{movie} maxed out (2006)

Investigating both the personal and the national debt owed by Americans, this thought-provoking documentary explores the staggering financial burden we live with every day and exposes how the contemporary financial industry is set up in ways that can harm unwitting customers. With both sobering facts and black humor, Maxed Out unveils the consequences of our debt addiction, including its contribution to the vanishing of the American middle class.

ireviewnetflix.com rating: *** This was an interesting (and at times depressing) film and an interesting look at credit debt in America. Not the greatest documentary I've ever seen, but an interesting look at a disturbing problem in our country. The whole country is screwed up when it comes to credit. Getting a credit card was the most exciting (because I knew I needed it to establish credit to do anything) and scariest moment of my life (because I was desperate to not get caught in the credit trap). As for the movie, while informative, it's also a bit too personal for my taste. I know there are sob stories, but it's all personal choice. No one has to spend money that they don't have. The problem isn't so much the credit companies (even though they are predators) as it is people not being educated about living outside their means (and allow themselves to be prey). Nothing really new here, but interesting.