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Starring: Matt Damon
Director: Charles Ferguson
Running Time: 108 mins
Inside Job is an American documentary about the lead-up, development and short-term aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, and how growing deregulation and risky behaviour on Wall Street led to the global financial system being rocked to its core.
A gripping documentary that gets straight to the point from the get-go, Inside Job is a no-frills, thorough insight into the story of the 2008 financial crisis, bolstered by eye-catching fast pacing, and an impassioned call for change in every message it makes.
Now, if you’ve seen The Big Short, you’ll know that all the financial jargon surrounding the financial crisis is near-unintelligible for most people. That’s why Adam McKay had to get Margot Robbie in a bathtub to explain it for us.
However, Inside Job doesn’t treat its subject matter as inaccessible, incomprehensible financial gibberish, rather explaining the main themes, ideas and technicalities in a clear, precise manner that’s neither patronisingly simplistic nor excessively complicated.
While The Big Short isn’t necessarily guilty of it, Inside Job makes a concerted effort not to talk down to you at any point, rather being entirely straight with you as it dives head first into the causes, progression and aftermath of one of history’s worst financial crises.
And that’s what sets this documentary up so well. It’s confident enough in its message and your engagement with its story that it doesn’t need any frilly, gimmicky attractions to keep you interested. It’s a fact-heavy, interview-heavy documentary that details its subject matter in riveting and immensely thorough fashion from start to finish.
However, while that might seem daunting for many, the film also counts on something extra to make things a little more up-tempo. This isn’t a film there to show a for and against when it comes to what exactly caused the financial crisis. Instead, it’s a film that comes in with a point to be made, and it does just that with real passion.
Bolstered by fast pacing, charismatic narration from Matt Damon and pressing questioning from director Charles Ferguson, this is a film full of detail, complexity and fact after fact that’s still genuinely electrifying to watch.
With its salient theme of a passionate call for change in the United States’ financial service industry, and eye-catching portrayals of the long-term consequences of what happened in 2008, Inside Job does a marvellous job at delivering its message in a convincing manner, as it builds to a powerful and thought-provoking crescendo.
And all of that is why Inside Job is rightfully up there as one of the best documentaries of recent years. It’s an enthralling watch that balances passionate delivery with fact-based, thorough storytelling, bringing you into the complex world of finance with precise exposition and strong links to the wider world. Bolstered by charismatic narration and interviewing, along with a rapid pace, Inside Job is a genuinely riveting watch from start to finish, and that’s why I’m giving it an 8.2 overall.
