The Big Short (2015)
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A group of investors identifies and bets against the impending collapse of the U.S. housing market during the 2008 financial crisis.
The story
In 2005, eccentric hedge fund manager Michael Burry discovers that the U.S. housing market is extremely unstable due to subprime loans. He calculates that the market will collapse in 2007 and begins to purchase credit default swaps. Meanwhile, a salesman for Deutsche Bank identifies an opportunity to short the market and finds a small investment firm, FrontPoint Partners, willing to join the bet. Simultaneously, two young investors discover the same opportunity and begin their own investment in credit default swaps. As the market begins to buckle, these various parties navigate a complex and fraudulent financial landscape to profit from the impending collapse of the housing bubble.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2005, Michael Burry identifies the instability of the U.S. housing market and begins purchasing credit default swaps, despite pressure from his clients. Jared Vennett, a salesman for Deutsche Bank, finds a willing partner in Mark Baum of FrontPoint Partners to short the market. Meanwhile, Charlie Geller and Jamie Shipley, two young investors, also begin betting against the market. As the 2007 crisis unfolds, the characters navigate a landscape of fraudulent credit ratings and hidden risks. While the market eventually crashes, the film depicts the varying outcomes for the participants: Burry earns a massive profit but faces public backlash; Baum makes over $1 billion but laments the lack of accountability; and Geller and Shipley lose their faith in the system. The film concludes by noting that most banks faced no consequences, and the practice of selling complex debt continues under new labels.
- First release year
- 2015
- Runtime (minutes)
- 130
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Adam McKay
- Writers
- Charles Randolph · screenplay; Adam McKay · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Christian Bale · Michael Burry; Steve Carell · Mark Baum; Ryan Gosling · Jared Vennett; Brad Pitt · Ben Rickert; John Magaro · Charlie Geller; Finn Wittrock · Jamie Shipley; Hamish Linklater · Porter Collins; Rafe Spall · Danny Moses; Jeremy Strong · Vinny Daniel; Marisa Tomei · Cynthia Baum; Tracy Letts · Lawrence Fields; Adepero Oduye · Kathy Tao
- Genres
- biographical; comedy; drama
- Themes
- financial crisis; corporate greed; systemic corruption
- Tone and mood
- scathingly funny; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- financial; biographical; based on true events
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis
- Content notes
- pervasive language; sexuality/nudity
- Reception
- A critical and commercial success, the film received acclaim for the performances of the cast, the direction, editing, and the screenplay.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 89% · scale: percentage · review count: 331; Metacritic · score: 81 · scale: 100 · review count: 45; IGN · score: 8.6 · scale: 10
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · win; Academy Award · Best Picture · nomination; Academy Award · Best Director · nomination; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor (Bale) · nomination; Academy Award · Best Film Editing · nomination; Golden Globe · Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Bale, Carell) · nomination; Golden Globe · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture (Randolph) · nomination; Golden Globe · Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy · nomination; BAFTA Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · win; Critics' Choice Movie Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · win; Critics' Choice Movie Award · Best Actor in a Comedy · win; Critics' Choice Movie Award · Best Comedy · win; Writers Guild of America Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · win; Empire Award · Best Screenplay · win; American Cinema Editors Award · Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy or Musical) · win; Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award · Best Editing · win; Producers Guild of America Award · Best Theatrical Motion Picture · win; National Board of Review Award · Best Ensemble · win
- Production trivia
- The film was rated R for pervasive language and some sexuality/nudity.; The film features several celebrity cameos to explain financial concepts.; The film was noted for its high accuracy, with one source claiming it was 91.4% accurate to real-life events.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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