In fact, the film regularly pauses the action to spell it out for you like you’re an idiot monkey, roping in celebrity guests to spout increasingly ludicrous analogies. Lost yet? That’s OK, because The Big Short isn’t afraid to explain the maths behind it. Shorting them – betting against them – is not only a chance to get one up on the banks, but also to get rich. Their logic? Banks have been loaning out mortgages to people who can’t afford them, which means that the bonds made up of them being flogged around are destined to crumble. Add in a couple of rich-kid entrepreneurs, helped by a retired banker (Pitt), and you have a pack of people all gambling against the market. Soon, Mark Baum (Carrell), a bitter trader determined to prove Wall Street wrong at any cost, has caught wind of the same thing, thanks to a tip-off from smooth-talking Jared Vennett (Gosling).

Top of the list is Michael Burry (Bale), a fund manager who calculates that the American economy is about to collapse. Fortunately, Adam McKay’s The Big Short is full of them.

It’s the kind of thing only a madman would bet on. What are the odds that someone would make a piece of light entertainment about the US housing market crash? What are the odds that it would be a comedy? And what are the odds, even then, that it would be funny, accurate and nominated for multiple Oscars? Cast: Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Brad Pitt

Watch the big short online