Louis documents his investigation into what goes on behind the scenes of the infamous church of scientology.

Plot Synopsis:
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MurrayswigsKarlodonnell88
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A great movie, by the master of documentaries and as always it was both funny and enlightening. I don't want to spoil anything but definitely worth the watch and if you like louis theroux you know what to expect already.

As Scientology of course denied access to any of its higher up people Louis improvised and created a unique documentary that can finally allow people to see what Scientology is and what the people are really like within it.

Not sure about the other review, he must of been a Scientology troll. How can anyone not trust Louis :)

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houseoliverfragrances
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I was so excited to finally see this documentary, however the lack of access Louis is able to gain into the church makes for a very boring and uncaptivating documentary.

apart from the odd confrontation with a church member which is somewhat entertaining, there is nothing of substance in this 'movie' no direction at all.

We all know they're a bunch of loonies but this being a theroux doco I wanted something more. Something that would really shock me.

Perhaps this is the reason for the delayed release of this film. With such little footage I can imagine this being a challenging piece to put together.

Why couldn't he go undercover and try to gain some sort of access into the church? Perhaps do an auditing session and turn it into an interview very subtly (which we know he's good at).

I'm a huge fan of this man's work but this this just doesn't do it for me. I rarely lose focus when watching anything louis. I just can;t find any sort of story in this. A strange movie that has left little impact, only repeating things we already knew about this psychotic church.

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kodakManiac from Norway
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People that know nothing about scientology will find this movie to be a little bit confusing, and people that know about scientology will find the movie a little bit boring.

My Scientology Movie has some funny scenes and interesting moments, but in the end you don't get a really profound impression of what the "church" is all about. Alex Gibney's Going Clear does a way better job, tackling the same subject.

Doing press for his film, Louis Theroux talked negatively about Alex Gibney's Going Clear, calling it a "talking heads" movie, and that My Scientology Movie used a more interesting approach. This is where Theroux is wrong, dead wrong.

When you start talking about scientology, a thousand questions pop up, and those questions need to be answered. And that is where Going Clear prospers and My Scientology Movie ends up being a missed opportunity.

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coreyjdenford from England
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This is my review of My Scientology Movie (spoiler free)

*** (3/5)

MAKING A DOCUMENTARY about such an elusive subject like Scientology will always guarantee the filmmaker a decent sized audience. For instance maybe a small army of lawyers. Alex Gibney estimates that around 160 legal eagles watched last year's documentary Going Clear before its initial set release, and at times it's almost too hard to imagine that Louis Theroux's addition to L. Ron Hubbard's DVD cupboard wasn't given a similarly fine-toothed treatment. Although there are a few people most likely to goad at this litigious organisation than a man who's turned the tables on everybody from White Supremacists to Westboro Baptist's rabid flock just by asking the right questions, listening a lot and being disarmingly goofy and somewhat admirable. But while the BBC's mild-mannered assassin brings all of his weapons to bear here – like awkward long silences, innocent but insistent probing, and using his vast reserves of likability – however he somewhat meets his match with Scientology.

He is constantly bombarded by the organisations bug-eyed loyalists, threatened by its long list of lawyers and he is unable to get close to its leader David Miscavige, Theroux instead chooses to recreate its practices (and, more pertinently, malpractices) using young unknown actors he casts in sessions, with a little bit guidance from former Scientologists-turned feared whistleblower Mark Rathbun, and even the odd visit to its headquarters. Unfortunately unlike one of its inspirations, Joshua Oppenheimer's, The Act of Killing, Theroux's gambit is only half successful. As Oppenheimer's film featured real people recreating their own shocking acts of genocide; here Theroux's actors make willing surrogates, but they're no proper substitute for the access to the organisation itself. Although they do pull off a rather convincing recreation to the infamous Hole which is used as a prison for some of the more senior Scientologists (or sea orgs) where some of the more extreme allegation to abuse took place, however since then Miscavige has denied the allegations and the existence to The Hole. There is one scene when Theroux is put under a lie detector and Mark is stating that this technique would be used as part of the Scientology agreement, it's a way that Miscavige would look into your memories and see if you really belong to be part of the church.

Theroux travels all around Los Angeles learning about the recklessness of Scientology and what kind of place it really is even with top Hollywood actor Tom Cruise played pretty convincingly by Rob Alter, who has pretty much the same smile and repeating lines from the real Tom Cruise archive footage which Rarthbun was so eager to show, when Theroux learns some of the key phrases and acronyms from Scientology. There are a few times when Theroux tries to investigate some of the key sites that are part of the organisation but he is told to leave the premises as he is trespassing and told to drive off a mile away from their road, even though the road in question was a public freeway. But these Scientologists felt threatened by his presence. There is one moment when he meets Tom de Vocht one of the more senior members of the group and he calls it a cult and Theroux learns that he was abused almost every day for 31 years as he was a part of the church throughout the second act Theroux learns about all these techniques one of which called squirrel busting, and he is eager to try out this technique were there will be many abusive words used, and other members laughing as they try it. Throughout the movie it has some funny moments, mostly with the squirrel busting, however Mark was ambushed by other members who were squirrel busting him, and yet again Miscavige tried denying that his members do that as a harassment technique.

