User Reviews

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

FIRST: I think everyone should see this. SECOND: I did notice 1 error, but it depends on the framework of time - that it 2x'd the national debt (now: ~31 T; WAS ~10 T in 2000, ~13T 2007 reached 26T in 2019 (film is from 2010.) However: up until the 1980s, the national debt was around 3 T from '47-81 bumped around 3-4T (mostly 3). THIRD: recommend "Age of Easy Money" from PBS Frontline (8/22) to see how things have played out since due to the Great Recession, wrt to monetary policy, national debt, etc. So WHAT happened in the 1980s? Banking deregulation. There are 2 basic schools of economics - those who are free market fundamentalists ("FMF") who think regulation is unnecessary. In fact, FMFist Stiglitz created an edited version of "Wealth of Nations" (presumably the FMF's "Bible") removing most of the comments regarding the necessity for regulation. (Oreskes & Conway, see below) The takeover by economics, economists since the 1950s, and then the takeover by the FMFs deserves a history in itself (The 1st Nobel Prizes were in 1901 - the 1st Nobel Prize for Economics? 1969.) As the film points out, regulation after the 1929 stock market crash kept US relatively safe from financial crises for 30-40 years. For an incisive view of how free market fundamentalists have spread their version of economics, see Oreskes & Conway's "The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us To Loathe Government And Love The Free Market." Just read the introduction (download the Kindle sample from Amazon.) Those reviewers who recommend Sowell (an FMF) or decry govt intervention, really need to review the part about Iceland, described as the most pure experiment in market deregulation. Or read the intro to "The Big Myth." Allowing the banks to fail as another reviewer suggested is an (unproven!) attempt at a cure, for which regulation is the preventive. The problem was the reverbrating impact of the bank failures worldwide. The last 30 minutes does a good job of showing the HUGE conflicts of interest between profs of economics who then go on to advise govt, take govt jobs, and so on -- all while having been HUGELY financially advantaged by the financial industry. Not to mention the attempt of the G7 nations to reign in conflicts of interest between govt advisors & regulators and industry. All but the US enacted such regulation (as the film mentions.) It occurs to me the econ guys, regarding conflicts of interest, seem to be the template for Clarence Thomas' excuses for getting multiple financial advantages from Harlan Crowe. Since he apparently started getting gifts in 1996-7, hard to know which came first, though. We have plenty of proof in the degree of huge economic pain inflicted on everyday humans by FMF; and proof regulation can work, has worked in the past. I recommend watching at least twice: first to get the general gist; the 2nd to start diving into the details. I'd recommend 3x. Or at least watch the intro & read the #s. Thanks for reading. This is available on YouTube (free), on HBO Max. Watch it, recommend it, and get involved to change it.

Very interesting movie for me who is into banking and finance. Yes it does have own narrative & agenda that is going for, but tries to show "both sides" as much as it can. Is it a must watch or the best documentary about Financial Crisis 2008? No, but a good one nonetheless.

This does a solid job of outlining the causes and development of the 2008 financial crisis. It is not particularly engaging, but it is not overly dry either. A number of proponents of the financial deregulation and liberties that allowed this awful situation to develop are put in the hot seat and called on to defend their views.

Inside Job's purpose is not to entertain-- it seeks to inform and enrage the audience through its statistics, interviews, and easy-to-understand breakdowns of what went on to cause this financial meltdown. The film manages to be extremely thought-provoking as a result. The facts shown in this film are shocking, and every American citizen should make this their go-to documentary to be educated on why many lost their homes, jobs, and life altogether.

The film is so so. The movie is right to point out the scam perpetuated. However some of the people the movie portrays as "the good guys" such as Barney Frank, Carl Levin and Henry Waxman, Elliot Spitzer were as derelict in many ways as the so called "bad guys". Unfortunately the film attempts to make some blameless while the truth is there is enough blame to go around among Wall Street, Capital Hill, lenders, borrowers, etc. They all had a hand in creating the mess.

In September of 2008, we witnessed the collapse of companies, the loss of jobs, and the downfall of the worldwide economy. What we didn

A true-life story about American national corruption and the thieves are still doing business so freely in American society. It raises such disappointment and anger for knowing such cruelties could still be existed legally in the society. In the end, the poor took it all, not the money- but the painful consequences that the rich had created and ignorantly left behind.

Seven out of 10 is all I give this film despite its quality mainly due to the fact I would never watch it again. A great film if you feel in the need to become angered, frustrated and apoplectic with the world. Damn yuppies!

I don't usually watch this kind of film but I did it now. I like the concept and found it fascinating but I do not understand why they could not stick to the relevant facts. e.g. The main point is that.. etc.

amazing, shocking, true! As Former head of a capital market department of a large European bank I totally agree to the statements given. Greed and high-level betting at the cost of taxpayers was clearly the flavor of the 80ies, 90ies and first decade of 2000. Consequences: well, none as everyone made their money.

