The Profit - Reception

Reception

Tampa Bay's 10 reported on the opening of the film at the Cinema Cafe in Clearwater, Florida on August 24, 2001, noting the film's controversial nature, and the fact that it appeared to be an exposé of the Church of Scientology. The report stated that a subtle message of the film was director Alexander's critique of Scientology and his motivation to bring information about it to the public. In an interview with Tampa Bay's 10, Alexander stated he was trying to expose a hoax, and give others insight into "what it is that makes people join cults." Fox 13 News called the film's portrayal of the Church of Scientific Spirituality as "oddly similar to the real world's Church of Scientology," while reporting that Alexander asserted character L. Conrad Powers was actually a composite character, based on several "alleged cult leaders." Alexander stated in an interview with FOX 13 News, that he felt he could better inform others about cults through a fictional portrayal than he could have through a documentary.

The film was not well received in a review in the St. Petersburg Times. The reviewer described the movie as "stilted", debunked Alexander's statements that the film was not based on the life of L. Ron Hubbard, and drew several parallels between the plot of the film and Hubbard's life. The review critiqued the length the story went to make a point, stating "Cultists may be capable of the acts The Profit describes, but this story comes across as farfetched rather than convincing." Eric Rath's performance as "L. Conrad Powers" was seen as "over the top", and the review characterized the film on the whole as "National Enquirer-style entertainment."

In a separate review in the St. Petersburg Times, Steve Persall did not view the film in high regard. Persall noted that although Peter Alexander stated the film was a "warning against the influence of religious cults," and not based on Scientology specifically, he thought that "The Profit is a rant against Hubbard and Scientology, no matter how many cults the filmmakers claim to have researched and incorporated into the story." Persall expressed frustration when Alexander did not answer specific questions about his inspiration and influences used in the film, citing concerns that: "the evil empire will jump all over whoever else is going to show it next." Though the review was not favorable, Persall wrote that the film would have been a more powerful piece as a truthful documentary, and not a parody, writing: "The Profit would make a stronger statement if Alexander used his Scientology experience to produce a documentary or a no-holds-barred version of Hubbard's life that calls him Hubbard."

The film is cited in Russ Kick's 2004 work, The Disinformation Book of Lists, as one of "16 Movies Banned in the U.S.," in between the 1987 film Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story and Ernest and Bertram, from 2002. Kick described the film as "obviously based on L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology." He recounted how the Church of Scientology changed tactics midstep, writing that "Lawyers and spokespeople for the Church professed that the movie bore absolutely no resemblance to Scientology, then turned around and sued the filmmakers after it had been showing for a few weeks." Kick ended his segment on the film by writing that "The litigation continues..." In October 2007, The Times discussed The Profit as part of an article on blasphemy in film. The Times noted that the film depicted a con man who had started a religion in order to become wealthy, and noted that the film is "banned in the US because of a lawsuit taken out against it by The Church of Scientology," even though the filmmaker stated the film does not depict L. Ron Hubbard. In October 2010, Andre Soares of Alt Film Guide noted that the Spanish website Cineol.net included The Profit in "a list of the top ten movies censored and/or banned in Spain". José Hernández of Cineol.net noted that the film was banned due to a court order, and might never be seen other than in a clandestine manner.