When Charlize Theron first stepped into the role of Megyn Kelly in Bombshell, viewers needed a moment to separate the layers of reality from performance as she sat flawlessly made up behind the news desk. While Bombshell addressed a serious topic, it did so with a distinct and creative flair.
Theron later reflected on how the film’s innovative approach and storytelling meshed to create a compelling narrative, turning a weighty issue into an engaging cinematic experience that provoked thought and discussion.
Charlize Theron Explains Why Bombshell Was Far From Ordinary
Long before Harvey Weinstein’s scandals ignited the #MeToo movement and took him down, there was Roger Ailes, the figure at the helm of Fox News, whose empire was about to collapse.
Directed by Jay Roach, Bombshell captures the tense summer of 2016 when Gretchen Carlson filed a lawsuit against Ailes and Megyn Kelly, the network’s biggest star, shared her own harassment stories. While the subject matter is heavy and charged with emotion, Roach and screenwriter Charles Randolph strike a clever balance, blending a lively tone with rising tension. Bombshell delivers a punchy narrative that’s both engaging and impactful. In an interview with The Times, Charlize Theron explained,
We wanted it tonally to be a surprise, It was important for us not to do another sexual harassment movie — taking your medicine and preachy and dark. There was something about this world and these women that felt irreverent. They, and I think people in general, deal with trauma through humour. And there’s a pace to it that just feels very real to that journalistic world.
From the moment Charlize Theron steps into Megyn Kelly’s shoes, viewers feel like they’re watching the real deal. Theron also softens Kelly’s icy persona, making her more relatable and sympathetic while revealing what it takes to succeed on air.
Bombshell, Public Reception, and Box Office Performance
Bombshell followed a group of women, including Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson and Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, as they took on the late Fox News chairman and CEO. With such a star-studded cast, it seemed like a guaranteed hit.
Alongside Kidman and Theron, the film featured Margot Robbie, and veteran award-winner John Lithgow as Ailes. Set on the #MeToo era, it looked ready to easily exceed its $33 million budget.
Although it did exceed, numbers weren’t too impressive, Bombshell only raked in $61M. Reviews were mixed, with a 67 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Given the impressive cast and the buzz, it was a disappointment from a critical angle and clearly did not ride the wave of positive word of mouth.
Bombshell is streaming on Prime Video.
