CommonCentsMom.com is advertiser-supported: we may earn compensation from the products and offers mentioned in this article. However, any expressed opinions are our own and aren't influenced by compensation. The contents of the CommonCentsMom.com website, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on this site (“Content”) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional financial or legal advice. Always seek the advice of your Financial Advisor, CPA and Lawyer with any questions you may have regarding your situation. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website!
Looking for the best movies about money, investing, and wild stock trading?
Films inspire, thrill, and entertain us. However, they also offer important lessons that you can apply to your professional or personal life, including strategies that can help you handle your finances the right way. As a matter of fact, documentaries or films based on money and the stock market will help you understand everything about the financial system.
Investment is one of the most important financial terms in our life. The reason is that the right investment can turn your money into a huge fortune or a giant disaster. However, many people fail to understand the difference between a bad investment and a good one. Sometimes, even the most experienced investors get into a bad investment because they didn’t do their research properly.
This is why movies about investment are very important. These movies have been able to inspire millions of people with their great stories about investing and making money. If you are interested in learning more about the investment strategies and principles that are applied in these movies, you should check out the following list of the best movies about investment.
In this article, we will discuss some of the best Hollywood films about investment you must watch. Some of these movies are based on true stories, while others are fictional, but they all help you understand the power of money and investments. You can watch these movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or anywhere else you want. Some Oscar-winning movies are also included in this list.
Here are some of the best finance movies about money, investing, financial market, and the stock market you can’t miss.
Feature films:
1. The Big Short (2015)
The Big Short is a drama film based on a book by Michael Lewis. The movie is directed by Adam McKay and written by an American screenwriter Charles Randolph and McKay. The film explains complex financial concepts, such as collateralized debt swaps, subprime mortgages, and credit default swaps in layman’s terms to you. It features cameo appearances by celebrities like Richard Thaler, Anthony Bourdain, Selena Gomez, and Margot Robbie to explain these concepts. All in all, the movie skillfully weaves drama and finance into an enthralling film that captivates you. Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, and Jeremy Strong are among the cast of The Big Short.
2. Wall Street (1987)
Wall Street, which is co-written and directed by Oliver Stone, tells the story of a junior stockbroker Bud Fox who is willing to do anything to make his way to the top. He wants to work with an unscrupulous rich Wall Street raider Gordon Gekko, and spy on well-known companies to impress him. However, when Fox gets to know about Gekko’s evil intentions, he resolves to bring him down.
Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, and Alec Baldwin play their roles magnificently in this movie. Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen are both Academy Award winners for their performances in this movie. “Greed is good” is one of the famous quotes from this movie.
3. Trading Places (1983)
This 1983 movie stars Eddie Murphy as Billy Ray Valentine, a homeless man, and Dan Aykroyd as Louis Winthorpe III, a managing director of a commodity brokerage firm, Duke & Duke Commodity Brokers. Brothers Mortimer and Randolph are the owners of this commodity brokerage firm. The Duke brothers make a bet based on their conflicting views about the debate around nature and nurture and decide to carry out an experiment. The callous millionaire brothers decide to use Valentine and Winthorpe for their experiment.
They manipulate a chance encounter between Valentine and Winthorpe that changes their lives forever. However, when Valentine eavesdrops on the details of the plan, he and Winthorpe team up to bankrupt the Duke brothers. By discovering the brothers’ plan for insider trading, Winthorpe and Valentine use the information against the duo, eventually ruining them while simultaneously getting rich.
4. Boiler Room (2000)
Boiler Room is a drama film directed and written by Ben Younger. The movie narrates the story of a 19-year-old college drop-out who works at an investment firm J.T. Marlin. He notices some suspicious activities at the firm and he ultimately helps the FBI agents take down the co-founders of the brokerage firm.
Boiler Room details a pump and dump scam in which the price of the owned stock is artificially increased through exaggerated, misleading, and false statements. The movie is a clear warning to investors that they should favor companies that are transparent in their strategies and business operations.
