‘Bombshell' Reactions Are In and Charlize Theron is the Big Winner

Jay Roach and Charles Randolph's "Bombshell" was screened yesterday in both L.A. and NYC, I got the invite, but I just couldn’t fathom travelling again after such a busy year of non-stop festival-going.

The social media reactions for “Bombshell” have been positive, with many mentioning its #MeToo parallels. "Bombshell" seems to be a tight, well-acted backroom saga about how Fox News anchors Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) and Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) brought down Fox Honcho Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) on sexual harassment allegations.

Is "Bombshell" a Best Picture contender?  Perhaps or perhaps not, but the #MeToo factor must be taken into the equation. What we do know is that "Bombshell" is Theron's film, playing Megyn Kelly she is almost certainly Oscar-bound. We’ve heard less acclaim about Kidman's Carlson. Ditto Margot Robbie's "Kayla Pospisil.”

Roach seems to be juggling more than a dozen characters in his movie. A high-wire act if you will, focusing on Megyn Kelly's struggle to decide when to testify against Ailes.  

“Bombshell” will be in theaters on December 20th.

Charlize Theron is uncanny as Megyn Kelly in Bombshell. It’s uncanny. I’m still awestruck. She and Margot Robbie are incredible. #Bombshell

— Gregory Ellwood - The Playlist 🎬 (@TheGregoryE) October 14, 2019

Wow. @CharlizeAfrica as Megan Kelly. Well, she just entered the Oscar race big time. #bombshell

— Marc Malkin (@marcmalkin) October 14, 2019

BOMBSHELL will make a convincing case for the VICE slot in the Best Picture race. Everything here is double-underlined (when the dominoes start to fall for the Murdochs, we literally see a character flick a domino over) but it plays effectively

— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) October 14, 2019

Charlize Theron is remarkable as Megyn Kelly. She disappears into the part, owns the movie. The cast of characters are hilariously Fox. Like Game Change and Recount ish. #bombshell

— Sasha Stone (@AwardsDaily) October 14, 2019

I did not expect BOMBSHELL to gut punch me the way it did. Maybe that was naive of me. So many moments that women will nod in recognition with, such an incisive portrait of the way you have to navigate predators with power.

— Jenelle Riley (@jenelleriley) October 14, 2019

#Bombshell is fascinating: a spiky, rollicking & relentless legal thriller. I love how morally complex the filmmakers and actors allow the characters to be; they're not the heroines you expect, they're just trying to do right. Charlize is unreal & Kazu Hiro's makeup is insane.

— Katie Walsh (@katiewalshstx) October 14, 2019

#Bombshell is a knockout. It's not what you think, not a finger-pointing partisan tract. It's funny, nuanced, surprising and always entertaining. Loved it big time.

— Tim Gray (@timgray_variety) October 14, 2019