--- title: "Inside Job" year: 2010 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/inside-job" fi1m_score: 82 critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 21 published: "2026-09-19T10:11:31.548881+00:00" updated: "2026-09-19T10:12:02.982469+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Inside Job (2010) Directed by Charles Ferguson · 1h 49m · MPA PG-13 · Documentary, Crime **Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 80 from 21 reviews *In a sentence:* Nobody went to prison; several of them went to Washington instead > Charles Ferguson’s account of the 2008 crash is the clearest we have seen, and angry without once raising its voice. A prosecution, superbly assembled, that occasionally enjoys the squirming too much and ends by asking for a hope it has spent an hour disproving. ## Synopsis Iceland, 2008. A small country’s three banks, privatised only a few years earlier, have collapsed, and the economists Gylfi Zoega and Sigridur Benediktsdottir and the writer Andri Snær Magnason explain how a place of fishing and geothermal power came to owe more than it could ever earn. Narrator Matt Damon then turns to the United States and walks through thirty years of deregulation, from the Reagan administration to the boom in mortgage-backed securities, using animated diagrams to show how home loans were bundled, rated and sold on. Director Charles Ferguson interviews Paul Volcker, Christine Lagarde, George Soros and Barney Frank, then sits down with the regulators, bankers and academics he holds responsible, and asks them on camera why nobody who caused the crash was punished and where they are working now. ## Review Charles Ferguson has made a film about the financial crash of 2008 that assumes you do not know what a collateralised debt obligation is, and that you will be angry once you do. It runs 109 minutes, Matt Damon narrates it in the voice of a man reading out a charge sheet, and it is the clearest account of the crisis we have seen on a screen. It is also a prosecution and does not pretend to be anything else. We think that is mostly to its credit, and we will come to the part that is not. It begins in Iceland, which is a shrewd place to begin. The economists Gylfi Zoega and Sigridur Benediktsdottir explain how three privatised banks borrowed their way to a size the country could not carry, and the writer Andri Snær Magnason describes what the money did to the place while it lasted. Kaylanee Mam and Svetlana Cvetko shoot much of the film from helicopters: Icelandic lava fields, then Manhattan at dusk, glass towers with nothing visible inside them. The aerials are the one indulgence Ferguson permits himself, and they earn their keep by giving you somewhere to look while the numbers settle. The method is a lecture built like a thriller. Damon walks us from the deregulation of the Reagan years through the derivatives boom, and animated diagrams turn a mortgage into a security into a triple-A rating in three moves anyone can follow. Adam Bolt and Chad Beck cut between archive footage of Senate hearings, sit-down interviews and those diagrams at a steady pace, one step of the argument at a time, and Alex Heffes puts low strings and a ticking pulse under all of it. Scored like that, a lecture on credit default swaps ought to feel as if it is trying too hard. It does not, because every promise the music makes, the evidence keeps. The interviews sort themselves into two kinds. Paul Volcker, Christine Lagarde, George Soros, Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Barney Frank talk freely, and they are the people who either warned of the crash or were left to clear up after it. Then there are the men Ferguson has come for: the regulators who went to work for the banks, the academics who wrote paid reports and did not mention the pay. Ferguson stays off camera and asks the follow-up question, and the answers turn evasive. One economist tells him how many minutes he has left and invites him to make the most of them. We laughed, and then we were angry, and we were still angry on the way home, because the man was not embarrassed. None of them are. That is what the film is about, and it is why it stays with you. The flaws are the flaws of a prosecutor who is enjoying himself. The camera holds on a flustered face a beat longer than fairness needs, and the list of people who declined to be interviewed is read out like a roll of the guilty. Jonathan Alpert, a therapist whose clients work in finance, is here to tell us what bankers spend their bonuses on, and it is gossip. If you followed the crash in the papers you will learn little you did not already know; what you will get is the order of events, and the faces. And the closing minutes, in which Damon tells us over the New York skyline that some things are worth fighting for, ask for a hope the previous hundred minutes have spent carefully taking away. Ferguson’s *No End in Sight* (2007) did this for the war in Iraq: patient interviews, documents, no stunts. Here he has added a film star and a helicopter and lost a little of that earlier film’s restraint. He has kept the thing that matters, which is the willingness to sit in a room with a powerful person and ask the same question twice. Watch it with someone who has a pension. It is certificate 12 and 109 minutes, and hardly anyone in it says sorry. *Fi1m score 82, published 19 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics come away impressed and angry, and nineteen of the twenty-one reviews are positive. The praise clusters on clarity: reviewers repeatedly say Ferguson explains deregulation, CDOs and the chain of failures to a lay