Bombshell (2019)
A group of women decide to take on Fox News head Roger Ailes and the toxic atmosphere he presided over at the network.
Cast and Information
Directed By: Jay Roach
Written By: Charles Randolph
Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Nicole Kidman, John Lithgow, Allison Janney, Mark Duplass, Richard Kind, Charlize Theron, Holland Taylor, Connie Britton, Margot Robbie, Kate McKinnon, Robin Weigert
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Bombshell belongs to 19 collections
1. Fourth wall (collaborative: moderated by djross - 16 stars)
2. Based on true events (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 12 stars)
3. Films available in HD (collaborative: moderated by kubricksucks - 12 stars)
4. Lesbian Character(s) in a Non-Gay Themed Film (collaborative: moderated by bobyang - 4 stars)
5. Curzon Ripon (public: mandy)
6. Academy Award - Oscar - ALL Best Picture, Directing, Acting & Screenplay Nominees (collaborative - 22 stars)
7. Remembered Films (public: JanaMarie)
8. Real Life Siblings Acting Together (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx - 1 star)
9. Triumvirate of Oscar Winning Actors/Actresses in the Cast (3 or more) (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx - 5 stars)
10. Films That Clearly Break the Fourth Wall (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx - 1 star)
11. seen (public: gamzeknc)
12. Annapurna Pictures (collaborative: moderated by elhenzo)
13. Real Life Spouses Acting together. (collaborative: moderated by Dunstan-xxx - 1 star)
14. seen in 2020 (public: sproost)
15. 2020 Academy Awards- Nominated Feature Films (Non-Documentary) (collaborative: moderated by joel-w-m - 1 star)
16. 92nd Academy Awards: Nominated (2020) ? (public: 5Z5qjRCfM2 - 1 star)
17. Oscar Nominations 2020 (public: Adds)
18. Sexual Abuse (collaborative: moderated by Trash Puppet)
19. IG (public: juntakinte99)
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| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 5 |  |
andayb | 50 27th |
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bombshell is basically functioning in all aspects, the script works, the pacing is good, the leads all do a commendable job. but the problem is, it's a film about a real place, and that place is a genuine shithole. in movies, viewers tend to empathize with the "good guys" and react negatively to the "bad guys". here, there are no good guys or bad guys. the ones that we need to empathize are all opportunistic pieces of shit in real life, which makes it really hard to appreciate the movie.
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| 4 |  |
FoxyRussian | 85 59th |
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Every oscar season needs a current events movie where the plot is just alright but is a vehicle for acting nominations for the whole cast. Nicole Kidman performance of Megyn Kelly is better than the real life newscaster. Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie deliver their usual high quality performances. The score really ups any dramatic tension the script can create
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| 4 |  |
jacobclark12 | 58 44th |
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Boasting possibly the best work yet from Charlize Theron isn't enough to entirely save Bombshell. While it feels witty and snarky towards Fox News, after further reflection it feels like it doesn't know quite where to point its satirical finger. I also did not think it ended on the right tone by trying too hard to empower victims of workplace harassment rather than mourn with them. It might be a decently fun watch in the moment, but overall Bombshell lacks the staying power it needs to be good.
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| 3 |  |
INDYATMN | 100 99th |
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Kelly got fired for asking a perfectly reasonable question & everyone in the media pretended that only a bigot would say that darkening ur face to be someone you liked was acceptable in her lifetime. Cue a slew of photos proving she was right. So good for her here. This film is a true rarity as it presents conservatives as complicated human beings capable of heroism. The zealots (& enablers) on both sides who attempt to demonize & purge those who disagree w/ them will have trouble with this.
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| 3 |  |
AAAutin | 48 42nd |
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Well, they got the first half of the title right...
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| 3 |  |
antidood1 | 45 12th |
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When making a movie about real events, I think the crucial thing is to let it transcend the literal affairs and make it about something bigger. Bombshell portrays the events within Fox during 2016, but it never goes one inch beyond that. So as someone who doesn't particularly care about the US, its politics, or Fox News, I was left unengaged. It's not full-on awful. It's watchable in a way that quasi-smart Hollywood movies tend to be. But it severely lacks any kind of voice.
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| 3 |  |
Groovy_Souls | 70 56th |
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I actually forgot I had watched this (which I suppose shouldn't bode well for the score), but now that it's coming back to me, I remember being rather enthralled. I think Bombshell tells a brave story in an interesting way, even if it definitely chooses a forgiving tone (to some characters) to tell it in. As far as the movie-making, I thought they handled the fast-paced nature of the newsroom well, and even managed to throw in a Geraldo cameo to remind us just how gross he and the mustache are.
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| 3 |  |
Corbad | 70 54th |
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Too kind to the villains, for one (in the words of one of the real women, in fact). With regards to its style, it felt like The Big Short pulling punches, occasionally trying out unique styles and conceits but never committing. Actively distant from the scandal until late, Megyn Kelly is the wrong protagonist, or shouldn't have shared the spotlight at all to allow her arc to really develop. Despite its too-subtle script and other weaknesses, a powerful story. Robbie is the standout performer.
