80
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Entertainment WeeklyMelissa MaerzEntertainment WeeklyMelissa MaerzIf Going Clear were a Hollywood thriller, I’d complain that it’s too over-the-top. But this is real life, which is hard to believe. And it’s disturbingly good.
- 90The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinThe Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinThis impeccably assembled and argued film represents a brave, timely intervention into debates around the organization that have been simmering for some time.
- 90VarietyScott FoundasVarietyScott FoundasFor Scientologists, going clear refers to a coveted status awarded to those who have completed a certain level of auditing. But for the men and women on screen here, it means something else: reclaiming their own voices and demanding to be heard.
- 88RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoRogerEbert.comBrian TallericoGibney crams as much material as possible into a quick two hours (he really knows how to edit and pace a piece like this one as it feels much shorter) and yet, to be fair, there’s still an angle missing just by virtue of the fact that he couldn’t get anyone from the Church of Scientology today on camera.
- 83The PlaylistKatie WalshThe PlaylistKatie WalshUltimately, Gibney's film is fascinating for the people in it. The filmmaking is nothing exceptional, but what is remarkable is the bravery shown by those who speak out in the film.
- 80New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriNew York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriGibney’s a bit like a kid in an exposé-candy store here, and you can sense him trying to cram as much as he can into the film. Good for him: Going Clear is jaw-dropping. You wouldn’t really want it any other way.
- 80Time OutJoshua RothkopfTime OutJoshua RothkopfFor a group with property assets in the billions, it’s a major piece of the puzzle, revealing a critical failing: For a religion with so much to give, why do they do so little for so few?
- 70Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlVillage VoiceAlan ScherstuhlAugmenting his talking heads with animation and inspired stock footage, Gibney dignifies Hubbard with the capacity to conjure feelings of connection and magnificence, never losing sight of what brings people into the fold, which makes their attempts to escape it all the more harrowing. Still, the richness of detail of Wright's book is lost.
- 60The New York TimesManohla DargisThe New York TimesManohla DargisMr. Gibney, who enters swinging and keeps on swinging, comes across as less interested in understanding Scientology than in exposing its secrets, which makes for a lively and watchable documentary if not an especially enlightening one.