Stands tall as a tale of betting against the odds

Rating: 7/10 (11 May 2020)

CDOs. Margins. AAA bonds. Finance doesn't usually present itself well on the big screen, unless there's a major dramatic angle to it. In Adam McKay's cleverly titled 'The Big Short,' we see the slow buildup to the 2008 housing market crisis, which we all know set off a global chain reaction of economic turmoil.
At the center of it all is a band of renegade hedge fund managers and their network - from the eccentric Mark Baum (Steve Carell) to the seemingly reckless Michael Burry (Christian Bale) to the pompous, stereotypical Deutsche Bank prick (Ryan Gosling). It takes a little bit of crazy to bet against the American economy, but this crew somehow can see the forest through the trees.
Aside from the remarkable true story, 'Short' is filmed in a way that it's almost a dark comedy. Interspersed with bits in which celebrities "educate" viewers about market dynamics (whether it's Margot Robbie or Selena Gomez or the late Anthony Bourdain), the film is not afraid to be different, including multiple instances where actors break the fourth wall to react to the narration. All of this together results in an incredibly unique, smart film that earned its best picture nomination in 2015.
Regardless of the way the chips fell in real life, 'The Big Short' stands tall as a commentary on the unchecked wall street greed that resulted in one of the biggest moments in history from the last 20 years.