Spotlight

In 2001, The Boston Globe ran a story about a priest accused of child abuse. After digging deeper, the members of the paper's Spotlight team unearthed a number of similar stories, revealing evidence that led to countless other priests who had molested young boys. Their investigation also proved all of these scandals had been covered up by senior members of the Catholic Church. This extraordinary story from writer/director Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent) is brought vividly to life in a riveting drama that sticks mindfully to the facts. Portraying real events and real people, it discloses how a small, four-person team (played by Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Brian d'Arcy James) exposed a shocking, widespread cover-up. For most of the film's running time, we follow these characters as they gather information, which isn't nearly as dull as it might sound. In fact, the film is utterly engrossing from start to finish, playing out as a detailed, quietly intelligent procedural in the style of All the President's Men, and praise cannot be heaped higher than that. The film was rewarded with Oscars for best picture and best original screenplay.