During the engaging third act of the film Theroux learns that Rathbun has a very dark secret that he was one of the top members of the group and he learns that he was a much feared individual as at some points with the group he would help Miscavige with the abuse, which can be shown as he argues with Theroux after he is harassed by yet another few Scientology members who abuse him. Also Theroux reads a statement that Rathbun wrote about the group filled with some rather aggressive words against the church. Ultimately My Scientology Movie has very engaging and entertaining moments mixed with some sort of funny moments all together stitched up with some clever dialogue and a lot of research all though it would have been nice if we could meet the real David Miscavige this is a movie he may never see, it's a very intriguing documentary that sometimes fails to deliver at some other points.

VERDICT: Theroux's first big-screen doc is an entertaining affair peppered with surreal moments and wry wit; but unfortunately its elusive screwed up elusive subject is out of reach.

6/10 entertaining.

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OneEightNine Media from United States
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Holy sh!t it is good. It is really good. This isn't the first documentary I've seen about Scientology but it maybe the best. Between this one and Going Clear, all your questions about the super secretive organization of Scientology are finally answered. The documentary Going Clear tells you about the history of Scientology but doesn't make you learn about it on a personal level or feel what it is about or why people are willing to not only join but stay in it. At first I thought the film was going to be dumb, they were casting actors to play some of Scientology's key figures but then you quickly learn why.. because they want YOU to feel what it is like to be a part of Scientology. You literally witness what it is like becoming a Scientologist and get to see the emotional roller-coaster of manipulation and feelings. One scene is so visceral for a former Scientologist to witness that he literally could not watch these actors acting out a simple scene. It was crazy but so powerful. I always wondered why people join Scientology and how they keep their members, and now I know. Unlike other documentaries where they tell you about the answers, this documentary shows you the answers. Brilliant.

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Alex Foster from Essex, UK
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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.

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Tony Montana
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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.

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paulortiz12 from United Kingdom
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As others have said, the biggest problem with this documentary is the lack of access. Don't get me wrong; some of the testimony from ex members was pretty interesting. Although Louis didn't really push or probe them. And there were some genuinely funny moments. But in the absence of real access, or real insight I was at least hoping for some crazy encounters with the church. But we only got like, two or three brief appearances, none of which were particularly menacing or outlandish.

The reenactments were supposed to be menacing, but it felt a little like watching a drama class doing exercises.

So yeah I dunno. Overall a bit disappointed. I mean it was £15(!!) at the cinema! Expected more.

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garyprosser1 from United Kingdom
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I had waited a very long time to see Louis Theroux's 'My Scientology Movie' but it was well worth the wait. It's a film that doesn't set out to be all "look at these guys, they're insane, let's laugh at them" because Louis is so much better than that but it's simply impossible to view this bizarre, insular, sinister cult as anything else. What this film isn't, and isn't trying to be (as a few negative reviews I've seen have decried), is an exposé or a secrets-revealed piece. A very bright light has been shone on Scientology for a long time now and while there are surely dark secrets aplenty yet to be revealed, Louis knew a decade ago that he was never going to gain access to the 'Church' because it isn't like that. The Church has all the security of an air base so it was never going to be a case of donning a false beard and wandering in with a camera in a home-all. The Westboro Baptist Church welcomed Louis into the fold so that they could spread their poisonous agenda through his films. Scientology neither wants nor seemingly needs his help and they will guard their secrets ferociously. Knowing this, Louis changes tack and tries a different approach and for the most part, succeeds in doing things differently.

With Christianity (and most major faiths), any secrets are very thin on the ground. You're given everything; there's even a book that details absolutely everything you need to know and you're required to read it. With Scientology, you are drip fed what you need/want to know bit by bit and to know more, you need to pay (A LOT) more money at each stage and devote more and more of your life to the cause. Essentially, you're brainwashed and institutionalised to the point whereby if you reach the upper echelons, you can't leave and if you do, they will make your life hell. The film documents this as Louis sees first hand just how secretive, paranoid and threatening this 'Church' (and they do have religious status) is.

All of this is pretty common knowledge of course and while I don't think the film provides any major revelations that weren't already out there to find, the insights from former members go further than perhaps they have before, thanks in no small part to Louis' genius at getting as much out of people as he can. It's a film that's thoroughly absorbing, creepy, surreal and often extremely funny. More so than any other film he's done, Louis is brave, ambitious and ultimately, ballsy in the subject he's chosen. It's out on DVD soon, so buy it.

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Dinlander
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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

scientology|reenactment|

AKAs Titles:


Certifications:
Australia:M / Netherlands:9 / UK:15