Revered institutions like the Church, which has so ingrained itself into the communities around the United States, become difficult to criticize, let alone being blamed for rampant acts of pedophilia that see a substantial amount of the clergy getting away with molesting young kids. The Church remains blameless even with the overwhelming evidence and prevalence of this sick form of depravity. One team of anonymous reporters working for the Boston Globe, called Spotlight (2015), decided to uncover the scandal behind these immoral practices of the Church. The movie follows their investigation into the matter with each revelation more shocking than the last culminating into the historic story that opened the forum for victims to come out with their own stories. Directed and written by Tom McCarthy and nominated for 6 Academy Awards, Spotlight handles a very sensitive matter with care and nuance, the story is very true to life while remaining interesting throughout. It properly highlights the effects and importance of investigative journalism and shows that no institution can be left unregulated.
Pace: 9 out of 10
The film is a little too long at certain scenes but overall maintains a sense of urgency and intrigue. There are no sidebars and all the character development focuses around the Spotlight team as they continue to uncover how deep this issue runs.
Acting: 10 out of 10
This is very much a story driven movie but every single actor gives a compelling performance, with none more empathetic than Mark Ruffalo’s character Mike Rezendes.
Content: 10 out of 10
The story unfolds slowly and the movie avoids many of the more annoying tropes of the based on true events story. Nothing seems coincidental and not one moment was given any senseless gravitas.
Overall: 10 out of 10
Spotlight is one of the most compelling dramas of the year, taking a subject many people feel uncomfortable even mentioning and delving into how much of an issue it has become. It treats the subject matter with the responsibility fitting the efforts of the Spotlight team.
