Director/writer Adam McKay won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay for "The Big Short" (R, Paramount), his quirky take on the run-up to the 2008 financial collapse.

The always-brilliant Christian Bale is terrific as a doctor-turned-eccentric hedge fund manager. Not only is the all-star ensemble cast (Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Steve Carell) strong but there are hilarious, mood-shattering explanations of economics from Margot Robbie, Anthony Bourdain and Selena Gomez.