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This film is part of a global movement to change the economic system through education to protect the world from boom and bust. A unique look at why economic crashes happen, Boom Bust Boom is a multimedia documentary combining live action with animation and puppetry to explain economics to everyone.
Think about the last film or television show in which you learned something from puppets. Was it “Sesame Street,” extolling the virtues of education and friendship? Was it Jim Henson’s “The Muppet Show,” where you could learn to sing and dance? Or perhaps it was “Team America: World Police,” showing that confronting extremism through biting satire might be the antidote to the world’s problems? Well, prepare to add one more film to this unlikely niche, because “Boom Bust Boom” uses puppets, eye-catching animations, and human economists to warn of one of the dangers of a capitalist economy: the fearsome boom and bust cycle.
In particular, “Boom Bust Boom” focuses on the Great Recession of the late 2000s and early 2010s, and the role that the subprime mortgage loan crisis played in causing that markedly nasty economic downturn (the worst since the Great Depression of the 1930s). “Monty Python” alum Terry Jones lends the humor and the compulsory British accent (this is a documentary film about a relatively dry subject, after all) while numerous economists explain the finer points of what leads to boom-and-bust cycles, occasionally being interrupted or joined by animations, straightforward graphics, and the aforementioned puppets.
There is enough distance now between our present-day selves and the Great Recession to begin looking back and taking stock and all that has happened since. The 2016 presidential election currently underway in the United States is in many ways a referendum on the success of the Obama Administration’s response to the worst financial crisis in nearly a century. “The Big Short,” a film specifically about the run up to that crisis, was a box office success and an Oscar contender. Clearly, “Boom Bust Boom” comes at a time of societal catharsis in regards to the latest financial collapse caused by a burst economic bubble.
“Boom Bust Boom” also offers a quick primer on the boom and bust cycles replete in the Western market economy (spoiler: there are a lot of them, many caused by bizarre things). With upbeat music and silly dramatizations of the history of capitalism, it would be easy to write off this film as a kitschy commentary on a relatively recent major event. However, it would be a mistake to do so – there is a lot of good information here. For every puppet scene and wayward “South Park” clip, there are a half dozen substantive moments with well-respected economists from around the globe. “Boom Bust Boom” is accessible without being condescending, and informative without being boring. Economics can be a tense, intimidating subject, even to the informed. This documentary is an effective learning tool for understanding the basics of economic bubbles: think of “Schoolhouse Rock” if you watched that as a student.
“Boom Bust Boom” is that rare documentary that succeeds in being fun while still ensuring its viewers learn something new. One might be predisposed to write off this film as unserious, but rest assured, “Boom Bust Boom” merely uses its silliness and dry humor to imbue well-researched and supported information. Looking for a lesson and a laugh? Give this film a try.
In theaters today in New York (Village East Cinema) followed by release on iTunes and On Demand on March 15th
Boom Bust Boom Trailer from BoomBustClick on Vimeo.
