Movie reviews: Spotlight, The 33, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi

Based on the true story of how the Boston Globe’s ‘Spotlight’ investigative team broke the story of institutionalised sexual abuse of children by the Catholic Church in the city of Boston, Spotlight (15A) is both timely in its subject matter and something of a throwback in its form and delivery. 

Directed by Tom McCarthy, who co-wrote the script with Josh Singer, the story opens in 1976, with the hushing up of accusations of molestation by a Boston priest. The story then fast-forwards to 2001, and the appointment of a new editor to the Globe, Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber).

Tasked with streamlining the Globe’s operations, Baron targets the ‘Spotlight’ team, led by Walter Robinson (Michael Keaton), which specialises in investigative journalism that may take many months, or even years, to bear fruit.