Think the trade deficit is a source of economic concern? The China Hustle makes the imminent trade war look like a fight over small change.

The frank, level-headed tone of the documentary does not transform into the righteous anger that such financial corruption calls for.

In horror movies, monsters often lose their power to terrify once they come fully into the frame. But as Rothstein reveals the full shape and size of an ogre that has slipped into our financial markets, just try to calm your growing dread.

If documentaries could be classified according to a fictional genre, “The China Hustle” would be a horror film teasing a sequel now starring Ali Baba as the next Michael Myers.