When I first about this and it being released during the hotbed of Oscar season, there just wasn't anything hooking me in to watch this.
It was strange, because I've always been intrigued by the goings on at Fox News over the years.
Despite not being brought up in America, I was aware about peoples views on how Fox News presents itself and the stories you hear behind the scenes.
But I just had this feeling that because of the timing of this film being made, I was expecting a film being overly preachy about equality. But I think with it getting some actual Oscar success and the time of me seeing this was a bit of a quiet period for new releases made me eventually give this a chance.
I'm always happy when I'm proved wrong, and this film surprised me. I felt this to be an effective and gripping watch. The film sets the scene well and gives you a great insight as to how Fox News works. The way the characters are introduced paints a beautiful picture on how they think and where they could be going in this story.
That opening act felt crucial to me, as everything else just felt more impactful thereafter. The content that was supposed to shock you did its job really well and that just had me fully gripped for a satisfying finale.
The performances really helped make this a worthwhile watch and give a strong portrayal of the topics its covering.
It took me a while to realise that it was Charlize Theron playing the lead. For the most part, I think I kind of knew it was Theron. But the makeup on her gave me hesitation. But the more I heard her speak, it confirmed for me that it was Theron. The performance was as good as you would expect for this talented female actor. That power presence her character has was perfectly portrayed and was the perfect casting choice.
John Lithgow reminded all of us how great he is as an actor. Despite being in mid-70's, I think Lithgow may have given us one of his all-time best performances. That look of a slimy and seedy man with a chilling presence in power with many ladies at his feet just made him not only instantly unlikable, but also highly engaging. That perfect mix is exactly how a successful antagonist should be made.
Margot Robbie was pretty good as well. She played to her strengths well and showed great innocence in her character to make her a very sympathetic character we can get behind. There is one upsetting scene in particular that focuses on Robbie's face and her expressions throughout that scene made it the films peak moment. Also, I enjoyed her chemistry with Kate McKinnon's character.
I liked that it almost had a similar vibe to that of a 90's Oliver Stone political drama. It moves a good pace that portrays their hectic lifestyle rather well.
Also, the makeup is top-top. As mentioned before, I was unsure whether I was watching Charlize Theron. Along with the makeup for John Lithgow's character, it deserves any major awards for that particular category.
This film is all thanks to the performances. If they were just perfectly fine, this would feel more like a film made for television. But the acting is what gives it that cinematic value. The cast really made me buy into this and made me regret not seeing it as it came out.
I'm glad this ended up better then I expected. I'm not going nuts over this as it lacks the depth and twists and turns that similar films have done better with. But it is most definitely a good watch with solid re-watchability that I would happily recommend to anyone.
Rating: 7/10
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