A film that does its job without feeling the need to add more.

Rating: 9/10 (28 February 2016)

Spotlight, the four person team working for the Boston Globe, investigates into the repeated acts of priests sexually abusing children over the course of 30 years, resulting in the unfolding of hidden secrets that this team desperately determined to reveal.
Compelling, investing, and brilliantly detailed account of a story that people tried to hide for so long. This film goes into so much detail about the emotional distress, the determination from the team, the struggle with the legal system in getting the truth out, etc. The ensemble cast is well picked out, with everybody doing a great job. Mark Ruffalo and Rachel Mcadams both give Oscar worthy performances, and Michael Keaton was surprisingly amazing, showing that Birdman was not a one time hit for him.
For a touchy subject matter like this, It's really risky to put it out there, as some people (including the Academy) don't like films with uncomfortable topics. This film handled it so perfectly and so maturely that it deserves every bit of credibility. It's very historically accurate, resisting the temptation to make the main characters out to be superheroes that save the day, but instead just portrays them as people simply doing their jobs, which is what this movie does. It doesn't go out of its way to blow itself up bigger than it is, or try to establish any bit of greater importance, it simply does its job, and does it great. It is completely airtight, there is no fat on this film whatsoever. Every scene is escalating the plot further in some way, and is packed full of the meat of the story, which I savored every little bit of.
Tightly written, tightly edited, tightly acted, and tightly directed, this is a unique and impressive quality film that will inspire you until the end.