The concept of post-cinematic affect, as theorized by scholars like Steven Shaviro (2010), explores how digital media technologies reshape the ways audiences experience emotion and meaning in contemporary cinema. In the post-cinematic landscape, films often eschew traditional storytelling and stylistic norms in favor of fragmented, hypermediated, and affect-driven techniques. Adam McKay’s The Big Short (2015) serves as a prime example, blending cinematic narrative with postmodern strategies that emphasize sensation, critique, and disorientation.

The Big Short addresses the 2008 financial crisis, but it does so in ways that deliberately break from classical cinematic conventions. Its use of meta-commentary, fourth-wall breaks, and an eclectic mix of media—such as celebrity cameos, stock footage, and stylized infographics—reflects a broader trend in post-cinematic aesthetics. These techniques don’t simply relay information but work to evoke a visceral reaction to the absurdity and chaos of the financial system. For example, Margot Robbie’s infamous bathtub scene and Anthony Bourdain’s culinary metaphor transform abstract economic concepts into relatable, emotionally charged moments. Such techniques embody the affect-driven style that defines post-cinematic media, engaging viewers intellectually and viscerally.

Audiovisual video essays have become an essential tool for dissecting these techniques, offering dynamic, multimodal ways to analyze the interplay of narrative, emotion, and style in films like The Big Short. Unlike traditional written critiques, video essays can deconstruct McKay’s rapid editing, ironic musical choices, and layered sound design in real-time, illustrating how these elements generate affect. By juxtaposing scenes, overlaying commentary, and highlighting specific stylistic choices, video essays reveal the ways The Big Short captures the disorientation and anger of the financial crisis through its fragmented form.

In the digital age, both post-cinematic films and video essays represent a shift in how audiences consume and critique media, emphasizing affective and immersive experiences over linear storytelling. Together, they reimagine the possibilities of cinematic expression and engagement.

Post by: Karoline Brandslet

Steven Shaviro, ‘Post-Cinematic Affect: On Grace Jones, Boarding Gate and Southland Tales’, Film Philosophy 14.1, 2010.

The Big Short (2015), Dir. Adam McKay, USA.