The Big Short

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2:04

The Big Short

R

2015

2h 10m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

325 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

In 2008, Wall Street guru Michael Burry realizes that a number of subprime home loans are in danger of defaulting. Burry bets against the housing market by throwing more than $1 billion of his investors' money into credit default swaps. His actions attract the attention of banker Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling), hedge-fund specialist Mark Baum (Steve Carell) and other greedy opportunists. Together, these men make a fortune by taking full advantage of the impending economic collapse in America.

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Critics Consensus

The Big Short approaches a serious, complicated subject with an impressive attention to detail -- and manages to deliver a well-acted, scathingly funny indictment of its real-life villains in the bargain.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

... it wreaks of self-important pseudo-commentary that is more hollow and garishly humorous than it cares to admit.

Rated: D

Sep 1, 2017

Full Review

Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

While The Big Short is hardly uplifting, it still manages to tell a rambunctiously funny tale that's as informative as it is entertaining, humor walking hand-in-hand with tragedy to ultimately craft a comedy that's impossible to dismiss.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 16, 2016

Full Review

Max Weiss

Baltimore Magazine

Adam McKay's The Big Short plays like an elaborate con, albeit one that uses its powers for good.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jun 12, 2016

Full Review

Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

This is such an improbably brilliant film.

Rated: 10/10

Jun 24, 2025

Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Headlined by a star-studded cast, this legitimate must-see film tip-toes audaciously between biting satire and topical cautionary tale. You won't know whether to be pissed or be entertained and that's a powerful quality to pull off.

Rated: 5/5

Feb 16, 2024

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

'The Big Short' is the film that we needed at this time.

Aug 27, 2023

Full Review

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Nolan S

Legitimately top 5 movies I want to watch again. That damn good.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/02/25

Full Review

Griffith J

The unquenchable greed of the upper class American is despicable & the consequences are depressing. The ensemble cast is excellent with career highs from many of them as they blend emotional stress with blunt humor. The editing is eye catching & grounds the story to a relatable reality. Yet despite the clever exposition, the subject matter is too dense to follow clearly. But even with complex details, the message & impact are clear & hold my attention consistently.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/26/25

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Matheus F

Adam McKay made a delightful and clever script.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/22/25

Full Review

Mark B

Stellar cast. Don’t let the subject matter put you off. I found it well explained, funny, shocking, and slightly depressing knowing nothing has really changed. A favourite movie. Loved the soundtrack. I understood the ideas after a second viewing probably because I was flabbergasted at how it all happened. Definitely rewatchable.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/03/25

Full Review

Les N

Amazing that this happened and the people at fault got heavily rewarded.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/29/25

Full Review

Buck M

Subtle it's not, but the director's use of pop culture images and music to set the scene goes a long way to establish a time, place and tone.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/05/25

Full Review

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Adam McKay

Director

Steve Carell

Mark Baum

Ryan Gosling

Jared Vennett

Christian Bale

Michael Burry

Brad Pitt

Ben Rickert

Marisa Tomei

Cynthia Baum

The Big Short: Official Clip - I Want My Money Back

2:13

The Big Short: Official Clip - Risky Assessors

2:02

The Big Short: Official Clip - Margot Robbie in a Bubble Bath

1:27

The Big Short: Official Clip - The Firm Investigates Florida

2:12

The Big Short: Official Clip - Betting Against the Housing Market

1:58

The Big Short: Official Clip - Fraud Never Works

2:05

The Big Short: Official Clip - The Jenga Pitch

2:01

The Big Short: Official Clip - The CDO Manager & Mark Baum

2:02

The Big Short: Official Clip - Selena Gomez Teaches CDOs

2:13

The Big Short: Official Clip - Cashing Out

1:57

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The Big Short: B-Roll

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Synopsis

In 2008, Wall Street guru Michael Burry realizes that a number of subprime home loans are in danger of defaulting. Burry bets against the housing market by throwing more than $1 billion of his investors' money into credit default swaps. His actions attract the attention of banker Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling), hedge-fund specialist Mark Baum (Steve Carell) and other greedy opportunists. Together, these men make a fortune by taking full advantage of the impending economic collapse in America.

Director: Adam McKay
Producer: Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Arnon Milchan
Screenwriter: Adam McKay, Charles Randolph
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Plan B Entertainment
Rating: R (Some Sexuality/Nudity|Pervasive Language)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 23, 2015, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 7, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $70.2M
Runtime: 2h 10m

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