Margin Call

Margin Call is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by J. C. Chandor in his directorial debut. The story takes place over 24 hours at a large Wall Streetinvestment bank during the initial stages of the 2008 financial crisis. It focuses on the actions taken by a group of employees during the crisis. The title is a reference to a "margin call", the situation where a financial market participant must provide additional collateral for an existing financial market contract due to increased . The film stars an ensemble cast consisting of Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, and Stanley Tucci.

The film was produced by Myriad Pictures, Benaroya Pictures, and Before the Door Pictures. It was produced in association with WSF. Theatrically, it was distributed by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions in North America, with Myriad handling international distribution through independent distributors. The director and screenwriter, J. C. Chandor, is the son of an investment banker; the screenplay was partly inspired by Chandor's own foray into real estate investments in NYC shortly before the financial crisis. The score was composed by Nathan Larson.

The film premiered at Sundance on January 25, 2011, and opened in theaters nationwide in the USA on October 21, 2011. It received positive critical reviews and was nominated for several awards for its screenplay and direction, including the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. It won best first film at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and best original screenplay at the San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards in 2011. It grossed $2.5 million in domestic ticket sales after expanding to 178 theaters, and the film had a day-and-date release with VOD sales that, based on early indicators, were comparable to theatrical ticket sales. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the U.S. on December 20, 2011.