Dissecting The Master

Is the new Paul Thomas Anderson film a veiled look at Scientology?

A journalist in the Toronto International Film Festival press gallery called it the “elephant in the room.”

Is Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, The Master, an attempt to bring the story of the Church of Scientology to film?

Anderson remained mum on the question but says his film is not about a cult. “I don’t consider that we’re dealing with a cult.”

Check out Xtra‘s video interview for more from TIFF, as well as our discussion with activist Kate Bornstein, who talks about her involvement with Scientology.



On occasion, the number of editors and other staff who contribute to a story gets a little unwieldy to give a byline to everyone. That’s when we use “Xtra Staff” in place of the usual contributor info. If you would like more information on who contributed to a particular story, please contact us here.

Keep Reading

U.S. Supreme Court upholds ban on gender-affirming care for minors

ANALYSIS: The ruling in the “U.S. vs. Skrmetti” case sets a new precedent for restrictions on trans rights in America

2025 Pride collections lean heavily into jorts

ANALYSIS: From American Eagle to Target, many of this year’s Pride offerings are bland on bland

Activist groups reportedly gave Alberta list of LGBTQ2S+ books to investigate

ANALYSIS: Action4Canada is calling Alberta’s move to investigate “inappropriate” school library books a “massive win”

Alberta to create standards for ‘age-appropriate’ school library books

Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer” and Alison Bechdel’s “Fun Home” are among the books flagged as “extremely graphic”