National Society of Film Critics honors Spotlight as the top film of 2015

Directed by Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent) and co-written with Josh Singer (The West Wing), the film tells the story of the Boston Globe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporting, which uncovered a mass of evidence indicating systemic child abuse in the Catholic Church.

The film was originally released in September of 2015, and features an all-star cast that includes Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, and Stanley Tucci.

Since it’s initial release, Spotlight has been basking in a good amount of critical acclaim, having already been named the best of 2015 by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, along with being been nominated for the Golden Globe for best picture.

That said, it doesn’t mean that fans of the film should expect an Academy Award for best picture out of Spotlight. The society has only ever agreed with the Oscar for best picture on five occasions since its inception in 1966.

It might not hold as much public clout as an Oscar, but the award of best picture from the National Society of Film Critics is among the highest critical honors that can be bestowed upon any film. The high-brow society is rather exclusive, and consists of approximately 60 members, all of whom write for major publications.

Past members include celebrated critics such as Roger Ebert and Stanley Kauffmann, and current members include Peter Travers (Rolling Stone), Stephanie Zacharek (Time), and David Edelstein (New York Magazine).

Spotlight was not the only thing decorated with honors at the society’s annual gala at Lincoln Center in New York. Other notable winners include actor Michael B. Jordan, who won best actor for his work as Adonis Johnson in Creed, and Charlotte Rampling, who was voted best actress for her role in household drama 45 Years.