The Cinephile’s Journey: Spotlight

Recommendation: 5/5 Stars

The Cinephile’s Journey is an attempt to watch and review every film that has won The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar for Best Picture.

Plot: “The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.” -IMDB

Review: Of the thousands of films I have watched in a theater and the thousands of films I have watched at home, I have only rated 63 films as perfect. Spotlight is one of those movies.

In my estimation, it is evidence that it is adult, mid-budget films that possess the true power to change an audience member. It is further proof that this elusive change intensifies in a communal setting, such as a theater. Now, that is not a slight directed at superhero films, blockbusters, or low-budget horror films. Those movies can also be engines for empathy too. But movies like Spotlight do something special. They often transport you to a world where ordinary people meet the challenges of extraordinary circumstances. In their tribulations, we learn, we grow, and we see ourselves. When this happens, the cinematic experience becomes something magical.