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Synopsis:
A revealing look inside the most powerful and controversial media empire of all time and the explosive story of the women who brought down the infamous man who created it.
Our country is no stranger to subcultures. As a matter of fact, diversity is part of what makes us who we are. While most subcultures stem from differing religious and political beliefs, the rise of social media has bridged those gaps and created a toxic subculture that both can participate in. You guessed it, outrage culture. Where many of us engage in being pissed about everything, whether significant or not. However, that same subculture has done some good and helped to expose the dark underbelly of many things that none of us knew about. We know now that a huge public outcry can result in investigations and companies actually doing their due diligence to fix ongoing problems. Problems can no longer be swept under the rug. No one person or company is immune to the outrage, not even Fox News. Bombshell is a result of all of these things. With long-running ever-present misogynistic culture at Fox News, power kept it under wraps because the most powerful was its worst perpetrator. As this movie shows us, all it takes is one brave person to get the ball rolling and if others don’t immediately come forward, our outrage culture may give them the extra courage to do so. Ripping its story from the headlines, Bombshell is explosive, impactful, and necessary. We are shown how much of a scumbag degenerate, Roger Ailes was and how his actions led to an unsavory and manipulative workplace environment and eventually his own downfall. While being an innovator in news entertainment, he tarnished his own legacy. This is a movie about strong women standing up for themselves, even at the risk of losing everything. It also pulls back the veil on the inner workings of the Fox News newsroom and bullpen and how they pick their news stories. It is definitely worth seeing if you don’t know the story or its details. It’s also worth seeing to understand how Ailes was able to do what he was accused of. As not all of the actors are playing real people, we are able to be shown what these women were succumbed to without them having to relive it themselves. I actually believe it to be a legal issue but I could be wrong. Even though I don’t think this is a movie you’d want to see more than once, with its great cast, great performances, and an important story, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not seeing it.
Plot & Pace
When Gretchen Carlson is fed up with the way she is being treated at work, she decides to go after her boss, one of the most powerful men in media by suing him. However, it will be no easy task. Without mountains of tangible proof and other women coming forward, it’s almost impossible to win against a billionaire. Especially when that billionaire helped start the careers of everyone at Fox News and they all fear him. Initially, we get a brief history of how Fox News was started and who exactly Roger Ailes is. The story takes some detours with a few subplots. One that focuses on Megyn Kelly and her face with Trump. The other focuses on Kayla Pospisil as she makes an unlikely friend and tries to become an on-air talent. It all pieces together perfectly and gets its point across. Alternatively, for a movie about such a serious topic, it’s tone didn’t feel overly serious. The pacing kind of moves about like a breaking news story, quick and exciting. Overall, it’s an enjoyable experience.
Characters & Chemistry
Director: Jay Roach
Rated: R
Runtime: 1h 48m
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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Senior Critic. Observing the human race since 1988.
