4 Documentaries about Scientology that Will Totally Shock You

Posted on July 25, 2019July 25, 2019 by ngschilling

Documentaries about Scientology are some of the best documentaries out there…they’re shocking, bizarre, have a Hollywood factor, and are almost unbelievable.

This cult (or religion, depending on where you stand) has only been around since the 1950’s, but it’s growth and notoriety have been substantial – partially because of their focus on Hollywood’s involvement.

While one of the main underlying principles may be to become a better person, the practices, terminology, and beliefs are pretty far out there for most people. Their secrecy has only increased the scepticism and intrigue.

But luckily, all of these factors provide amazing material for some really great documentaries about Scientology! They’re some of the best documentaries about cults and religion out there.

I hope you get a chance to add all of these to your queue.

Enjoy!

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These Scientology documentaries will completely blow your mind! This notorious cult (or maybe religion) is infamously secret, but these documentaries do a great job of uncovering some of the secrets and scandals.

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

If you want a truly in-depth documentary about Scientology that will both inform and shock you, then Alex Gibney’s Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief is the film for you (good enough to win 3 Emmy Awards!).

Despite Scientology’s secretive nature, Gibney was able to get quite a few ex-members to provide valuable insight into the strange cult.

He also provides a good overview of the development of Scientology, including the religion vs. cult debate (something that is complicated by the organizations tax exemption status as a religion).

This is not only an amazing Scientology documentary, it’s also just a really great documentary in general, so it’s definitely worth watching!

It’s part of the HBO family of documentaries, so if you want to give HBO a try, you can get a free trial through Amazon Prime here – HBO Free Trial.

My Scientology Movie

When Louis Theroux (a really great documentarian, by the way) set out to film My Scientology Movie, he had hoped to get a little more access than he was actually able to get.

But of course, that in itself provided him with a unique perspective and a view into one of the darker parts of Scientology – what happens when they don’t like you.

Teaming up with high profile ex-Scientologist Marty Rathbun didn’t help with his plight to get inside the infamous cult, but it did help to make an amazing Scientology documentary with insider information that isn’t found in some of these other documentaries.

This film is really captivating, really shocking, and definitely gives you a perspective that you won’t forget.

And since it’s a documentary about Scientology on Netflix, you can add it right to your queue!

Scientology: The Ex-Files

Scientology: The Ex-Files is a great documentary about Scientology, with a special focus on the Australian arm of the notorious cult.

While the beliefs and organization are all under the same umbrella (and followers tend to go back and forth between the countries), it is still really interesting and shocking to hear similar stories coming from two totally different locations.

This Scientology documentary will make you realize that the stories you hear aren’t just a product of Hollywood.

There’s also a focus on how Scientology has impacted families, which is also really interesting (and tragic).

This is another must-see documentary about scientology with totally new information and ex-members that you won’t have seen in the other films.

Scientologists at War

Scientologists at War profiles one of Scientology’s most infamous defectors – Marty Rathbun.

For quite a long period, Rathbun was actually the #2 man in Scientology and is credited with devising the disturbing tactics that Scientologists use to terrorize ex-members…tactics he himself is victim to now.

This Scientology documentary shows just how difficult it is to leave the cult, as well as great insider information from one of the highest ranking members.

One unique aspect of this documentary is also a discussion on independent Scientology…something that doesn’t turn up in other documentaries about Scientology, but does provide hope for the future of this cult.

This is another great documentary about Scientology to add to your list!

I hope you get a chance to watch all of these scientology documentaries! They’re definitely some of the best out there on religion and cults, so enjoy!

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