The financial crisis is on the fast track to film

It usually takes Hollywood awhile to start making movies about major geopolitical events. The perspective that comes with time is an essential component for any effective period piece.

Still, things have gone into overdrive when it comes to films depicting the financial crisis. The star-studded drama “Margin Call,” opening Friday, is the latest in a series of movies to confront the crisis, which began in 2007, and its ramifications.

Below — in case you can’t get enough daily talk of bailouts, the 99 percent and 9-9-9 tax plans — we offer our guide to the Great Recession at the movies.