The movie follows NBC's quiz show "Twenty-One" and how the public discovered that the show was rigged.

Rating: 7/10 (10 May 2016)

Smart, Deceitful and Ruthless
A historically accurate and entertaining film, Robert Redford's Quiz Show is about the lies and deceit of reality television back in the 1950's. The two main characters are Herbie Stempel, a contestant who is unbeatable, but is pressured by NBC executives, Dan Enright and Albert Freedman, to lose to charismatic, Charles Van Doren. The movie progress with Richard "Dick" Goodwin trying to uncover the truth behind the quiz shows.
The Quiz Show is an scrutinizing, remorseless portrayal of the American people. Charles Van Doren is willing to cheat to try and receive attention from his father and when he fails to do that he settles for the attention of the American people. Herbie Stempel is socially awkward, which make him willing to cheat for fame and recognition. Recognition of the fact that he was very intelligent, intelligence which he prided himself on. Richard Goodwin is a naive, newly graduated law student who thinks that law will bring justice to the corrupt system of reality television. Dan Enright and Albert Freedman are businessmen to their core, selling the product of reality television. Reality television wasn't about providing recognition to those who deserved it but selling the idea of money to the American people. They knew people watched the shows for the money and not for the questions, so instead of making the show about knowledge they made it about gaining the most viewers providing viewers with the most interesting contestants. The motives behind each of these characters makes them relatable to the audience, making viewers care about them and the plot. The whole movie in general was very real, the setting of 1950s America was very accurate, besides a few minor details. In general, the actors did phenomenal jobs portraying their characters, Ralph Fiennes execution of Charles Van Doren and David Paymer portrayal of Dan Enright were amazing, on the other hand John Turturro's representation of Herbie Stempel felt like a caricature.
Paul Attanasio's screenplay is witty, smart, subtle yet ruthless, utilizes the power of foreshadowing and full of memorable dialogue. Despite it's failure in the box office, it's a critically acclaimed movie that is a must see for all.