classicsoncall Review of Kill the Messenger

Kill the Messenger (2014)

"My friend, some stories are just too true to tell."

[7/10 · 3 February 2020]

Here we have an object lesson on what it means to take on the government, and it's not pretty. Journalist Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner) accidentally discovers a major story about the CIA's involvement in aiding and abetting drug trafficking into the country, and while it becomes a major scoop for a relatively small, home town newspaper, it very quickly becomes a taboo subject when the CIA pressures major newspapers to go after Webb for using 'unreliable' sources. The backdrop is the Contra scandal of the 1980's, with the illicit money gained from the drug deals going toward the supply of arms and ammunition to the freedom fighting rebels of Nicaragua. It's one of those 'ends justifies the means' examples often cited to attain a worthwhile outcome using dubious, if not outright illegal and immoral methods. One can admire Webb's courage and integrity in pursuing the story, while questioning the very manner in which he put the lives of himself and his family in danger. For some, what remains an easy choice can often end in tragedy, as the real life Gary Webb resigned from his job and wound up a suicide victim seven years later. This is one of those films that almost forces you to consider what you would do under similar circumstances, with not many willing to stomach the harassment and lies that come with the territory.