Spotlight Movie Poster Image

Spotlight

age 15+
(i)

 

Powerful, intense film about Boston church abuse scandal.
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  • Review Date: November 4, 2015
  • Rated: R
  • Genre: Drama
  • Release Year: 2015
  • Running Time: 128 minutes

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What parents need to know

Positive messages

The truth must be told, no matter how unpleasant or painful. Those who abuse their power must be brought to justice. Journalists play an important, necessary role in exposing what some might prefer to keep hidden.

Positive role models

The team works hard and tirelessly to arrive at the truth, and Robinson is accountable for having missed the boat on the story the first time.

Violence

Fairly graphic descriptions of children being sexually molested and assaulted and suffering physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual abuse. Some yelling in intense scenes. 

Sex

Some spoken sexual references/terms. But, really, the only content in the film related to sex is violent in nature (details in "Violence" section).

Language

Language isn't constant but includes "a--hole," "s--t," and "f--k."

Consumerism

A few brands/labels seen, including Toyota.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

A character smokes in one scene; in another, a man glimpses track marks (from drug use) on someone.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Spotlight chronicles the events leading up to the Boston Globe's trailblazing articles, published in 2002, about Boston priests abusing children -- and the perpetrators' superiors covering it up. It's an intense subject, and characters discuss the wrongs that were done to them with much pain and discomfort, which isn't easy to watch, but the movie ultimately offers valuable messages about the importance of exposing wrongs and making those who abuse their power accountable for their crimes. Expect some swearing (mostly "s--t") and verbal sexual references, loud arguing, and somewhat graphic (and definitely disturbing) accounts of kids being abused, as well as hints of their reliance on drugs and alcohol. Characters are also seen smoking.

What's the story?

In 2002, following the arrival of new editor-in-chief, Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber), the Boston Globe's investigative reporters -- Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams), and Matty Carroll (Brian d'Arcy James), who are members of an internal team called Spotlight -- and their editor, Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton), are assigned to look into abuse allegations against the Catholic church. In a city like Boston, where the church looms large, it's a tall order, and one that involves a little bit of soul-searching ... and a whole lot of digging.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

Put simply, SPOTLIGHT will likely make journalists want to be better at their job and Catholics either quit or commit themselves to making the church do better. It's that thought-provoking. Told with few flourishes -- relying instead on fine storytelling, a strong script, and a deliberate-but-insistent pace -- this drama immediately feels timeless, telling an All the President's Men-like story with the same gravitas and intelligence as that classic.

Credit goes primarily to the stellar cast, a disciplined group that doesn't give into the usual over-acting that hobbles some "prestige movies." Kudos also to screenwriter Josh Singer, who has approached the subject matter with palpable care and empathy. Spotlight makes viewers think about how an unquestioning faith in institutions may not just be inadvisable, but devastating. 

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about how Spotlight depicts journalists doing their job (and sometimes failing at it). What pressures do they face? Does the film put journalists on a pedestal or humanize them?

  • What role does the media play in society? Does that role change based on the type of media (print, online, broadcast)? Do you have different expectations for reliability/accountability from the different forms of media? Why or why not? What other questions are key to ask to understand the media?

  • How does the film show how systemic injustices take root? Is there any way to prevent them?

Movie details

Theatrical release date:November 6, 2015
DVD release date:February 23, 2016
Cast:Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams
Director:Tom McCarthy
Studio:Open Road Films
Genre:Drama
Character strengths:Integrity, Teamwork
Run time:128 minutes
MPAA rating:R
MPAA explanation:some language including sexual references
Awards/Honors:Academy Award

This review of Spotlight was written by

S. Jhoanna Robledo
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Quality

Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Learning ratings

  • Best: Really engaging; great learning approach.
  • Very Good: Engaging; good learning approach.
  • Good: Pretty engaging; good learning approach.
  • Fair: Somewhat engaging; OK learning approach.
  • Not for Learning: Not recommended for learning.
  • Not for Kids: Not age-appropriate for kids; not recommended for learning.

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Written byAnonymous November 23, 2015
age 15+

Well told story about the Boston church scandal.

So I saw Spotlight on Saturday and wow, I was impressed. The movie told the story very well and definitely captured my attention with it's good acting and very good directing. The film's only iffy content is strong language which is about 7 uses of the word F*ck and of course quite a few references to child abuse. These include a scene where a man says he performed oral sex on a priest and another victim telling a journalist how a priest touched his private parts and proceeded to rape him. The theme of rape is omnipresent throughout the film but of course there are no actual rape scenes, however anyone who has been raped or know somebody who has been raped [especially as a child] may be distressed by the content in this movie, so be warned. Even still, chances are that people my age will probably be seeing the hunger games this weekend instead of this [I was the youngest person in the theatre] and I know for sure that the people I know would definitely find this boring, but for those of us that are fascinated by the Boston child abuse church scandal, this is definitely a movie for you. Michael Keaton and Mark Ruffalo are great as usual, and the script is very nicely written. Overall, Spotlight is in my opinion one of the best movies of the year but will appeal to you most if you have a genuine fascination of what happened.
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Teen, 16 years old Written byDrSoup007 January 20, 2016
age 16+

My expectations going in were already high, but it's such a pleasure to be surprised in this way.

Never before has a film left me so ravished by it's subject matter and how brilliantly it was handled. This movie takes a lot of guts to make, and it's gonna get backlash, but it's a well deserved recommend. Spotlight tells the story of child molestation allegations in the Catholic Church, and if that doesn't make you turn your nose up I don't know what does. But don't avoid this movie, it's a story that must be heard sadly, as it was pushed under the rug by subsequent tragedies. Every character was individual, had depth, fantastically acted, and thoroughly entertaining to watch. There's no main character, but the ensemble still gives moments for each person to shine and be important. It's well edited, the pacing of the entire movie was the perfect sweet spot between being a slow build and thrilling speed. I can give Spotlight nothing but praise and it's certainly one of the most necessary dramas of recent time, sad to say that it isn't gonna do so well at the box office.
What other families should know
Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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Teen, 17 years old Written byStevie111 January 16, 2016
age 15+

Spotlight is a well made and well acted film about the Boston Church Scandal

This film was not the best of the year in my opinion, but I do feel it earned an Oscar nomination and I would not be upset if it was given best picture. It is very well made and well acted, and interesting throughout. Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, Rachel McAdams and Stanley Tucci gave standout performances. There isn't a lot of "inappropriate" content, but the material is quite intense and best suited for adults. There is a small amount of profanity, but there are some graphic references to abuse. Overall I really enjoyed this film, and would recommend it to mature audiences who are not bothered by the theme.
What other families should know
Too much swearing
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