He added: “The film acknowledges that it’s one of the darkest days in publishing history, along with phone hacking and the Milly Dowler case.”
Boyle said the film was a “truthful depiction” of Murdoch at the start of his career and that “the traits of what eventually became the legacy are there for people to see”.
Asked about The Sun, he said: “It clearly wasn’t a bad newspaper. It was written by a lot of very brilliant people. It made some terrible mistakes and they’re pointed out.”
The has approached The Sun for comment.
Boyle was speaking at HOME in Manchester, where he is a patron, as part of the London Film Festival.
It was the first time the festival had staged one of its high-profile career interviews outside London.
Boyle said he was “very proud” to take part in the event and said he hoped there would be “many more”.