Controversial ‘Going Clear’ Scientology Documentary on HBO Airs Tonight; Why You Should Watch

Rumors and outrageous stories about the Church of Scientology will be threshed out in HBO’s latest documentary “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief,” which debuts tonight, March 29, on the cable network at 8:00 p.m. The feature, helmed by Alex Gibney and based on the book by Lawrence Wright, promises to provide astonishing revelations on allegations against the church, whose famous members include John Travolta and Tom Cruise.

The documentary will feature several former members of the group who will talk about their experiences as well as grievances. They will support the whole thesis of the documentary in that the church, which has had a series of complaints and accusations of mistreatment in the past, has always been able to get away from these. Some of these accusations are quite troubling, in fact. For instance, former members will talk about the kind of punishments and penalties that were laid down on them. Apparently, they were sent to a place called “The Hole” to atone for their mistakes against the church’s principles for an undisclosed period of time.

Quiet secretive in the ways, the Church of Scientology hides under a PR machinery to handle reports, rumors and all these accusations. In order to deliver an unbiased story, the documentary filmmakers apparently attempted to reach out to its famous member, including its current leader David Miscavige. However, none of them refused to talk, and this is also going to be discussed in the feature.

Some reviews have said that the documentary is damaging to Scientology, which is already being scrutinized. But it does shed light on how they operate, which makes for a very interesting watch. If you’re curious about this religious organization, the documentary will be able to provide some clarity on how they operate.

Catch “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief” on HBO tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.