Margin Call

2011 • 107 minutes
4.2
830 reviews
87%
Tomatometer
R
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

Set in the high-stakes world of the financial industry, MARGIN CALL is an entangling thriller involving the key players at an investment firm during one perilous 24-hour period in the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis. When an entry-level analyst unlocks information that could prove to be the downfall of the firm, a roller-coaster ride ensues as decisions both financial and moral catapult the lives of all involved to the brink of disaster.
Rating
R

Ratings and reviews

4.2
830 reviews
Pete Thottam
March 27, 2016
Outstanding. Script is really well written and the acting execution top-notch. Kevin Spacey, Zach Quinto and Stanley Tucci are at the top of their game. From wikipedia: "...Smart, tightly wound, and solidly acted, Margin Call turns the convoluted financial meltdown of '08 into gripping, thought-provoking drama." The New Yorker film critic David Denby said it was "easily the best Wall Street movie ever made". Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three and half stars out of four, and said: "Margin Call employs an excellent cast who can make financial talk into compelling dialogue." A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote: "It is hard to believe that Margin Call is Mr. Chandor’s first feature. His formal command — his ability to imply far more than he shows or says and to orchestrate a large, complex drama out of whispers, glances and snippets of jargon — is downright awe inspiring."
17 people found this review helpful
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A Google user
December 14, 2011
Movie failed to develop the characters or explain much of what lead up to the collapse. The story line lacked sophistication - imagine a group of executives huddled around a computer screen or print out, saying is this correct, who has seen this and what do we do - there's your movie. Oh, and the executives were surprised. The fact that financial institutions invested in and then sold worthless securities is well known but this is the only issue this movie seems to focus on. Kevin Spacey seemed to be the only actor who showed up and tried to bring depth but that may be because he had a bit more to work with.
15 people found this review helpful
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A Google user
November 20, 2011
A highly realistic movie in many ways, both emotionally and in terms of how Wall Street really works. Some of the dialog comes off as stupid at moments because the financial issues have to be simplified for general consumption and a few of the characters are not well sketched out, but other than that this is a pretty masterful ensemble acting job set in the cold, anonymous landscape that is today's financial markets.
4 people found this review helpful
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