Spotlight

This is probably my third or fourth rewatch of Spotlight, but it’s the first time I was moved to tears. This film truly affects you not only in the brilliance of its production and its performances, but also through the harrowing realization that this is all true. Mark Ruffalo’s sickened tirade near the film’s end, ignited by the mere thought of waiting even a minute longer to expose those scumbags rapists who were still walking free, is such a poignant moment of emotional chaos in an otherwise grounded and restrained film. It felt as if director Tom McCarthy, after months of research on the subject, and even more months crafting and executing his vision for Spotlight, needed an outlet to express the pure anger this story evokes. It’s real, it’s raw, it’s unfettered, it’s important. Great journalism is so incredibly vital to our society, now more than ever. Keeping those with power in check and accountable for their actions while elevating the voices of the unheard is one of the most critical responsibilities an institution can have, and The Boston Globe upheld this duty to the highest levels of integrity and bravery. Spotlight is so important to me not only as a flawless work of art, and it is a flawless work of art, but perhaps even more so as a reminder of good, honest people and good, honest institutions. For me, this is the absolute pinnacle of investigative journalism in film, and it sits amongst the all-time cinema greats.