Occasionally panders but makes its subject matter interesting and even, to an extent, engaging.

Rating: 7/10 (22 March 2018)

'The Big Short (2015)' takes a unique approach when trying to communicate its complex jargon and ideas - that being that it slots in celebrity cameos wherein the star straight-up tells you the definition of a specific term in the simplest way possible - and what that does is dilute the density of the piece without necessarily dumbing it down. This can occasionally seem like pandering, though, despite that it fits into the flick's overall fast-paced, free-flowing and fourth-wall nudging aesthetic. The picture commendably manages to make the somewhat dry source-material, or rather subject-matter, interesting and even, to an extent, engaging. It focuses on a set of characters that seem realistic and rounded enough to warrant our empathy when they're given the screen time to earn it. The film does become a little too unfocused and slightly cold in the long run, which prevents it from being any more investing than it is. 7/10