The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.
Check out our gallery of the 2021 Golden Globe nominees in the leading and supporting acting categories, as the characters they so brilliantly played and in real life
When the Boston Globe's tenacious "Spotlight" team of reporters delves into allegations of abuse in the Catholic Church, their year-long investigation uncovers a decades-long cover-up at the highest levels of Boston's religious, legal, and government establishment, touching off a wave of revelations around the world.Written by
Open Road
Jimmy LeBlanc, who plays Patrick McSorley, was himself an actual survivor of the clerical abuse scandal, so when director Tom McCarthy first brought him in for rehearsals with Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton and Stanley Tucci, he was concerned that 'revisiting' Jimmy's abusive past might be too emotionally traumatic for him. However, as McCarthy later accompanied Jimmy out after the session, he asked him if he was freaked out by his first 'acting' experience with the other actors. "Of course I'm freaked out," Jimmy said, "that was the Hulk, and Batman, and that guy from The Devil Wears Prada." See more »
Goofs
Ben Bradlee jokingly claims to be the Archbishop of Canterbury when Mike is spooked and asks who is at his door. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the head of the Church of England, and would likely have little interest in protecting the reputation of the Roman Catholic Church. See more »
... because by the time the credits roll and you start to breathe normally again, you will suddenly realize that this was not a horror film as such, this was a re-enactment of events that actually happened, with real victims and real perpetrators and real well-meaning third parties covering up the whole thing as fast as the body count kept piling up.
And then you will once again have difficulty catching your breath.
As a film it is superb. McCarthy who did double duty as writer and director deserves acknowledgement. The cast is universally excellent. Ruffalo gives the performance of his career, Keaton is solid as a rock, and McAdams reaps overdue dividends from her decision to broaden her career into non-glamorous roles at a time when the only scripts they were sending her were for Diva parts. Smart lady.
A reviewer is not supposed to interject personal feelings in a review but I will say without apology that I miss films like these -- films that speak for the injustice in society and offer solutions -- and wish there were more of them. It seems that when I was younger there was a lot more interest in doing the right thing merely because it was the right thing. This no longer seems to be the societal meme, and that troubles me.
A must-see.
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... because by the time the credits roll and you start to breathe normally again, you will suddenly realize that this was not a horror film as such, this was a re-enactment of events that actually happened, with real victims and real perpetrators and real well-meaning third parties covering up the whole thing as fast as the body count kept piling up.
And then you will once again have difficulty catching your breath.
As a film it is superb. McCarthy who did double duty as writer and director deserves acknowledgement. The cast is universally excellent. Ruffalo gives the performance of his career, Keaton is solid as a rock, and McAdams reaps overdue dividends from her decision to broaden her career into non-glamorous roles at a time when the only scripts they were sending her were for Diva parts. Smart lady.
A reviewer is not supposed to interject personal feelings in a review but I will say without apology that I miss films like these -- films that speak for the injustice in society and offer solutions -- and wish there were more of them. It seems that when I was younger there was a lot more interest in doing the right thing merely because it was the right thing. This no longer seems to be the societal meme, and that troubles me.
A must-see.