Movie · 2006 · Crime, Documentary · 1h 41m · NR · English
Curator score: 8.0/10 (16.5K ratings)
For the victims, there's no such thing as salvation.
Overview
Documentary filmmaker Amy Berg investigates the life of 30-year pedophile Father Oliver O'Grady and exposes the corruption inside the Catholic Church that allowed him to abuse countless children. Victims' stories and a disturbing interview with O'Grady offer a view into the troubled mind of the spiritual leader who moved from parish to parish gaining trust ... all the while betraying so many.
Ratings
Curator score: 8.0/10
IMDb: 7.9/10
Letterboxd: 3.81/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Metacritic: 86
TMDB: 7.1/10
Director
Amy J. Berg
Production
Disarming Films
Cast
Oliver O'Grady, Thomas P. Doyle, Benedict XVI, Adam, Monsignor Cain, Jane Degroot, Ann Marie Jyono
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A harrowing, expertly assembled documentary that confronts clerical abuse with devastating clarity. It is difficult to watch, but its testimony, access, and moral urgency make it a significant and memorable film.
Best for
Viewers interested in investigative documentaries
People seeking films about institutional cover-ups and abuse scandals
Audiences who can handle disturbing subject matter
Those looking for a serious companion piece to dramatized journalism films
Skip if
You want an uplifting or cathartic watch
You are sensitive to sexual abuse content
You prefer documentaries with a lighter, more observational tone
You are not in the mood for anger, disgust, or moral outrage
Overview
Amy Berg’s documentary is relentless in the best and worst sense: it does not let the viewer look away from the human damage caused by Father Oliver O’Grady or from the system that enabled him. The film’s power comes from its balance of survivor testimony, institutional context, and the chilling presence of the abuser himself.
Worth noting
What makes it especially effective is how it turns a specific case into a larger indictment of clerical secrecy and the failures of authority. It is not merely sensational; it is methodical, accusatory, and deeply upsetting.
Bottom line
This is not an easy recommendation, but it is an important one. If you can tolerate the subject matter, it stands as a stark example of documentary filmmaking used as public reckoning.
Top Letterboxd reviews
jacob🦈 · 85 likes
“Over 100,000 victims of clergy sexual abuse have come forward in the United States alone.”
“Since 1950, sexual abuse has cost the church over one billion dollars in legal settlements & expenses.”
I recommend watching Spotlight as a dramatized companion piece to this.
Cortney (3.5★) · 81 likes
I had to hold back the urge to vomit throughout this whole thing.
claira curtis (4.5★) · 70 likes
No matter how devastated I feel watching documentaries and biopics about this issue, I keep making myself watch more because these stories need to be heard.
As a former pastor and longtime radical progressive, I find myself more and more and more disillusioned with the concept of organized religion, at least in terms of Catholicism/Christianity. Faith is such a beautiful thing but in the hands of man, I really do believe it will always become corrupt and cause more harm… more
sam · 55 likes
list of what i hate more than anything in life:
1. men2. catholic church3. religion
Danio Raw (4★) · 42 likes
Fuck the Catholic Church, fuck priests and fuck religion.
2012 · Documentary, War, Crime · 1h 33m · NR · Curator 7.7/10 (11.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Philo, FlixFling, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A devastating exposé of institutional abuse and the systems that protect perpetrators.
1973 · Horror, Drama · 2h 2m · R · Curator 8.2/10 (1.4M ratings)
Not thematically similar in plot, but a landmark film about Catholic imagery, fear, and spiritual authority that often pairs with church-centered discussions.
Topics
documentary, investigative, true crime, institutional corruption, religious scandal, survivor testimony, disturbing, social issue, legal cover-up, 2000s