For finance bros- the big short

“You wanted to be rich, now you’re rich.” – Ben Rickert

I recently watched “The Big Short” directed by Adam McKay and, of the few movies that deal with Wall Street, it’s definitely up there. In comparison to other movies “The Big Short” is right between The Wolf of Wall Street’s bombastic and comedic retelling of Jordan Belfort’s life, and Margin Call’s extreme accuracy and drama driven storytelling. It utilizes fourth wall breaks, celebrity cameos, and an oversimplification of the 2008 financial crisis to teach the average person exactly how the big banks stole their parent’s entire retirement fund and threw it all away. 

A few things the movie does well are the amazing characters, comedic writing, and wonderful balance between serious/accurate with funny/creative liberties. The movie draws a line between highlighting those who somehow predicted the fall of the U.S. economy years in advance and the actual real world implications of what happened. As Ben Rickert said, “For every 1% of unemployment, 40,000 die.” However, this is interspersed with Selena Gomez teaching you how a synthetic CDO works so take that what you will. Oh, and Margot Robbie too.

Even for non-finance bros, the movie is definitely worth a watch with its stacked cast: Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Steven Carell and so many more. Michael Lewis, the writer of the book the movie is based on, and Adam McKay somehow made the most boring subject in the world, banking, and spun it into a creatively shot educational film about greed, regulation, and the reason your parents moved back in 2008. The movie speaks as a warning to future generations to be wary of how the institutions that are seemingly secure–even backed by the government, can crumble at a moment’s notice and to hold people accountable.

Written by: Caleb Ocampo