Journalist Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner) stumbles onto classified documents that implicate the CIA in illegal drug trafficking, and against all warnings vows to uncover the conspiracy and bring those responsible to justice in this suspenseful political thriller about the power of journalism.

Jeremy Renner kills it in his best performance since The Hurt Locker, but this “true story” is plagued by historical inaccuracies, and embellishes numerous facts to service its own plot. It succeeds at being a dramatic character piece, and deftly takes on a number of big subjects, but the story is occasionally slow and it just isn’t as intriguing as it could be.

Despite its factual inaccuracies, Kill the Messenger is admirable, though, for its dedication to showing us a hero committed to sharing the truth, no matter the cost. Ironic?

Kill the Messenger is rated R for language and drug content.

© Matt Tory, 2014.