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| 2 |  |
twincinema | 60 36th |
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Sometimes I will watch a film and I have no real thoughts on it. I am sure smarter, and more attentive, people than me have picked through this closely. Maybe go read their reviews? It took me a few moments to remember Theron was in this, because her prosthetics made me forget. The dude who played Geraldo took me out of the film for a few moments.
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| 2 |  |
hellboy76 | 66 51st |
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I dunno, it's an interesting subject with a couple of fascinating performances, but it all felt a little too try too hard to be slick at times. Theron continues to amaze at her ability to simply morph into another person in both the physical and personality senses. Kidman and Robbie are also good. Lithgow is impressively gross as Ailes. With all the talent I just wish it had a different tone at times.
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| 1 |  |
Kavu | 67 43rd |
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Important story with great acting performances on both sides of the battle, but it did lack something. Focus? Purpose?
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| 1 |  |
Duder | 60 40th |
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Although the story attaches you to the screen, there's 0 character development, and 0 depth. It's just a telling of the story, the documentary style, although saving the film from hours of exposition, just makes you wish it were a real documentary instead of this. It is never boring but it is not a good story.
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| 1 |  |
Vandelay1 | 41 39th |
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watchable
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| 1 |  |
Ocelot | 40 31st |
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a movie that could have been a lot better had it been helmed by a director capable of deftly threading a needle. the first twenty minutes or so manage to do a successful job conveying that these are awful people in an awful situation, but as the movie goes on it fumbles this; the Fox News employees take on traditionally heroic roles. no one is sympathetic for the poor working conditions of concentration camp guards. Theron sounds like a kid calling school pretending to be their dad.
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| 1 |  |
Bown | 72 27th |
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Only an okay movie (script is alright but too surface-level, direction is very flat) but the cast is SO stacked like what?? Even the smallest roles are people I absolutely love. It’s hard to be that critical about a movie where Richard Kind plays Rudy Guliani.
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| 1 |  |
kgbelliveau | 90 82nd |
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The first bit seems too glossy but the second and third act become focused on the story at hand, how these women suffered under Roger Ailes and how he took his power and corrupted everyone around him in a web of lies and manipulations. Lithgow doesn't quite measure up in comparison to Crowe in the miniseries but the women here are the spotlight and do a great job painting the picture of the their story. It's a solid film that covers a lot of ground and misses some elements as well.
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| 1 |  |
stuie299 | 75 47th |
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The 3 main women + Lithgow are all phenomenal and do most of the heavy lifting. The way Theron completely morphs into Megyn Kelly has to be one of the best real life portrayals I've ever seen. The editing also seemed really sharp. Unfortunately The movie felt overly long as the incident in question is rather straightforward. Also outside of the 4 main people I found the casting to be really distracting. It was basically a parade of actors I knew from other works in relatively small roles.
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| 1 |  |
glumpy_99 | 78 54th |
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A frustratingly narrow focus and ultimate superficiality hurt this otherwise sterling actor's showcase, cast beautifully from top to bottom (Theron, Kidman and Robbie are superb, with odious Lithgow and Kind's Giuliani scoring in support). If it had taken a wider view of its time and subject (perhaps using Ailes as a focal point), this could have been a great snapshot of its moment - the inclusion of Trump in the corners is another reminder of how strong a more ambitious telling could have been.
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| 1 |  |
lena_c | 3 43rd |
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An important message and a good job by the three lead women. As someone not knowing anything beforehand about the story, I found it a little messy and a lot of name being tossed around. *Recommendable
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| 1 |  |
juntakinte99 | 88 78th |
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The real Charlie's Angels (2019). The opening paints a perfect picture of Fox News: a society with its own toxic rules and policing. That foundation helps you grasp the obstacles in the way of the protagonists as they work for their goal. However, the film could've been more of a genre thriller (like The Insider) and less of a deepfake docudrama. Still, the great performances during the downfalls help create a level of empathy for some real life people who would've not normally earned it.
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| 1 |  |
Mist600 | 67 27th |
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3 V engaging performances | Interesting, if not riveting, story (V much of these recent times so may hold up less well once this partic scandal & specific people no longer famous) Great supporting cast. Plus the spot popular, but not A-List star, actors under their prosthetics, styling & voice imitations adds extra entertainment. Anyone else spot Jane from Deadwood? Mom in 2.5men etc? | Probably helps if U R a politics obsessive like me. Good but not essential viewing
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| 1 |  |
nobamba | 60 61st |
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Everyone's makeup was realistic. Interesting they chose to use a moral Margot Robbie as an outsider but then adds in an unnecessary same-sex hookup. Reviews online made me upset about false equivalency/"both sides"---people actually were upset that this film focused on Ailes' conduct when "they" (you know, the "media") should focus on Weinstein and Hollywood instead! Fuck Ailes. Fav scene: Nazanin Boniadi narrating Rudi Bakhtiar's harassment and the lengths women go through to deal with creeps.
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| Average Percentile 42.3% from 765 Ratings |  |