Spotlight movie review ★★★★★ "Lets the scandal speak for itself"

"You want to sue the Catholic Church?" is the incredulous mantra uttered during Spotlight's opening scene. It goes some way to reflect the shock of the scandal that flooded Boston’s newspapers in late 2001 – a revelation that racked the foundations of an entire institution.

When a team of journalists discovered the systemic sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, the story gained them a Pulitzer Prize. New movie Spotlight tells their story, in a gripping investigative drama that never resorts to sensationalist tactics. With a low boiling intensity, it builds a picture of just how many were complicit in the cover-up, from the Archdiocese to the whole city.

Director Tom McCarthy draws us into the newsroom with focused intelligence and a real sense of urgency. A convincing cast aids him. Michael Keaton leads Spotlight’s investigative team, which includes Rachel McAdams and Oscar-nominated Mark Ruffalo. A brilliantly understated Liev Schreiber plays the Globe’s new editor-in-chief, the first to dare to challenge the Church’s authority. We follow their teamwork and conflicts as the scandal steadily mushrooms.

Spotlight is aware of its own moral weight. Real testimonies frankly acknowledge the damage caused. The film dares to lament not only the victims’ loss of innocence, but also the loss of faith for many Bostonians in such a religious society. As each character grapples with a sense of personal responsibility in the face of mass denial, Spotlight turns its eye inward upon this phenomenon, posing complex questions about the real perpetrators of the scandal.

With such an inquiring mind and its understated, believable performances, Spotlight is superb. In letting the scandal speak for itself, it is a triumph.

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