HBO’s “Paterno” (8 p.m. Saturday), ultimately takes a point of view on what the beloved Penn State coach knew about former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky’s role in sexually abusing minors, but the film doesn’t fully show its hand until its final moments.
It’s an engaging (and, perhaps to some defenders of Joe Paterno, it will be an enraging) film that explores character, the politics of college athletics and the value of local journalism in a style that’s more process piece thriller than it is anything like a biopic given how “Paterno” concentrates on a short period in the coach’s life.