis Theroux offers an unflinching examination of Scientology, aided throughout by Marty Rathbun, one of Scientology's most celebrated defectors. Rathbun has spoken out for years regarding his former power position in the cult of Scientology and his willing participation in the mental and physical abuses of fellow "parishioners". He now openly profits financially from this exposition, with a dogged sense of righteous indignation that leaps at you through the screen. While Theroux has been accused of turning on Rathbun, I would argue that Rathbun is his own worst enemy, inadvertently exposing his true self with the help of Theroux's artful tactics, tactics that are, indeed, so subtle and shrewd many are questioning the point of this documentary. Is it a takedown of David Miscavige, L. Ron Hubbard, and the Church of Scientology, or is it an attempt to lampoon Rathbun and his ilk? The answer, much like cults themselves, is as inflammatory and layered as an onion.
This film is a fascinating, creepy, hilariously fresh take on the one subject Scientology's critics (and critics of cults collectively) have failed to properly examine thus far: The role of the once-devoted, self-proclaimed victim who formerly served as a dutiful minion with enough sympathy for the devil to do his dirty work. As we examine the charismatic sociopaths that reign supreme in the Church of Scientology, we also observe their former proselytes and sycophants. Theroux has branded himself as the brilliant investigative journalist whose strength often lies in the questions he does NOT ask. Rather than jumping in with middling and often uneventful follow-up softballs, he allows an extended beat to linger after he's received an answer. Rolling cameras magnify uncomfortable silences exponentially, compelling the subject at hand to break the tension, and, more often than not, uncover truths that the best and most pointed of questions can't. It is a masterful and fascinating technique, with simultaneously cringe-inducing and hilarious results.
Within his examination of the CoS, Theroux leads the audience through the ethical and existential dilemma regarding the proverbial zebra and its stripes. Can someone truly change or do they just manipulate the way they are perceived once they're free from the confines of the zoo? More directly, should we applaud those who renounce their profitable powerful positions within abusive cults although they manage to profit now still from selling their stories? Wherein lies the true redemption, and has the collusion truly been exposed?
Theroux's approach skillfully reveals some of the most unsettling examples of Scientology's lasting evils, those of Rathbun's himself, in his own words. They are the words of an embittered dry drunk whose drink of choice was and will always be power.
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Cody Jannety
Cult exposing at its best!
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Not Quite What You Would Expect
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2016derek delboy
missed opportunity louis should have done more than just took ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 26, 2017