The Big Short
Movie, 2015, Named by fans, Set in Third in the trilogy
The Big Short is #46 of 48 in release order and #48 of 48 in chronological order in the Spiritual Trilogies.
The story
The men who made millions from a global economic meltdown.
The Big Short recap
In 2005, Michael Burry, an eccentric hedge fund manager, finds the US housing market rests on bad mortgages that will fail, and bets against them by buying credit default swaps from banks that think he is mad. Trader Jared Vennett hears about it and pitches the trade to Mark Baum, a short-tempered fund manager who investigates Florida housing and meets lenders, strippers with multiple mortgages, and a CDO manager. Two young investors, Charlie Geller and Jamie Shipley, get in through a retired banker, Ben Rickert. The film breaks the fourth wall, with celebrities explaining financial terms. As defaults rise, the banks refuse to mark down the mortgage bonds, and the investors fear fraud is hiding the losses. A visit to a ratings agency shows they rate bonds AAA to keep the banks' business. Burry's investors revolt and he freezes withdrawals. It is the third film of the Wall Street Trilogy, the crash told by the few who bet on it.
The Big Short ending explained
The bets pay off when the housing market collapses, and few are punished. Bear Stearns falls, and Lehman Brothers goes under. Baum sells his swaps for a fortune. Geller and Shipley profit too but Rickert tells them their win means people lose their homes and jobs. Burry closes his fund and moves into water investments. Closing text says the banks were bailed out, one banker went to prison, and banks went back to selling similar products years later.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch The Big Short
The Big Short is streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, and Pluto TV in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 89%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Martian, before Hell or High Water.
- Chronological order: after The Wolf of Wall Street, the last.
Cast
- Steve Carell as Mark Baum
- Christian Bale as Michael Burry
- Ryan Gosling as Jared Vennett
- Brad Pitt as Ben Rickert
- Marisa Tomei as Cynthia Baum
- Melissa Leo as Georgia Hale
- Hamish Linklater as Porter Collins
- John Magaro as Charlie Geller
- Rafe Spall as Danny Moses
- Jeremy Strong as Vinny Daniel
- Finn Wittrock as Jamie Shipley
- Tracy Letts as Lawrence Fields
Directed by Adam McKay.