The Big Short

"I guess you’ve just gotta laugh at the wholesale reckless looting of a nation, right? As evidenced by The Wolf of Wall Street, corporate excesses can make for hilarious cinema, so director Adam McKay (Anchorman, The Other Guys) seems a solid fit for this true tale of financial outsiders twigging to the imminent collapse of the US housing market. There’s a lot more going on with The Big Short, though. The laughs may be plentiful, but this is as much chilling drama as financial farce, and the film’s single biggest triumph lies in making arcane financial mumbo jumbo understandable and watchable."

"It’s impossible not to admire McKay’s reckless willingness to do everything short of jumping through flaming hoops on a motorcycle while reading aloud from Keynes if that’s what it takes to get people to finally pay attention."

"When a Hollywood comedy turns the crime of the century into a lark, you know a huge gamble has been chanced and won."

"Will affirm your deepest cynicism about Wall Street while simultaneously restoring your faith in Hollywood."

"McKay’s attempt to cover so much ground is admirable; and the outrage that courses throughout is deeply felt."

"Manages to be funny, fluid, watchable, dispiritingly blokish, well-acted and quite engrossing."

"A hell of a hilarious time at the movies if you're up for laughs that stick in your throat."

"A refreshing and piercingly clever morality tale - whether you prefer the emotive, simplistic or in-depth depictions of what happened - the film hits its target."

"Behind every easy drive-by laugh is a sincere holler of outrage."