Pretty much everyone knows the story behind Fox News president Roger Ailes and his serial harrassment of potential reporters and anchors at the network. This film depicts the plight of 3 of those women (played by Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie), as they struggle with exposing their own stories. While the performances are compelling (including John Lithgow’s creepy Ailes), the drama is relentless in its sinister, fearful atmosphere. Director Jay Roach continually uses close-ups to probe the paranoia. While he details the story with noteworthy developments, the pace lags, the situations feel repetitive and the drama never builds to a gratifying climax. Like so many recent films about historical events (Dark Waters & Richard Jewell for example), this one is interesting without possessing the riveting impact the subject deserves.
(3 / 5)