The Stream: Is this movie necessary considering this story came out like 5 years ago?

The Big Screen: Surprisingly suspenseful considering the outcome of the investigation is well-known

The Final Bill: An illuminating and thoughtful movie that focuses of the voices of the survivors

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Maria Schrader
Writers: Rebecca Lenkiewicz
Stars: Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, Zoe Kazan, Andre Braugher
Genre: Drama
Rating: R for language and descriptions of sexual assault
Runtime: 2 hours 3 minutes
Production Companies: Universal Pictures, Annapurna Pictures, Plan B Entertainment
Platform: In theaters November 18, 2022
Notable Trailers: A Man Called Otto, Knock at the Cabin, Oppenheimer

What’s up, Streamers? We have another entry in the Awards Season sweepstakes. It’s that movie about the catalyst of the “Me Too” movement called She Said. It seems like every award season needs a movie about journalists tracking down a story, and this year we have the one that touches upon the movie business itself. Many know the story already whether you read the New York Times article or just picked it up through the online discourse, but everyone loves a movie that depicts real events. Right? Nevertheless, I caught up with the cinematic treatment of the story and here’s how it goes.

She Said tells the story of the investigation by New York Times reports, Megan Twohey (Carrie Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan), as they look into sexual harassment in the workplace. Their investigation uncovers rampant disturbing actions by the former head of Miramax and the plight of many assistants, employees and Hollywood actresses. A difficult topic to cover considering the power structure of Hollywood and the fears of the survivors, Twohey and Kantor continue to investigate and write a bombshell story that upends Hollywood and reverberates throughout culture.

She Said feels like a homework movie. Here we go telling the story of a thing that happened in real life from the point of view of the people that investigated the story in the first place. Okay? I don’t know why the reporters are the protagonists here. Whenever these investigative journalism movies come out, it seems like they are just going from place to place relaying a story that has already been told. That’s not very cinematically interesting. For the most part, this movie does the same thing, except the voices of the survivors are front and center. One well-known survivor has an integral part to the movie itself, and others lend their voices. This is what makes the film most worthwhile. The problem with She Said is that the story is so fresh that it doesn’t seem necessary to be told right now. It is compelling and has a suspenseful tone despite the fact that the outcome is well-known.

Ultimately, She Said is a compelling depiction of the accounts of the survivors and the catalyst to the “Me Too” movement through the eyes of dedicated journalists. There is a lot of sitting, talking and listening and tropes from other investigative journalism movies, which doesn’t help express any urgency to this movie. It’s probably not necessary for a trip to the movie theater, but it could be an interesting afternoon movie with a bowl of popcorn once it lands on streaming.