McCARTHY is the very first feature to chart the epic rise and fall of infamous US Senator Joseph McCarthy (Shannon). This is a deeply personal story of one of America’s darkest chapters, one that resonates all too powerfully with the world today.

The film provides an unflinching look into this dangerously enigmatic figure, as well as the real powers behind the throne: his politically ambitious wife Jean Kerr (Clarke) his ruthless young lawyer Roy Cohn (DeHaan) and his trusted friend and colleague Ray Kiermas (McNairy). US Senate majority leader Robert Taft allowed McCarthy’s anti-communist crusade to go unchecked, underestimating his unprecedented ability to exploit a tidal wave of populism and fear, fomented by McCarthy’s boldface lies to the American people.