Spotlight is a biographical drama directed by Tom McCarthy, with a screenplay by McCarthy and Josh Singer. The film tells the true-life story of a group of investigative journalists with the Boston Globe as they work to uncover a child-abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. Throughout a year of investigating, the “Spotlight” team discovers a systemic cover-up at all levels of authority in Boston (religious, legal, and governmental). What is more horrifying is that Boston ends up being merely one of many child sex-abuse scandals centered on the Catholic Church around the entire globe. Whether you’ve seen the movie or not, or whether you are planning on seeing it or not, it is absolutely worth your time to read the original publications from the “Spotlight” team, which earned the Boston Globe a Pulitzer Prize.

Spotlight is sad, angering, and despicable at times—that is what makes it so incredibly compelling. The Catholic Church has immense power and prominence worldwide, but the fact that this story takes place in Boston is vital—the Catholic Church is a way of life in Boston, just like the Red Sox and clam chowder. In the film, the Globe’s new editor Marty Baron kicks off the investigation, and the journalists are initially thrown off—characters question Baron vigorously about whether it is such a good idea to take on the Catholic Church in a community where that institution permeates everyday life. Throughout the investigation, citizens of Boston—including lawyers, members of the Church, and even victims of sexual abuse from Boston priests—are hesitant to speak with the “Spotlight” team, and some are even downright appalled that this story is even a thing. It is against this backdrop that makes Spotlight such an important film: Sexual abuse in the Catholic Church runs rampant, and yet, as contemptible as it sounds, everyone who denies the graveness of the scandal becomes complicit in its cover up.

Although Spotlight is by far one of the best movies from 2015, I do not credit Tom McCarthy with much of its success as a director (he did co-write the script, which is impressive). I know, this sounds like a pretty bold and cynical statement considering McCarthy received an Oscar nomination for Best Director (I assure you, he does not deserve the nomination—especially since The Martian’s Ridley Scott was left out of the category in a year when he absolutely deserved to be included), but Spotlight thrives off its screenplay and story. Visually, there is nothing that jumps out as unique; the camerawork is simple and McCarthy’s direction is minimal. Spotlight makes its mark due to its remarkable script, written by McCarthy and Josh Singer. The story is gripping, and the screenplay reads like a thriller at times. With every passing moment, the substance of the film grows more sickening, and it is this tough-to-stomach plotline that keeps you on the edge of your seat. McCarthy (as a writer) and Singer rely on their award-winning source material to guide this film, and they do so with marvelous precision.

Despite the fact that the film succeeds due to its heavy reliance on the story, a talented ensemble cast carries out this triumph dexterously. The film features great performances from Michael Keaton, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, and Stanley Tucci. However, the best performances come from Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams, both of whom received deserved Oscar nominations in the Best Supporting Actor and Actress categories, respectively. Ruffalo plays Michael Rezendes, a “Spotlight” reporter whose unyielding efforts to take on the Catholic Church provided some of the most noteworthy insights into the scandal. Ruffalo is a masterful actor, and his portrayal of Rezendes earned him his third Oscar nomination in six years. McAdams delivers my favorite performance in the film as Sacha Pfeiffer, another “Spotlight” reporter. Pfeiffer’s character has one of the more fundamental, yet complex character arcs, and McAdams excels in her portrayal. Pfeiffer’s grandmother is a devout Catholic, and Sacha attends mass with her regularly. This storyline delineates the constant confliction McAdams’s character faces—how can she reconcile her loyalty to her grandmother with her determination to take down the Church as a disreputable institution? McAdams flourishes in this role. Spotlight is rated R for some language including sexual references.

Spotlight trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb_WgKDqPsE

Academy Award nominations for Spotlight:

Best Picture (Michael Sugar, Steve Golin, Nicole Rocklin and Blye Pagon Faust)

Best Director (Tom McCarthy)

Best Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo)

Best Supporting Actress (Rachel McAdams

Best Original Screenplay (Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer)

Best Film Editing (Tom McArdle)

Previous movies on the countdown of the Top 15 Films of 2015:

7. Straight Outta Compton
8. Kingsman: The Secret Service
9. Steve Jobs
10. Creed
11. ’71
12. Room
13. Star Wars: The Force Awakens
14. Beasts of No Nation
15. The Martian