audience without simplifying it into mush. The interviews draw the most comment, especially the sight of insiders squirming under questioning, and several single out the exposure of academic economists’ conflicts of interest and the revolving door between finance, regulators and government. Matt Damon’s narration and the slick photography are credited with giving dense material room to breathe. The reservations are minor and scattered, and the spread is narrow. Sight and Sound calls it a decent but unoriginal primer, offering little new and unlikely to persuade anyone not already persuaded. The Wrap, the lone negative, objects to what it sees as slanted bias and personal attacks on interviewees. Others note information overload, some emotional appeals near the end, and a bleak close that informs without empowering. ### Reviews we read (21) - **Slant Magazine**, Aaron Cutler (90/100, inferred): The critic finds the documentary becomes essential once it shows those in power squirming and lying under questioning, exposing ongoing conflicts of interest. It turns the financial crisis into dark, despairing comedy that angers the viewer. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/inside-job/) - **The Guardian**, Philip French (90/100, inferred): Ferguson's documentary on the 2008 financial crisis is an intelligent, riveting and exemplary account that unfolds like a gripping thriller through interviews and archive material. The critic singles out the clear exposé of deregulation since Reagan and the conflicts of interest among academic economists as particularly compelling. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/feb/20/inside-job-charles-ferguson-review) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Duane Byrge (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a powerful, lively and acidic takedown of Wall Street greed and the collusion between financial services, regulators and government. It makes complex economics understandable via revealing interviews and Matt Damon's narration. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/inside-job-film-review-29602/) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (90/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a meticulous and infuriating documentary that chronicles a crime without punishment in the 2008 financial crisis. He singles out its rigorous, restrained delivery of complex information with moral force and good humor. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/movies/08inside.html) - **Evening Standard** (85/100, inferred): The review lauds the lucid explanation of the 2008 crisis and the damning interviews with those involved, highlighting the absurdity of the 'revolving door' between finance, academia, and government as a key strength. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-biggest-heist-of-all-in-inside-job-7423625.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a powerhouse documentary that thoroughly explains the crisis and leaves viewers thunderstruck and enraged. He praises its smart, confident analysis, cinematic verve, and access to high-level insiders. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-oct-15-la-et-inside-job-20101015-story.html) - **Variety**, Rob Nelson (85/100, inferred): The critic deems it the definitive screen investigation of the global economic crisis and a new nonfiction masterwork ranking with Ferguson’s prior film. He highlights its concise historical overview, hard evidence of amorality, and fearless interviews. [Read](https://variety.com/2010/film/markets-festivals/inside-job-1117942765/) - **Empire**, Damon Wise (80/100, inferred): Praises the film as a dispassionate and revealing barometer of the times, commending its use of Iceland as a case study and its restrained anger at systemic greed. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/inside-job-review/) - **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): The film gives the global financial crisis a cold hard stare, explaining what went wrong in quietly passionate tones with more irony than Michael Moore’s approach. It enlightens even financial dummies and leaves viewers suitably angry through slick production and well-chosen interviewees. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/inside-job/5013952.article) - **The Independent**, Sean O'Grady (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's ability to explain the financial crisis clearly through interviews and analysis, singling out the exposure of economists' conflicts of interest for particular note. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/inside-job-12a-the-ios-review-2219812.html) - **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (4/5): An impressive and angry documentary that clearly traces the roots of the financial meltdown to an alliance between politics, academia and big business. It stands out for its confrontational interview style and slick photography that provides necessary breathing room amid dense facts. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/inside-job-1) - **The Times** (70/100, inferred): Charles Ferguson's documentary clearly explains the complex origins of the financial crisis through a chronological account of deregulation and hubris, making a dry subject well worth seeing. The critic praises its simplicity and the way it shows how financiers convinced others they had abolished risk. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/inflated-egos-and-dodgy-dealings-in-inside-job-zp869lvcf3t) - **Sight and Sound**, Vadim Rizov (55/100, inferred): The film offers a decent but unoriginal overview of the 2008 financial crisis, valuable mainly for its clear explanations of complex instruments like CDOs. It is watchable and serves as a public service primer, though it provides little new information and is unlikely to persuade opponents. