The Big Short

Play trailer

2:04

The Big Short

R

2015

2h 10m

Comedy

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

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.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Sep 1, 2017

D

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

Go to Full Review

Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Aug 16, 2016

3/4

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.

Go to Full Review

Max Weiss

Baltimore Magazine

Jun 12, 2016

3.5/4

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

Go to Full Review

Matt Oakes

Silver Screen Riot

Oct 14, 2026

B+

Adam McKay's star-filled 'The Big Short' tackles a huge subject, the 2008 financial meltdown, with surprising wit and clarity.

Go to Full Review

Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Jun 24, 2025

10/10

This is such an improbably brilliant film.

Go to Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Feb 16, 2024

5/5

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.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Gareth V

@geewah 5 days ago

This educates, entertains and enrages in equal measure, and it’s one of the best films of 2015. Watch it, then go and read about the financial system, and see how little has changed.

See more

Eye C

@ECinc Oct 10, 2026

The kind of movie I adore, with one of the most perfect script ever made, with the actors delivering it as a song. My favorite.

See more

Ivan R

@RT88443011 Sep 11, 2026

This is one of the best documentary movies out there, it was super interesting and very entertaining. If you like docu type films and are interested in finance or the mortgage crisis of 08 this is a great watch

See more

Harrison E

@slams22 Aug 8, 2026

Not a single point of boredom. A uniquely shot movie with a great and recognizable cast for those interested in the source material or not.

See more

Rick J

@Rjonesgpc Jul 31, 2026

Great movie - highly educational on the 2008 housing market collapse

See more

Isiah P

@oOstutterOo Jul 3, 2026

This was not only just a good movie, it was also enlightening. It felt at times like I was watching a highly stylistic documentary. It was super intriguing and pretty funny at times as well. But it also has a stomach turning element to it when you realize just what people are willing to do for money in modern society. It’s pretty sickening. I could see myself watching this again just to understand it a little better.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Adam McKay

Director

Steve Carell

Mark Baum

Ryan Gosling

Jared Vennett

Christian Bale

Michael Burry

Brad Pitt

Ben Rickert

Hamish Linklater

Porter Collins

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

2:13

Now Playing

The Big Short: Official Clip - Risky Assessors

2:02

Now Playing

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

1:27

Now Playing

The Big Short: Official Clip - The Firm Investigates Florida

2:12

Now Playing

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

1:58

Now Playing

The Big Short: Official Clip - Fraud Never Works

2:05

Now Playing

The Big Short: Official Clip - The Jenga Pitch

2:01

Now Playing

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

2:02

Now Playing

The Big Short: Official Clip - Selena Gomez Teaches CDOs

2:13

Now Playing

The Big Short: Official Clip - Cashing Out

1:57

Now Playing

View more videos

Kajillionaire

90%

47%

Kajillionaire

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Kajillionaire

Brad's Status

78%

55%

Brad's Status

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Brad's Status

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

69%

50%

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

Watchlist

War Dogs

62%

69%

War Dogs

Watchlist

TRAILER

for War Dogs

Demolition

53%

56%

Demolition

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Demolition

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Loved Succession? Here Are 10 Things To Watch Next

National Board of Review Announces 2017 Award Winners

Al Gore’s Five Favorite Films

The Big Short: B-Roll

2:35

Now Playing

The Big Short: Trailer 2

2:04

Now Playing

The Big Short: Trailer 1

2:33

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

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

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings