In case you had yet to hear: it’s Oscar season. This year the field for Best Picture has proven decidedly competitive, every nominated film most certainly deserving its place. One such film is Adam McKay’s pseudo-documentary about the 2008 financial crisis, The Big Short. A new promo for the film has just come out reminding voters of the Academy of the film’s sheer importance to our society as a whole. Check it out below.
Released courtesy of THR, the style and tone of the promo will feel instantly recognizable to anyone who has seen The Big Short. Centered upon a group of outsiders within the financial world, these men discovered the fraudulent practices of the major American banks and decided to capitalize on it by betting against the housing market. Told from a variety of different perspectives, and packed with an all-star ensemble, The Big Short entertained audiences as much as it pissed them off for showcasing just how reckless American financial institutions acted – and continue to act.
The promo sounds off terrifying statistics about the 2008 housing crisis (coupled with heartbreaking images from the film) and then goes on to explain that another financial crisis similar to the one portrayed in the movie currently looms over the nation. These real-world implications place emphasis as to why it’s so important that we pay attention to Adam McKay’s film.
The true beauty of this TV spot stems from the fact that it very much matches the tone of the film itself. Much like The Big Short, this commercial expresses confusion, bafflement and sheer anger at the film’s subject matter. Unlike many films nominated for Academy Awards this year, The Big Short differentiates itself by directly engaging the audience – literally breaking the fourth wall with Deadpool precision – and telling us why we should feel the same levels of rage.
Beyond merely gunning for the Oscar this year, Paramount seems to truly want people to see the film in order to understand the gravity of the situation. It seems that the TV promo has impressed more than just us. The THR report also indicates that Paramount president of worldwide distribution and marketing Megan Cooligan spoke highly of the clip. This is what she had to say:
I love this spot so much. I wish I had $30 million to run it everywhere.
With the Academy Awards closing in fast, every major contender has to do something to set themselves apart. Although it's clearly going to be a year of cutthroat competition among these master class pieces of cinema, we have to say The Big Short has more than impressed us with its ability to simultaneously make us laugh and scream with rage. We'll find out if the beefed-up marketing for the film works when the Oscars air on February 28.
