#4. Spotlight
Rarely does a director follow up a critical and commercial Adam Sandler-led flop with one of the best movies of the year, but that is exactly what Tom McCarthy did with ‘Spotlight’. About the Boston Globe’s extensive uncovering of worldwide child abuse in the Catholic church and the system that covered it up for decades, this is a film that finds a perfect blend of earthbound gravity and emotional vastness. ‘Spotlight’ documents the months of research leading up to the series, almost to a tedious degree. Strangely enough, that is exactly where the film’s tree strength lies. By focusing on the details of day-to-day journalism, the climax hits that much harder and feels that much more earned. Credit also goes to the year’s best ensemble cast, featuring Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Shreiber, John Slatterly, and Brian d’Arcy James, all digging deep and delivering career-best work.
Rarely does a director follow up a critical and commercial Adam Sandler-led flop with one of the best movies of the year, but that is exactly what Tom McCarthy did with ‘Spotlight’. About the Boston Globe’s extensive uncovering of worldwide child abuse in the Catholic church and the system that covered it up for decades, this is a film that finds a perfect blend of earthbound gravity and emotional vastness. ‘Spotlight’ documents the months of research leading up to the series, almost to a tedious degree. Strangely enough, that is exactly where the film’s tree strength lies. By focusing on the details of day-to-day journalism, the climax hits that much harder and feels that much more earned. Credit also goes to the year’s best ensemble cast, featuring Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Liev Shreiber, John Slatterly, and Brian d’Arcy James, all digging deep and delivering career-best work.