After the horrific 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting which claimed 26 lives, including 20 first-grade students, shock jock Alex Jones started spreading vile misinformation on his “InfoWars” broadcast, stating it was all a hoax. Just as bereaved parents were enduring their worst nightmare, they started receiving hate mail and threats from Jones’s listeners. And it continued, with Jones profiting off their misery. Finally, the families bring lawsuits against Jones, hoping for some small measure of justice.

We think we know this story, but this frequently infuriating, no-holds-barred doc still delivers a gut punch, exposing up-close the pain and cruelty caused by Jones’ willful spreading of lies for profit. He is front-and-center in the film, especially during trial footage, and this sleazy, unrepentant character really makes your skin crawl, making us wonder why so many people believe him. As misinformation continues to fuel our country’s polarization, “Truth” is a sobering and necessary film because Jones, and others like him, are not going away.