Spotlight

Spotlight is a taut drama that goes beyond the scenes of one of the most notorious scandals in recent history as a small group of intrepid journalists take on a seemingly unbeatable opponent—and win. This is the gripping story of the Pulitzer Prize winning investigation that uncovered a scandal that rocked one of the world's oldest and most trusted institutions. Delving into allegations of child abuse within the local Catholic Archdiocese, a tenacious team of Boston Globe reporters exposes a decades-long cover-up that reaches the highest levels of Boston's religious, legal, and government establishments. (Gary Reber)

Special features include the featurettes Uncovering The Truth: A Spotlight Team Roundtable (HD 06:33), A Look Inside (HD 02:30), and the State Of Journalism (HD 03:14); upfront previews; and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 1.85:1 1080p AVC picture is generally natural in appearance, with a sense of realism due to the nuance of the production design, whether within the office setting of the Boston Globe or the bookend exterior locations. The color palette is naturally hued throughout with realistic fleshtones. Resolution is excellent, with fine detail exhibited in facial features, hair, clothing, and object textures; such as the extensive reams of paper, file folders, books, office furniture, filing cabinets, and other aspects defining the out-of-office environments. Even the Fenway Park scene is rich in color, as depicted in the green glass of the playing field and red seats. Everything is convincingly realistic. Overall, this is a pleasing visual experience that effectively portrays this gripping story of investigative journalism. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is dialogue focused in line with the narrative, which is the essence of the storytelling. But dialogue is wanting of spatial integration, as the dialogue often sounds produced and on-body recorded and far forward, and at times muffled sounding. The music score sounds synthesized, except for a children's choral piece and solo piano, but nicely extends across the soundstage and into the surrounds, which is just about the sole source of surround envelopment, except for a baseball game location. Overall, this is a monaural experience, with interspersed music providing a sense of surround. (Gary Reber)