It was terrifying, brilliant, cringeworthy, fearless and heartbreaking in equal measure. Since I've been following Ortega's exposes for years, I knew most of the stories, but I seeing them laid out by the principals is a whole different kind of intensity. Also, this is the first time I've actually watched any atrocious Scientology videos like the one of Cruise and Miscavige sieg-heiling the giant picture of Elron, the FUCKED UP "war is won" party they threw after the IRS caved under pressure of Scilon lawsuits and granted them religious exemption and the music videos, dear Christ child in heaven the music videos.
Jason Beghe was a stand-out just because he's so balls-to-the-wall open and funny. Paul Haggis is far better spoken than the dialogue he writes would suggest. The stories of
Spanky Taylor, John Travolta's former bff who had to escape to literally save her child's life, and
Sara Goldberg, who was declared suppressive because she refused to disconnect from her son who was declared suppressive because he was friends with someone who was friends with Mark Rinder and as a consequence lost her daughter to Scientology's disconnection policy, were wrenching.