No other 2015 movie will shock you more than “Spotlight”, a powerful take on what went down in 2001, when The Globe’s investigative team followed every lead to expose the story of sexual abuse within the Boston Catholic church. Director Tom McCarthy, who was clearly inspired by the 1970’s classic “All The President’s Men”, couldn’t ask for better actors to fill out these tricky roles. Michael Keaton, fresh out of “Birdman”, delivers a an excellent performance as the investigative team’s leader. Then there’s Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, and Brian D’Arcy James who are equally impressive as reporters who will stop at nothing to expose the devastating, but necessary truth. Everyone gets a chance to shine, including the great Stanley Tucci as an attorney for survivors of sexual abuse. And it’s the survivors who are the backbone of this story. A scene early on finds one of the victims telling his story to the Globe team and it’s a scary but very important scene. Director Tom McCarthy focuses on the crucial elements of this scene and never loses his grip throughout the entire film. That, and a dose of star quality make “Spotlight” a must see.

Rating: 3.5/4