Margin Call is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by J. C. Chandor in his directorial debut. The story takes place over 24 hours at a large Wall Street investment bank during the initial stages of the 2008 financial crisis. It focuses on the actions taken by a group of employees during the crisis. The title is a reference to a "margin call", the situation where a financial market participant must provide additional collateral for an existing financial market contract due to increased credit risk.