What is it about the Church of Scientology that fascinates us so?
Is it all the Tom Cruise stuff? The stuff about aliens? Or even the fact that it just appears plain old mysterious?
Whatever it is that has us transfixed about the US religion, it has certainly intrigued eminent British filmmaker Louis Theroux to return to poke it with a stick again after 10 years.
The 46-year-old approached the church a decade ago but it’s clearly a persistent fascination that has led him to make the feature-length ‘My Scientology Movie’ under the auspices of the BBC.
This new film centres on supposed experienced of the self-proclaimed ‘Baddest Ass Dude in Scientology’ Marty Rathbun, and features a load of dramatisations based on alleged scenarios people claim to have encountered in the Church.
The trailer opens with a tweet sent to him saying ‘DON’T MESS WITH SCIENTOLOGY MR THEROUX!’ but shit gets a whole lot creepier.
Theroux tried to reach out to Church leader David Miscavige to be part of his film. Miscavige didn’t appear to fancy being in it, so that’s when Theroux started re-creating supposed encounters experienced by former members to try and better understand the inner workings of the organisation.
One of these supposed encounters recreated (which as you can see in the film is robustly denied by the Church) was ‘The Hole’ which essentially looks like a load of angry suits yelling swear words and threats at the poor guy.
Yet while this seems frightening but far-fetched, the other side to Theroux’s film shows him apparently being tracked, filmed and intimidated by Church members.
The trailer culminated with the filmmaker arguing about trespassing with woman, while Church member silently filmed the whole episode.
It’s expected to be out on October 7.
