Netflix Just Revived This Controversial Margot Robbie Movie—And It’s Still Blowing Minds in 2025

Netflix recently added Bombshell (2019) to its streaming catalog, bringing back a film that remains deeply unsettling and powerfully relevant. The story dramatizes how several women at Fox News exposed their CEO, Roger Ailes, for sexual harassment in 2016. While Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron play real-life anchors Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly, respectively, it is Margot Robbie who delivers one of the most vital roles. Her character, Kayla Pospisil, though fictional, gives a face to the many women whose stories are less public but equally significant.

This film should be among the top of your September watchlist for many reasons. Here is why Margot Robbie’s performance in Bombshell, along with the film’s craft and context, make it a must-see in 2025.

The Scandal That Inspired the Film

In 2016, several women employed by Fox News came forward with allegations against Roger Ailes, detailing abuse, intimidation, and harassment. These accounts, particularly those of Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly, set in motion events that exposed how far-reaching and entrenched this toxic workplace culture had become. Bombshell dramatizes those events, with Jay Roach directing and Charles Randolph writing the screenplay. The film captures both the legal fallout and the personal cost of speaking out.

Margot Robbie’s Role and Why It’s Central

Margot Robbie plays Kayla Pospisil, a fictional composite character inspired by many women at Fox News. Through Kayla, the film explores experiences of ambition, fear, and the painful realization that corporate culture can demand far more than professionalism alone. Kayla begins as a hopeful producer aiming to advance at the network, believing she can succeed on merit. Over time she confronts the expectations placed on her appearance, the pressure to conform, and the risks involved in simply doing the job.

Robbie’s performance is notable because she bridges vulnerability and strength. In scenes where Kayla must endure uncomfortable meetings with Roger Ailes, or when she faces moral choices about whether to stay silent or speak out, Margot Robbie invests subtleties into her expressions and posture that make those moments resonate deeply. Viewers empathize not only with the major anchors but also with this less visible female worker whose path mirrors many real experiences.

Major Cast, Awards, and Critical Reception

Bombshell (2019 premiere in December 2019) stars Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, and Margot Robbie, supported by a strong ensemble including John Lithgow as Roger Ailes, Kate McKinnon, Allison Janney, Malcolm McDowell, among others. The film was made by production companies such as Bron Studios, Annapurna Pictures, and distributed by Lionsgate. It has a runtime of about 109 minutes, and it earned a worldwide gross of over sixty million United States dollars, against a production budget of around thirty‑two million. Reviews were mixed to positive, with critics praising performances and subject matter, while some noted the film did not always dive deeply into every moral complexity.

At the 92nd Academy Awards, Margot Robbie was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Charlize Theron for Best Actress, and the film won Best Makeup and Hairstyling. The film also earned nominations at the Golden Globes, BAFTA Awards, and Screen Actors Guild. Robbie’s nomination recognized her ability to capture a traumatic journey convincingly in a supporting but emotionally essential role.

Makeup, Transformation and Visual Craft

One of the most praised aspects of Bombshell is the transformation of its lead actresses to resemble their real‑life counterparts. Charlize Theron underwent extensive prosthetics and makeup work to become Megyn Kelly, including alterations to facial structure, hairline, and posture. Nicole Kidman similarly adopted physical changes to portray Gretchen Carlson. Margot Robbie’s character being fictional meant her visual arc was crafted to fit into the world these real women inhabited. Her appearance moves from somewhat natural backstage production styles toward more polished, on‑air readiness. Hair, wardrobe, and makeup work combine to reflect what the film portrays as unspoken requirements for women working at a major news network.

The film won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for such work. The costume design also plays a role; dresses, hairstyles, and even subtextual details of the “Fox Look” help illustrate how appearances were part of the power dynamics.

Narrative Style, Themes, and Emotional Impact

Bombshell blends drama, biography, and moments of satire to portray its story. The screenplay by Charles Randolph balances large‑scale events and courtroom drama with personal, sometimes quiet moments. It reveals how professional ambition, appearance expectations, loyalty, fear, and silence intersect. Margot Robbie’s character Kayla Pospisil allows viewers to witness what many less famous women might have faced—ambitious, often idealistic women who discover the cost of progress in certain workplaces.

The film timelines dwell on the fallout from Carlson’s lawsuit in 2016, Kelly’s role in speaking out, and flashpoints in newsroom culture. Beautifully shot and carefully paced, it allows discomfort and confrontation; scenes with Margot Robbie are especially effective because they are less about spectacle and more about inner turmoil. In one particularly pivotal scene, Kayla meets with Roger Ailes and is asked to comply, to conform, to raise her dress, perform small acts of compliance—to maintain career prospects. Robbie plays that moment with remarkable restraint.

Why Bombshell Is Still Relevant in 2025

Even years after its theatrical release, Bombshell remains urgent. Conversations about workplace harassment, gendered expectations, and power still dominate public discourse. #MeToo is part of the context now, but the film helps remind viewers that many of the patterns it portrays are not resolved. Margot Robbie’s role is especially relevant because it shows the complexities for those who are neither prominent anchors nor entirely anonymous but somewhere in between.

The film also reminds us that public accountability is only part of change, and private courage matters. The quiet pain, the cost of speaking out, and the ways systems reinforce silence are themes that still resonate deeply. For fans of Margot Robbie, the film reveals a side of her talent that goes beyond star power and glamour, focusing on moral depth and emotional rawness.

Criticisms and Limitations

Because Bombshell deals with real events, some critics and viewers argue that it simplifies or softens certain moral complexities. Certain secondary characters might feel less developed. The fictional composite character Kayla Pospisil, while valuable, is sometimes argued to be used to smooth over difficult truths rather than fully explore individual responsibility or complicity within the organization. The movie does not always show long‑term institutional reform or follow every consequence in detail.

Some reviews praise the film’s power but suggest that dramatic license sometimes overshadows a more thorough exploration. Still, Margot Robbie’s performance is generally seen as one of the film’s most compelling parts, especially given that Kayla is not based on a single real person, yet feels deeply rooted in reality.

Where Bombshell Stands in Margot Robbie’s Career

Margot Robbie is often associated with glamorous or larger‑than‑life roles—worldwide box office hits, iconic characters. Bombshell stands out in her filmography as a role that emphasizes subtlety, character work, moral conflict, and emotional vulnerability. It earned her major award recognition and expanded her reputation for taking challenging and meaningful roles.

This film showed that Robbie could share a stage with prominent, real‑life characters and bring alive the experiences of those who are less visible. For people watching her journey from blockbuster leading lady to a serious dramatic actress, Bombshell feels like an essential bridge.

Conclusion: A Film Worth Watching, A Role Worth Remembering

Bombshell (2019) is much more than a historical dramatization. It is a complex, uncomfortable, yet necessary examination of power, silence, and courage. Margot Robbie’s role as Kayla Pospisil is central to how the film connects personal experience to larger systemic issues. Her performance offers emotional truth in between the more public battles of Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly.

In 2025, with the film now streaming on Netflix, this story still carries shock, relevance, and moral weight. If you are looking for a movie that challenges, that moves, and that reminds why speaking out matters, Bombshell deserves a place on your watchlist. Margot Robbie delivers not just a performance but something deeply human and lasting.