Spotlight Movie Review

Released: 29th January 2016 (UK)

Length: 129 Minutes

Certificate: 15

Director: Tom McCarthy

Starring: Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo, Brain D'Arcy James, Liev Schrieber, John Slattery and Stanley Tucci

Excellence in journalism and the very best of relatable acting collide in Spotlight, an extended yet engrossing examination of a news team’s search for the truth.

Spotlight takes place in Boston, Massachusetts and recounts the revelations surrounding the systematic child abuse of Catholic Church priests in 2001. The titular branch of The Boston Globe handled the big news story over many painstaking months, which was comprised of Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams), Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo) and Matt Carrol (Brian d’Arcy James) along with the support of editors Martin Baron (Live Schreiber) and Ben Bradlee Jr (John Slattery). Their combined efforts uncovered a widespread and shameful level of paedophilia that went by seemingly unnoticed by both the law and those who attended the church. Every last detail from the original story has been packaged and composited into the film, emphasising the amount of work and difficulty the team went through. The narrative flashes between the different characters and their individual efforts in the story;  the events are relatively complex, but as the investigation progresses onwards, you’ll find yourself invested as more and more drastic measures and facts come to light.

With a realistic setting locked down, the characterisation has been designed to slot into it seamlessly. The members of Spotlight may not be especially varied, but they all share a common determination and camaraderie which makes the audience root for them. Their reactions to the revelations are all very natural, but of all the main characters, I think Mark Ruffalo has the most emotion to convey and he gets it all across superbly, particularly the sheer frustration of how such widespread corruption went by unchecked for decades. The film is never overzealous with the way it presents the characters; they’re all common everyday people who happen to be on the cusp of something immense. The emotions conveyed here are all fully realised and feasible with no additional side stories getting in the way of the plot. Even the side characters, such as the members of law who support the investigation are well acted, not to mention the victims of abuse who powerfully convey the trauma from their childhoods. It’s all incredibly authentic, making the film’s portrayal of the investigation even more detailed and memorable.

Spotlight is a truly mesmerising and often shocking account on one of the biggest scandals ever to be uncovered by journalistic investigation. The plot is intent and unwavering in the way it presents its story and the characters are both well portrayed and relatable. If you happen to be involved in the profession of journalism, it’s an absolute must see; for everyone else it’s simply another fantastically well-made drama based on a true story.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars