“Money Monster” is a ripped-from the headlines movie about a TV financial show host taken hostage live on-air in the studio by a crazed viewer who lost his family savings of $60,000 on an investment tip gone south.

The nail-biter, with some respites of bitterly-ironic humor, is expertly directed by Jodie Foster (”The Beaver,” 2011; “Home for the Holidays,” 1995; “Little Man Tate,” 1991), who gets a stellar performance from George Clooney as Lee Gates, host of “Money Monster,” a Jim Cramer-like “Mad Money” financial show host; Julia Roberts as Patty Fenn, the TV show’s producer, and a riveting performance by Jack O’Connell as Kyle Budwell, the hostage-taker.

An attempt is made to locate Walt Camby (Dominic West), CEO of Ibis Global Capital, for which Gates’ stock tout lost O’Connell his money after the firm lost $800 million. Instead, the firm’s publicist Diane Lester (Caitriona Balfe) is brought in for damage control.

Foster sets up a tension-filled triangle between host (Clooney) and hostage-taker (O’Connell), host and producer (Roberts) and host, producer, hostage-taker and New York Police Department Captain (Giancarlo Esposito).

The movie is a behind-the-scenes look at “financialtaiment” that updates “Broadcast News” (1987) and “Network” (1976), but with a twist akin to the live telecast of the 1994 O.J. Simpson Bronco freeway “chase.” The unfolding drama is watched on TV in coffeehouses, bars and workplaces and, of course, by you and me, the movie-goer. In this way, “Money Monster” is a Hitchcockian voyeuristic thriller.

Clooney is perfect as the talk-show host. He’s been there before as director of “Good Night, and Good Luck” (2005) about 1950s’ TV host icon Edward R. Murrow. Clooney is not only believable in nuancing the exteriors of the role, but also the interior conflicts of the character, revealing enough self-awarness to make the TV host less reprehensible. Roberts is fine in a supporting role that provides a mirror reflection, as well as critical interpretation, of the TV show host.

It’s O’Connell as the hostage-taker who steals the show ala Al Pacino in “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975). His performance stays with you. And it’s not just his performance. His role is that of the everyman, or woman, who fell victim to the Great Recession of 2007-08.

The screenplay by Jamie Linden, Alan DiFiore and Jim Kouf based on a story by DiFiore and Kouf makes its points about so-called “Casino Capitalism,” high-frequency trading, algorithms and TV financial advisers. While “Money Monster” is no “The Big Short” (2015), it’s quite a ride while it lasts. Call it “Mr. Smith Goes to Wall Street.”

“Money Monster,”MPAA Rated R (Restricted. Children Under 17 Require Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian.) for language throughout, some sexuality and brief violence; Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller; Run time: 1 hr., 38 min.; Distributed by Sony Pictures.

Credit Readers Anonymous:Scenes for “Money Monster” were filmed on location in April 2015 in and around Maiden Lane in the Wall Street financial district of New York City. Heard over the end credits is “What Makes The World Go Round? (Money!)” by Dan The Automator featuring Del The Funky Homosapien, which includes the lyric “Wall Street is pimpin’ our nation.”

Box Office,May 20: “Angry Birds” roosted at No. 1, opening with $39 milion, ending the two-week No. 1 run of ”Captain America: Civil War,” $33.1 million, $347.3 million, three weeks; keeping “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” opening at No. 3, with $21.7 million, and “The Nice Guys” opening at No. 4 with $11.2 million. 4. “The Jungle Book,” $11 million, $327.5 million, six weeks; 5. “Money Monster,” $7.1 million, $27.1 million, two weeks; 6. “The Darkness,” $2.4 million, $8.5 million, two weeks; 7. “Zootopia,” $1.7 million, $334.4 million, 12 weeks; 8. “The Huntsman: Winter’s War,” $1.1 million, $46.6 million, five weeks; 10. “Mother’s Day,” $1.1 million, $31.2 million, four weeks

Unreel,May 27:

“X-Men: Apocalypse,”PG-13: Bryan Singer directs James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult in the science fiction action film who must unite to defeat a new threat.

“Alice Through the Looking Glass,”PG: James Bobin directs Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and Mia Wasikowska in the adventure fantasy as Alice returns to Wonderland to save the Mad Hatter.

Three Popcorn Boxes out of Five Popcorn Boxes