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/5958) - **The Playlist**, Edward Davis (A-): The review describes the film as a dense, exhaustive and scathing investigation into the financial crisis, praising its depth of research and no-holds-barred approach while noting it can be information overload at times. It highlights the film's furious attack on greed and government inaction. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/tiff-10-review-inside-job-is-dense-20100910/) - **Paste**, Bennett Webber (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film for its methodical, fact-based approach to explaining the 2008 financial crisis through deregulation and complex financial instruments, without dramatizations or speculation. Ferguson is commended for making the subject irrefutable and leaving viewers informed and furious. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/inside-job-review) - **Den of Geek**, Michael Leader (4/5): The film is a compelling, slick account of the financial crisis that is informative yet bleak and not empowering. It excels in its non-partisan anger and professional production values but undercuts any inspirational close. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/inside-job-review/) - **Digital Spy**, Simon Reynolds (80/100, inferred): Ferguson crafts a gripping, fascinating documentary that unravels complex financial issues and builds fury at the unaccountable elite. It leaves viewers seething over the lack of reform and punishment. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a300822/inside-job/) - **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (80/100, inferred): The critic commends the documentary's economical and powerful simplicity in detailing the fraud and government inaction behind the crisis, praising its thorough research and effective use of narration and interviews. The main takeaway is the alarming links between finance, academia, and politics. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/inside-job-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) - **HeyUGuys**, Craig Skinner (4/5): The critic praises the film's clear, fact-based examination of the financial crisis through expert interviews and graphics, highlighting its value in exposing issues without sensationalism. Minor complaints about some emotional appeals at the end. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/inside-job-review/) - **The Skinny**, Matthew Arnoldi (4/5): The timely documentary dissects the meltdown with inventive graphics and a calm narration, avoiding political bias while highlighting deregulation's role. Some root causes are glossed over, leaving an uncomfortable sense that key perpetrators remain powerful. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/inside-job) - **The Wrap**, Megan Jones (40/100, inferred): The film delivers an important message about the financial crisis but is undermined by slanted bias and mean-spirited personal attacks on interviewees. The filmmaker shows skill with aerial shots and overall craft, yet the approach veers into unsubstantiated accusations. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/inside-job-important-movie-marred-bias-22758/) ## Details - **Director:** Charles Ferguson - **Director:** Charles Ferguson - **Writer:** Charles Ferguson - **Cinematography:** Kaylanee Mam, Svetlana Cvetko - **Editor:** Adam Bolt, Chad Beck - **Music:** Alex Heffes - **Producer:** Kalyanee Mam, Anna Moot-Levin, Audrey Marrs - **Cast:** Matt Damon as Narrator; Bill Ackman as Self - Hedge Fund Manager; Jonathan Alpert as Self - Therapist; Christine Lagarde as Self - Finance Minister, France; Daniel Alpert as Self - Managing Director, Westwood Capital; Sigridur Benediktsdottir as Self - Special Investigative Committee, Icelandic Parliament; Gylfi Zoega as Self - Professor of Economics, University of Iceland; Andri Snær Magnason as Self - Writer & Filmmaker - **Runtime:** 1h 49m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 8 October 2010 - **Genres:** Documentary, Crime - **Budget:** $2 million - **Box office:** $8 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzrBurlJUNk ## Where to watch in the US - The Roku Channel: free, hd, leaving 2026-10-01 - Tubi: free, hd, leaving 2026-10-01 - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $12.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-19.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RS, SE, SG, TH, UA, US, VN. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2011: Best Documentary Feature Film (won) ## If you liked this - *The Big Short* (2015), Fi1m 80: The same crash told as farce, with the diagrams delivered by a chef and a pop star — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-big-short.md) - *Margin Call* (2011), Fi1m 82: One night in one bank as the numbers stop adding up; quiet, tense and grown-up — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/margin-call.md) - *Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room* (2005): The earlier scandal that should have been the warning, laid out with the same patience - *Cleveland Versus Wall Street* (2010): A Swiss documentary stages the trial the American courts never held, in a real courtroom - *Rogue Trader* (1999): Ewan McGregor brings down a British bank single-handed; the small-scale version of the same disease --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/inside-job