“Going Clear” could persist as an acute challenge to Cruise at a time when his box-office clout may be waning and in a media age where privacy seldom lasts.
The impact of “Going Clear” has also been unusually large. When it aired on HBO on March 29, shortly after premiering in theaters, it became a trending topic on Twitter. Critics called it a “powder-keg” and a “scorching takedown of Scientology.”
Some believe Cruise is facing a crossroads.
