Ink Examines The Sun's Rise and Journalism's Ethical Limits

Danny Boyle's 2026 film Ink examines how Rupert Murdoch and editor Larry Lamb transformed the struggling British newspaper The Sun into a successful tabloid, while exposing the ethical compromises behind its rise. Adapted by James Graham from his 2017 stage play, the film explores sensationalism, commercial ambition and journalism's responsibility to the public. The film premiered as the opening selection at the Venice International Film Festival in September before appearing at the Telluride Film Festival.

On Sept. 19, the Hopkins Center for the Arts screened Ink as part of Telluride at Dartmouth, according to The Dartmouth. Set against the newspaper's transformation after Murdoch acquired it in 1969, the story follows Lamb, played by Jack O'Connell, as he recruits an unconventional newsroom team. Their strategy centers on attracting readers through sports, sex, scandals and crime, turning The Sun into a publication defined by accessible entertainment and sensational headlines.

As circulation-driven ambition intensifies, the newsroom's growing excesses reveal the tension between commercial success and journalistic responsibility. The film depicts a culture in which parties, reckless behavior and increasingly provocative coverage become intertwined with the pursuit of a larger readership.

One of the film's darker storylines concerns the kidnapping and murder of Muriel McKay, the wife of Murdoch's deputy Alick McKay. The kidnappers mistakenly believed McKay was Anna Murdoch and held her for ransom, introducing a human tragedy that contrasts with the newspaper's pursuit of attention. The narrative soon returns to the newsroom, where the kidnapping becomes another story for Lamb to exploit. This transition illustrates how personal suffering can be converted into sensational entertainment and commercial opportunity within the newspaper's editorial approach.

Boyle reinforces the film's themes through energetic visual techniques, including tilted camera angles, intense colors, rapid cuts and forceful editing. These choices echo Lamb's efforts to make the newspaper visually striking through slanted typography, creating a cinematic experience that mirrors the attention-grabbing style the film scrutinizes. The film's portrayal of women also exposes contradictions in the newspaper's stated willingness to challenge convention. Jules Davies, the women's page editor played by Claire Foy, initially argues that women want to read about sex, resisting the conservative gender expectations of the period.

That apparent openness collides with the newspaper's decision to publish model Stefanie Khan's nude Page Three photograph in November 1970. The unprecedented publication crossed a boundary that angered even Murdoch, while revealing how the paper's commercial priorities could undermine its apparent support for women's interests. Another major strand examines the moral boundaries of scandal-driven journalism through Hugh Cudlipp, then editor-in-chief of The Daily Mirror.

Cudlipp challenges The Sun's willingness to exploit scandal and explains the distinction between recognizing that sensational stories sell newspapers and choosing not to publish them. Lamb's guiding philosophy, expressed as "give the people what they want," places readership and profit above traditional editorial restraint. The film connects that approach to the exploitation of tragedy, the objectification of women and the use of entertainment to distract audiences.

In its final scenes, Ink shifts to contemporary media, including Donald Trump's tweets, fake news, misinformation, the manosphere and archival footage of Andrew Tate, an alt-right influencer accused of sex trafficking. The film draws a connection between The Sun's sensationalist methods and modern media culture, although the transition offers limited explanation of how those developments are directly related.

The film leaves its central ethical questions unresolved through its juxtaposition of popularity, influence and harmful media content. Its depiction of The Sun's rise places the consequences of sensationalism alongside the commercial success that made the newspaper a powerful force in British journalism.