I think we all know the story by now, and the documentary explains the problem well. The problem is that it spends no time offering viable solutions. Well directed and narrated.

A must see for all of those who want to understand the crisis a little better. This doesn't mean everything is exactly how they say it is or that that's all there is to the crisis. Obviously their point of view is skewed but so is everyone else's. Very recommended, it brings up some facts that people might not know, especially who worked where and what laws are they pushing now.

Movies like this need to keep being made until some real political action is made. I know a lot of this stuff already and it's sad that people in these big corporations are not being held accountable for their actions.

Bail out, the bubble, CDO, subprime mortgage, and whatever whatever... Inside Job is brilliant, tells us the shocking truth behind economic crisis of 2008. Instead broaden our knowledge, the movie itself worth many accolades.

THUMBS UP "THIS IS NOT A DEPOSITION SIR! I WAS POLITE ENOUGH TO DO THIS INTERVIEW, YOU HAVE 3 MORE MIN.....GIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOT!" Where do i begin..... i guess a good start would be that i am happy not to be American. it is amazing how this film makes you feel about a country i don't live in or have any transactions with. it is frustrating and made me feel very claustrophobic, there are more slime balls and leech's in this movie than in any Hollywood horror movie. it is so hard to understand how the American government even functions, and how much government heads are nothing more then puppets and figure heads. the question i had/have is how can a group of people, and i mean group in the context of 20 to 25 people, completely destroy a planetary financial system on purpose to make upwards of 400 plus million dollars each while Americans lost their jobs, houses, cars. while American families were devastated and destroyed, and not only did they get away with any prison time, not only did they get away with not being fired, but get they got massive payouts,they got their companies bailouts so they can make more money and then leave there jobs and move into the highest financial consultation jobs in the American government. it is clear why this movie is an Oscar winner, even though the anger most Americans must feel when the truth is reveled like that must be tough to watch. yet it seems that nobody can do anything about the "situation" they are in, America has a rope around its neck and if they try to left it off it tightens and cuts off circulation. it is impossible to see an exit plan for America. the American dream of freedom and liberty, the rights to education and health care is all nothing but a dream. a dream fabricated by the wealthy 1 percent to keep the 99 percent a zombie, labor intensive nation. to make them believe that one day they too can own that yacht, that mansion, that holiday home. this is a must watch, it is a movie that clarify's what happened and just how widespread the ripple effect was, and how the few got away Scott free., it is completely entertaining and mesmerizing "for the first time in history, the average American has less education and are less prosperous than their parents."

A great documentary that affects one in a detached and personal manner at the same time. In a detached sense, the facts are presented in a clear, entertaining way. The viewer is able to understand mostly, if not completely, the ticking time bomb that became an economic crisis. The personal affectation occurs when one realizes that all these actions actually occurred. The documentary does become a little one-sided as it steers the viewer down an assumed single solution path of "regulation". It opts not to explore how the Free Market could have corrected herself by allowing all the corporations (and people) involved to fail, and as a result would have naturally, yet harshly, changed everything from bank lending to credit default swaps.

A must see documentary. The only thing more amazing than what this film reveals is that nobody takes any notice to what it reveals. A true expose on the corruption in banking and politics that is so well delivered that I'm shocked that it was allowed to be made and released. If this film doesn't want to make you stand up and shout then you need to grow a brain. I'm sorry I'm coming across so strong but I feel the need to emphasize how important it is to open your mind to fact that everything we are being told is wrong! This has to be in my top documentary of all time list.

a well made movie but seriously haven't we heard this all before and done nothing about it? wall street and the top one percent of the wealthy have rigged the system to screw the the rest of us. oh, and washington's in on it. depressing.

I am not a big fan of documentaries, but "Inside Job" was absolutely FANTASTIC!!! I really praise Ferguson's courage to hit really hard one of the several "beasts" (=corporations) who get bigger and bigger every day by depleting people's pockets and pushing them into more misery. Other beasts are oil cartels, insurance giants (AIG is one), pharmaceuticals, auto makers, health-care providers, communication (including wireless) companies, and other greedy huge corporations, which through their virtually infinite lobbying power, rule our politicians, and therefore, rule our nation. Unfortunately their only goal is to get richer and richer, and they don't care if that goal only becomes possible through destroying people's jobs, lives, and happiness.

Interesting, but utterly boring and overgeneralizing. Nothing new is being revealed, by now, we all know what happened. In addition, there is no way to regulate the economy anyway, people will always find ways to make money.

A film that definitely aids in understanding some of the main causes of the financial collapse. More interviews with major players would have made this better. Some of those interviewed, such as George Soros really were not needed. He didn't add anything to it, but probably help fund it so gave him a very cameo appearances. The film should be taken as an analysis into some of the causes and effects and not as a definitive work on the financial collapse. Issues with parts of the film is valid, but I believe a few on here gave it a 0 or a 1 just to bring the overall average down. The explanation of the legislative changes regarding regulation and lack of oversight was well done and very valuable. That on it's own makes the film worth seeing. It brings some good thoughts to the surface and fosters some dialogue on the topic, thus I recommend seeing it.

