Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Monty Python alum explains financial crisis, with puppets.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Boom Bust Boom
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In BOOM BUST BOOM, Monty Python alum Terry Jones turns his sharp eye on the financial crisis of 2008 -- and then looks back several centuries to show that this pattern has repeated itself over and over again. To help explain these complicated theories, Jones turns to many economics experts, including a few Nobel laureates, as well as cartoonists, puppeteers, and animators. The result makes economics fun (kind of), or at least easy to grasp.
Is It Any Good?
Boom Bust Boom is probably the most entertaining documentary about economics that's come out in a while. Jones' outrage and sense of the absurd blend well as he paints a picture of the excess and greed that nearly destroyed the global banking system. It's certainly a topic that, as broken down in this entertaining film, tweens and teens will understand, though at times it does feel like some of the ideas may have been oversimplified.
The film gets more interesting in the second half, when Jones and his deep bench of brainiacs explain how the 2008 crisis was just like many, many other bubbles over the past several centuries. Yes, it starts with the Dutch tulip mania that's well-trod and familiar, but then it moves onto other less-famous examples of economic excess. The result makes it clear that 2008 wasn't an isolated event -- it was the latest in a long line of financial crises. Here's hoping we can avoid more in the future.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about economics. What did Boom Bust Boom teach you about the financial crisis of 2008? Was the presentation style easy to follow? Why or why not?
What questions does the movie raise about the culture of consumption? What's the best way to talk to kids about advertising and the push to buy?
What role can movies play in educating people about subjects like economics? Does it make them more accessible? Do serious subjects require serious treatment?
Why do people seem to follow similar patterns, again and again, over the centuries? Was the 2008 financial crisis an anomaly or history repeating itself?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 11, 2016
- On DVD or streaming : March 15, 2016
- Cast : Terry Jones , John Cusack
- Directors : Terry Jones , Bill Jones
- Studio : Brainstorm Media
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : History
- Run time : 74 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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