Finance might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but Hollywood has a knack for making even the driest subjects thrilling. Here’s a list of the ten best finance movies that not only entertain but also offer a window into the world of money, markets, and morality.
1. Wall Street (1987)
Directed by Oliver Stone, this film features Michael Douglas as the iconic Gordon Gekko, preaching the infamous mantra, “Greed is good.” The story follows young stockbroker Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) who gets entangled in the high-stakes world of insider trading. “Wall Street” is a critique of the excesses of the 1980s financial culture, offering insights into how ambition can blur ethical lines.
2. The Big Short (2015)
Based on the real events leading up to the 2008 financial crisis, this Adam McKay film brilliantly explains complex financial instruments like mortgage-backed securities through humor and star power (Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt). It’s both an entertaining narrative and an educational piece on how the economy can be manipulated.
3. Margin Call (2011)
This film captures one 24-hour period at a Wall Street investment bank just as it realizes a financial meltdown is imminent. With a stellar cast including Kevin Spacey and Jeremy Irons, “Margin Call” offers a tense, dialogue-driven look into the moral dilemmas faced by those in finance when personal and corporate interests clash.
4. Trading Places (1983)
A comedy that delves into the nature vs. nurture debate through the lens of finance. Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd star in this John Landis classic where two very different men switch lives due to a bet by two rich brothers. It’s a satirical look at how market manipulation can affect individuals’ lives.
5. Rogue Trader (1999)
Ewan McGregor plays Nick Leeson, the real-life trader whose unauthorized speculative trading led to the collapse of Barings Bank. “Rogue Trader” is a cautionary tale about risk management, showing how one man’s hubris can bring down a centuries-old institution.
6. American Psycho (2000)
While not strictly about finance, this adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s novel portrays the life of Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), a Wall Street banker with a dark secret. The film critiques the vacuous, materialistic culture of the 1980s financial elite, where status symbols and superficiality reign supreme.
7. Boiler Room (2000)
Giovanni Ribisi stars in this film about a young college dropout who gets sucked into the high-pressure world of a brokerage firm. “Boiler Room” sheds light on the aggressive sales tactics and ethical dilemmas within penny stock firms, echoing themes from “Wall Street.”
8. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Martin Scorsese tells the wild true story of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a stockbroker who engages in rampant corruption and excess. This film is a rollercoaster of debauchery, showing the seductive allure and eventual downfall of unchecked ambition in finance.
9. Inside Job (2010)
A documentary by Charles Ferguson, “Inside Job” dissects the global financial crisis of 2008, exploring how conflicts of interest and the deregulation of financial markets contributed to economic disaster. It’s a sobering, informative look at systemic corruption in finance.
10. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
This documentary by Alex Gibney explores the rise and fall of Enron, once one of America’s largest corporations. It’s a detailed account of corporate fraud, showing how a culture of greed and unethical practices can lead to the company’s, and many employees’, ruin.
What’s On Your Next Movie Night?
These films not only provide entertainment but serve as educational tools, offering insights into the complexities and often the darker sides of the financial world. Whether they make you laugh, think, or cringe, they all remind us that finance, at its core, is very much about the people that make things happen.
