In the five years since Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor published the article that rocked Hollywood, millions of women and men around the world have come forward with their stories of sexual harassment, assault, and more. What began as an investigation into systemic mistreatment of women at Miramax led to the proliferation of the #metoo movement, and forced changes not only in Hollywood but across every industry. The first domino fell on October 5, 2017 and even though there is still a long way to go, many monsters have been revealed because of the work of two women at the New York Times.

Maria Schrader’s She Said tells the story of Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) and the many months of hard work that went into telling the story that would eventually lead to the downfall of Harvey Weinstein. We first meet each of them when they are colleagues across a vast newsroom floor, Twohey a seasoned reporter with a baby on the way and Kantor, an up-and-comer and mother of two. It is days before the 2016 election and Megan is working on a story about Trump, one that puts her on the receiving end of an array of menacing phone calls and a verbal attack from Trump himself.

Maria Schrader, along with screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz, does an impeccable job of laying out the straight line from the Trump harassment scandal to the eventual downfall of Harvey Weinstein. As Twohey and Kantor (along with their very supportive husbands) attempt to balance the demands of home life and this vital story, Schrader never glorifies or glamorizes the work of journalism. She also never makes it seem easy or quick. Over the course of many months, we experience the highs and lows of tracking down victims and hearing their stories, only to be told time and again, “I can’t go on the record.”

We also experience some of the women’s stories, and in ways that don’t exploit the victims. Jennifer Ehle is captivating as Laura Madden, an assistant from Ireland who first met Weinstein in her early twenties and was later assaulted by him. Samantha burns with intensity as Zelda Perkins, a former assistant who witnessed some of the goings-on at Miramax in the 90s. There are others too and some work better than others, but each is treated with respect and dignity.

It is more than a little jarring to hear Weinstein’s own voice come through. The fact that he’s currently serving a 23-year sentence and standing trial on other charges in Los Angeles makes it easier to hear, but no less infuriating.

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

The biggest success of She Said comes from the honesty of Mulligan’s and Kazan’s performances. Journalism, really, good, true journalism is challenging, frustrating, and tedious before it ever gets the chance to be rewarding. For the entire year of investigating, interviewing, fact-checking and waiting before publication, we go on that journey with them. Even knowing the outcome, Schrader builds the tension without overdoing it.

There are some drawbacks. The pacing is sometimes inconsistent. Scenes that should move faster don’t and scenes that need time to breathe are occasionally rushed.

She Said is the story of the tipping point for the #metoo movement. It’s also vital to hear women telling the stories of these abuses. From the victims to the filmmakers, this is not the story of Harvey Weinstein. It is the story of the women who were finally able to stop him. And in some ways, this is a film that will probably finally help others feel safe in telling their stories. There could be no more important outcome than that.

She Said is distributed by Universal Pictures and will be released on November 18.