All the Archdiocese's Men

Rating: 9/10 (23 November 2015)

The front-runner for Best Original Screenplay in just about every award show this year is Spotlight. the riveting, frighteningly accurate story about the cover-up and exposure of the pedophilia scandal that nearly destroyed the Catholic Church during the 2000's. As the statistic was at that time, nearly 6% off all catholic priests in the world were accused of sexual assault. Yes, it's far too painful to want to believe, but this is true. A noticeable amount Catholic priests were guilty of this, and many more may exist to this day. The truth is, these things happened, and the Church did next to nothing to stop it. It caused many people, like myself, to become lapsed Catholics, and some became not religious at all. Thus, Spotlight, a film about journalism, is a microcosm of journalism in itself. It's the truth that you don't want to hear, but you really should hear. Tom McCarthy brings the story to life with an unbeatable cast. The standout star is Mark Ruffalo, who in this, gives a raging monologue that has easily sealed him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The best scenes are, without a doubt, the interviews with the survivors. You'll be left stunned, that's all I have to say right now. There's not a moment of drag in this picture. Spotlight hooks you in to the very last frame. It's screenplay is the heart of it all. It reaffirms you how intelligent a film can truly be. If this doesn't win any awards for Best Original Screenplay in the coming season, I'd be flabbergasted. Spotlight absolutely delivers as an engaging drama, a loud advocate of free speech and a relentless call for criminal justice everywhere.