A dump scheme is a type of investment that gives you a great return on your money. The good thing about this type of investment is that it doesn’t cost you anything. This means that you don’t have to pay for the investment in any way. However, the bad thing about this type of investment is that you don’t get any control over the money. In fact, if you lose all your money, there’s nothing that can be done about it.
You can invest in a dump scheme only if you are an experienced investor. If you don’t have the right knowledge, then it’s better to stay away from this type of investment. It’s not easy to choose the right type of investment that is worth your money and time. The Boiler Room’s scam is a great example of how a bad investment can turn into a huge disaster. This is a classic case of how a bad investment can turn into a great scam.
5. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
The Wolf of Wall Street is written by Terence Winter and directed by Martin Scorsese. It is based on the book of the same name, written by Jordan Belfort. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker who makes money by selling IPO stocks, blue-chip stocks, and penny stocks. The movie details the fall and rise of an unscrupulous and intelligent stockbroker who ends up in jail for money laundering and securities fraud.
6. Margin Call (2011)
Margin Call is a thriller movie directed and penned by J. C. Chandor. It was released back in 2011. The movie follows important individuals at a Wall Street bank over a 24-hour period during the initial stages of the financial crisis of 2008.
The 2008’s financial crisis is often described as the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. This movie shows how these individuals struggle to keep their bank afloat. They face a series of problems that are more complicated than they could have imagined. It is a suspenseful movie that will keep you glued to your seat until the end.
It follows what unfolds as a young risk analyst Peter Sullivan uncovers information that could lead to the downfall of the investment bank. The investment bankers try to prevent the possible collapse of their company by all means necessary.
Margin Call is a good movie that can help you understand the nature of risk, leverage, and leverage cycles. Kevin Spacey stars in the movie as a risk analyst who uncovers information that could lead to the downfall of the investment bank. You can watch Margin Call on Netflix or Amazon Prime.
7. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is a 2005 American documentary film that examines the fall of the energy trading company Enron Corporation. The firm is associated with a host of illegal schemes. In a cut-throat competitive environment, Enron traders turn to all types of unethical dealings to make money fast and hold onto their high-paying jobs. The film is based on the book of the same title by an investigative reporter Peter Elkind and an American journalist Bethany Lee McLean. It features interviews with former California Governor Gray Davis, reporters, stock analysts, former Enron executives, Elkind, and Bethany Lee McLean.
8. Rogue Trader (1999)
Rogue Trader is a British drama film directed and penned by James Dearden. It is based on Nick Leeson’s book Rogue Trader. Nick Leeson was a former derivatives broker for Britain’s merchant bank Barings Bank. The movie depicts how Leeson contributed to the fall of Britain’s oldest investment bank.
Huge investment bets by Leeson in the derivatives market along with a poor regulatory environment, a lack of strong oversight by head office, and the unanticipated event of the Kobe earthquake led to the trader losing $1.3 billion, and the bankruptcy of Britain’s oldest investment bank.
9. Banking on Bitcoin (2016)
Banking on Bitcoin is a documentary movie that highlights the birth of Bitcoin and blockchain technology. As a matter of fact, this film is perfect for you if you want to learn more about bitcoin, blockchain, and decentralization.
The movie features interviews with Bitcoin and BlockChain enthusiasts. According to its makers, Banking on Bitcoin took three years to make. It has detailed coverage of important players in the space, such as Alex Winter, Nathaniel Popper, Barry Silbert, Cameron, and Charlie Shrem. These people share their ideas and opinions on how cryptocurrency technology will shape our lives.
10. Inside Job (2010)
Inside Job is a documentary movie directed by Charles H. Ferguson. The movie delves into what caused the 2008 financial crisis. Plus, it features interviews with former IMF managing director Christine Lagarde, investor and hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, and economist Nouriel Roubini. Inside Job also won the award for the best documentary film in 2010. The 2008 financial crisis caused many people to lose their savings and jobs, and it almost resulted in a worldwide financial collapse.
Starring Matt Damon, Sigridur Benediktsdottir, Jerome Fons, and many other actors, the film is one of the best movies about investment that you can watch today.
11. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
The Pursuit of Happyness is based on a real story. The film stars Will Smith as Chris Gardner, a San Fransisco salesman trying to earn enough money to provide for essential needs and look after his child. Fortunately, Gardner gets a fiercely competitive internship in a stockbroker training program.
Gardner and his kid go through many difficulties as Gardner pursues a career as a stockbroker, expecting to make his and his kid’s lives better. Ultimately, Gardner overcomes all kinds of hurdles and goes on to become the owner of a multi-million dollar brokerage company.
12. Edison, the Man (1940)
Edison, the Man is a biographical movie detailing the life of Thomas Edison, an American businessman and inventor. In the leading role, Spencer Tracy plays Thomas Edison.
He causes a sensation throughout the world with his inventions and start-ups, particularly in the electric supply sector. Edison had been involved as a shareholder in several firms, including General Electric.
13. Barbarians at the Gate (1993)
Barbarians at the Gate is a real-life drama that tells the story of an up-and-coming hedge fund manager Michael Milken who was the first one to establish a relationship with some big financial companies, such as Merrill Lynch and Drexel Burnham Lambert.
This movie tells the story of how he helped finance a leveraged buyout, which eventually became the largest takeover in history. However, it also portrays how he had a falling out with his partners and how he was later convicted of fraud and served six years in prison.
14. Too Big to Fail (2011)
Filmmaker Curtis Hanson’s documentary film, Too Big to Fail, is based on the 2008 financial crisis. It is about the United States government’s decision to rescue the largest banks in the country. This movie is about the market crash and the collapse of Lehman Brothers, one of the world’s largest investment banks. It also highlights how politicians and bankers use their power to run away from any responsibility for their actions.
The bank’s failure resulted in the collapse of Lehman Brothers, which was followed by other banks. The financial crisis in 2008 was the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. The film is one of the best documentaries about investment that you can watch today.
This movie shows how a massive economic crisis can affect a nation’s economy and how different parties are working together to save it. The cast includes James Woods, John Heard, and William Hurt.
15. The Housing Bubble (2018)
The Housing Bubble is a film that was released in 2018. It was directed by Jimmy Morrison. The film is about the housing bubble that occurred in 2008. The movie explores what caused the housing bubble and why it was able to occur. The movie also tells you how different people handled their financial situation during this time.
Starring Stars Ron Paul, Jim Rogers, and Marc Faber, the film is a good resource for you to learn about the housing bubble and how it was able to occur. The film is one of the best documentaries about investment that you can watch today.
16. Madoff (2016)
Madoff is a 2016 American drama series directed by Raymond De Felitta. The film is based on a book written by Bryan Ross called The Madoff Chronicles. The film explores the story of Bernie Madoff, a notorious investment advisor who was convicted of running a Ponzi scheme. The series feature appearances of Richard Dreyfuss, Blythe Danner, Lewis Black, and Danny Deferrari.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, the movies on this list are about different aspects of investment. You will learn about the rules of investing, how to make money, and how to handle your finances properly. These movies will help you get a better understanding of the financial markets and other important financial terms.
For example, the crisis of 2008 taught us how important it is to learn how to make money in a secure way. The same goes for movies about investment. They will help you understand how important it is to make the right investment choices, which will lead you to a great financial future.
The housing bubble is also a big issue that has affected the financial markets. This is why it is important to understand the causes and effects of this issue. The main reason for this is that if you understand the causes, you will be able to avoid its effects in the future.
You can choose the best movie about investment that fits your personal needs. However, you should know that these movies are all based on real stories of real people who made their fortune through different types of investments.
Therefore, if you want to find out more about the strategies and principles used in these movies, make sure that you watch as many of them as possible. You will be able to see the difference between a good investment and a bad one. You will also learn about the different types of investments and how to make the right choice for your future. After all, this is one of the best ways to learn more about the different financial terms and how they are applied in our daily lives.
Further reading: The 15 Best Books About Money, Investing, and Personal Finance
