Our take
A thoughtful drama about the financial crisis, Margin Call is gripping. Seriously, even something as convoluted as the 2008 global economic meltdown is not only accessible and understandable, but it’s gripping. Margin Call transports you to the heart of Wall Street, both the financial institutions and the street, literally. It is exciting, well-acted and informative. Uh, also: Kevin Spacey.
What it won
Oscars
1 nom
Berlin
1 nom
Sundance
1 nom
Nat. Board of Review
1 nom
The story
Set in the high-stakes world of the financial industry, involving the key players at an investment firm during one perilous 24-hour period in the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis. An entry-level analyst unlocks information that could prove to be the downfall of the firm.
Elsewhere
"Margin Call is one of the strongest American films of the year and easily the best Wall Street movie ever made."
— David Denby
"Fine acting and sense of purpose, if occasionally a little too equivocal."
— David Jenkins
The details
Streaming arrival
Who picked it
Bilal Zouheir is the founder of A Good Movie to Watch. He is based in the US and a member of the Nevada Film Critics Society. He grew up in Morocco, where he learned English from watching movies. Bilal's work with A Good Movie to Watch is focused on offering an alternative to streaming algorithms, which are often used as commercial tools by streaming services.
I loved it. I think a lot of the other films about the financial crisis are either documentaries that get a bit lost in the weeds(think Too Big to Fail) or focus too heavily on individual people(The Big Short). On the other hand, Margin Call focuses on how the system reacts to failure. It’s a disaster film with no heroes – there are no clear cut good or bad characters, just grey areas. A realistic but approachable look into the lives of high powered financiers as they scramble to save themselves from a disaster of their own making.