Documentarian Louis Theroux has released a trailer for his new film “My Scientology Movie,” which premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in October of last year. The film, directed by John Dower, is the first feature-length theatrical release for Theroux, who has a history of diving into curious and controversial subject matter. His documentary subjects include everything from the porn industry to American neo-Nazis to the Westboro Baptist Church, to name a few. Compared to those, the Church of Scientology may seem tame, but the trailer clearly says otherwise.
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This time, Theroux is determined to learn more about the secretive world of Scientology and its apparent control on Hollywood. Marty Rathbun, former Inspector General of Scientology and starring participant in Alex Gibney‘s 2015 documentary “Going Clear,” tags along to tell us more about his time with the Church. The film uses a combination of documentary footage and dramatic re-enactments of Rathbun’s experiences to create a picture of pure insanity. Eventually, Theroux realizes that the Church has caught wind of what he’s doing and begins filming him as well, which gives the rest of the doc a sense of tension without ever losing the humor.
“My Scientology Movie” opens in January.