It is good. Very nice to watch, like a glossy magazine, with Matt Damon coddling us through the tricky stuff, with the help of sexy graphics. But really all it is a **** you. I don't want to hear about all the people who wouldn't talk to you. Fine tell me one or two, but the constant "... wouldn't talk to us" doesn't prove much of a point. This is just another documentary that makes you think very hard while you watch it, but like any other movie you walk out with no need to do something. After The Cove winning the Academy Award last year I thought they had sorted their **** out. But no, this is just a movie.

Very good documentary about some of the issues that caused the financial collapse. I thought the manner i which credit default swaps and derivatives was explained was great. I wish it would have had more interviews with people involved in washington at the time and asked more questions about regulation.

An interesting film, and great plot; however, it was under-researched and logically flawed. Nothing more than an abecedarian bashing of the financial world from those who have never taken a class on Economics nor Finance. See it for the great fallacies which are conjured up--or rather the inherent stupidity of those who would be moved by such a production--but if you are looking for substance, I would recommend reading a book on economics and GSEs/interventionist policies to see how this financial crisis was set into motion. Instead of watching Matt Damon, pick up one of Thomas Sowell's books.

An excellent documentary - well organized. And a good looking film also. You do have to concentrate, as one question is answered by someone, then a cut to someone else who contradicts the first person. This juxtaposition happens often in the film and on occasion is hard to catch. Everyone in America should see this. With Wall St., who needs Al Qaeda!!

More of a horror film than a documentary, this film should be seen by every American to better understand this absolutely **** economic climate we are apart of. Absolutely one of the best docs of 2010, if the not the very best.

What the movie does for the viewer is to tie all all the ugly loose scraps together, so you see how "securitization", lack of regulation, insider double dealing and all the elements fit. Recent poll, cited in the New York Review of Books, indicates that 32% of Democrats and 37% of Republican voters blame Wall St. for the economic collapse. You wonder who ELSE could possibly be blamed by the other 68% of Democrats and 63% of Republicans. These bipartisan dipsticks should see the film. For a totally asinine review, check the New York Post's somewhere else on these pages. I tried to access the Post to register and counter the review. After 4th attempt to enter my birth date and being told that it was wrong each time, I settled for the bleak knowledge that general incompetence pervades this once-great daily, from its movie reviewer all the way to its website.

This is a very strong, well-done documentary that really has the power, emotional weight, and logic to upset people and ignite a fire within it's audience. The topic is one that is constantly on the tip of everyone's tongue: the financial crisis our country went/is going through. The film is powerful because i gathers high ranking officials in the political and banking industries partially responsible for the crisis, and then not letting them take the easy way out by throwing them softball questions or sugar coating issues. The director is direct, forceful, and unwavering in his quest to get answers from some of the people who did our country wrong. Sometimes the pace and immense amount of detail can be a little overwhelming, but it really just makes you sit up, pay attention more, and actually use your brain. Inside Job does what every good documentary should do: induce an emotional reaction. The reaction from this film just happens to be extreme anger.

I found this documentary very disturbing to watch, yet, I knew that I had to. Several times during the movie I found myself uttering, OMG, Holy s__t! I can't believe the depth and pervasiveness of the greed and corruption in all strata of American society. I left the theater feeling totally impotent because I too voted for Barak Obama. I really believed he would/could change the status quo. But its obvious he can't/won't. I agree with Ashesndiamonds "every one should see this". But, better yet whats to be done?

This is simply the best film of the year and the best documentary since Fahrenheit 9/11. I was captivated and in awe. Instruction and informative, this really is a must see to those who want to think and learn. I rarely rate a film a 10 but this deserves it. I need to see it again to just absorb what is going on. It is what "Capitalism: A Love Story" wanted to be . A must see!

This is a well-organized an compelling documentary, and everyone should see it. In fact, they should teach it in schools. But if you don't know already that the financial services industry has captured the US government, then you have been asleep for ten years. I wish it were more shocking! I wish a few of those who declined to be interviewed had actually come clean and admitted they are inhuman dirtbags. Nevertheless, this one should go into the time capsule, just so our impoverished descendants (few though they will be) will know what happened to the America they will have heard about.

What an excellent documentary, very well done and accurate. A must for free-thinkers and truth-seekers. The Wall Street Casino is widely exposed here!

Excellent review of events leading up to and persons causing the crisis. Most important is raising the question of accountability. Don't see this if you like living in a fog ... it will affect your perspective.

The film revealed some fascinating aspects of the economic melt down that have not been shown in the main stream media. This film is well worth watching just to watch Fred Mishkin, Glenn Hubbard and John Campbell have "Ralph Kramden" moments when confronted with tough questions.