Based on Sam McAlister's biographical novel of a similar name, the movie is largely set in early 2019 in the wake of Jeffrey Epstein's infamous arrest for sexual trafficking of minors and subsequent suicide in prison. It centres McAlister and BBC's Newsnight host Emily Maitlis' efforts to secure an interview with former Prince Andrew to discuss his friendship with Epstein. Directed by Philip Martin and penned by Peter Moffat, Scoop strives to give an energetic exploration of this subject, but despite some strong performances, it ultimately falls victim to its mixed messaging. Scoop's journalists never quite find the right motivations. Despite occasionally addressing the horrors of the subject, the characters feel driven by the wrong thing.

As the title of the movie suggests, the characters of Sam McAlister (played by Doctor Who's Billie Piper) and Emily Maitlis (brought to life by Gillian Anderson) are always on the hunt to get ahead of their fellow journalists when it comes to a big story. Following their efforts to land one of the biggest interviews of both their careers with Prince Andrew is certainly compelling to watch, particularly as McAlister has to fight her blunt nature to convince the reserved royalty to agree to the interview or Maitlis carefully crafting her questions.

With a subject as sensitive as the one in the film, it's hard not to want to see a more pointed and critical standpoint from Maitlis and McAlister than the one present in Scoop. The biggest issue with these characters, however, is that their motivations feel a little too self-driven. While getting a story as big as a royal's connection to a convicted sex offender is one that requires something of a cutthroat attitude, it rarely feels like the journalists in Scoop have a vested interest in the social importance of the story and more a desire to get it before anyone else can.

Though Spotlight is known for having taken some creative licensing, one of the most important things about the 2015 movie that made it so compelling to watch was its characters' drive to exposing the horrific crimes covered up by the Catholic Church in Boston. Despite some of the struggles with the moral depictions of the figures, the actors behind Scoop's characters are all mesmerising in their different roles. Piper is incredibly effective as the driven McAlister, wonderfully capturing the various layers brewing underneath the surface, including her refusal to take no for an answer or compromise in her values. Anderson similarly taps into the power Maitlis brought with her for her reporting, as well as the challenges of assuring she asked the important questions of her subjects without giving them an inch.

The real standout of the cast, however, is Rufus Sewell as Andrew. In his decades-spanning career, the Emmy nominee has played a wide variety of characters, though he is often known for his more villainous turns in the likes of The Legend of Zorro, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and The Man in the High Castle. With Scoop, Sewell finds an intriguing middle ground in portraying the infamous former royal family member.