Best Movies About Wall Street

From Martin Scorsese, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey
Rated R

The Wolf of Wall Street is a black comedy biographical film chronicling the rise and fall of stockbroker Jordan Belfort. Based on Belfort’s memoirs, the film follows his career from an ambitious, 22-year-old stockbroker living the high life to a wealthy Wall Street hotshot. As Belfort’s career takes off, he soon finds himself embroiled in crime and corruption, all while continuing to live the life of excess and luxury, in the face of criminal investigations and his own personal demons. Along with his trusted associate Donnie Azoff and a merry band of brokers, Belfort engages in securities fraud and manipulation on a massive scale, leading to his eventual downfall. High-rolling excess and outrageous debauchery ensue as Belfort and his cronies make their fortune while evading the FBI, all while putting their own moral compasses to the test.

From Charles Ferguson, starring Matt Damon, Gylfi Zoega, Andri Snær Magnason, Sigridur Benediktsdottir
Rated PG-13

Inside Job is a 2010 documentary by Charles Ferguson that examines the 2008 global financial crisis and its aftermath. Through interviews with key financial insiders, politicians, journalists, and academics, the film traces the rise of a rogue industry which has corrupted politics, regulation, and academia. It also looks at the subsequent bailout of banks and other financial institutions and examines the effects of the crisis on both the global economy and society. The film examines the root causes of the financial crisis such as the deregulation of the financial sector, the prevalence of risky financial products, and the conflicts of interest between Wall Street and Washington. The film also suggests that financial industry executives and politicians have consistently failed to act in the best interests of the public. Inside Job won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2011 and is a powerful and compelling look at the events that led up to the global financial meltdown.

From Sidney Lumet, starring Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall
Rated R

Network is a 1976 American satirical drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Paddy Chayefsky. The film stars Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, and Beatrice Straight and follows the fictional story of a news anchor (Finch) who suffers a mental breakdown and encourages his viewers to shout out their anger and dissatisfaction with the state of the world. The film offers a darkly humorous and cynical commentary on the television industry, news media, and corporate America. Network won four Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Finch, Best Actress for Dunaway, Best Supporting Actress for Straight, and Best Original Screenplay for Chayefsky.

From Directors: Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott, starring Mikela Jay, Rob Beckwermert, Christopher Gora, Nina Jones
Rated Not Rated

The Corporation is a 2003 Canadian documentary film written by Joel Bakan and directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott. It examines the modern-day corporation, considering its legal status as a class of person and evaluating its behavior towards society and the world at large as a psychologist might evaluate an ordinary person. The film focuses on the rise of large multinational corporations, their internal operations and external effect on society, the environment, the media and global markets. The directors interview a range of people, including corporate critics, corporate defenders, and corporate victims. The film also includes interviews with well-known corporate figures such as Ray Anderson, Michael Hopkins, Michael Moore, Noam Chomsky and Milton Friedman. The film ultimately argues that the corporate structure, by its very nature, is a threat to both individuals and the planet, as it is an entity that is designed to solely pursue its own self-interest regardless of the cost to others.

From Adam McKay, starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt
Rated R

The Big Short is a 2015 film directed by Adam McKay and adapted from the book of the same name by Michael Lewis. The film tells the true story of a group of investors, including Michael Burry (Christian Bale), Mark Baum (Steve Carell), and Ben Rickert (Brad Pitt), who predicted the 2008 financial crisis and bet against the housing market. As they investigate the mortgage industry, they discover that the banks and Wall Street are engaging in fraudulent activity, such as inflating the value of subprime mortgages and selling off investments backed by them. Through a series of risky investments, the group profits from the collapse of the housing market, but also feels the moral weight of their actions, as the collapse devastates the lives of many innocent people. The Big Short examines the greed and corruption of the financial world, and ultimately offers a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked capitalism.

From James Foley, starring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin
Rated R

Glengarry Glen Ross is a 1992 American drama film adapted by David Mamet from his 1984 Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, and directed by James Foley. Set in Chicago in the early 1980s, it depicts two days in the lives of four desperate real estate salesmen and how they become increasingly desperate and unethical over the course of the film. A relentless sales manager assigns dubious sales tactics to push the men to their absolute limits in order to succeed. The film stars an ensemble cast including Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, and Kevin Spacey. The film has since become a cult classic.

From Mary Harron, starring Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Bill Sage
Rated R

American Psycho is a 2000 black comedy psychological horror film directed by Mary Harron and starring Christian Bale. Set in 1987 in New York City, the film follows the life of wealthy investment banker Patrick Bateman, whose boredom and dissatisfaction with his life leads him down a path of murder and depravity. Bateman's life is a carefully constructed facade, from his over-the-top lifestyle to his meticulous grooming habits, but hiding behind this veneer is a psychopathic killer. As his murderous urges grow, his victims become more and more varied, and soon his life begins to spiral out of control. This darkly comic look into the life of a serial killer is both an exploration of the superficiality of 1980s America and a commentary on the emptiness and banality of modern life.

From John Landis, starring Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche
Rated R

Trading Places is a 1983 American comedy film directed by John Landis and starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. The movie follows the story of two wealthy brothers, Randolph and Mortimer Duke, who make a bet on whether nature or nurture has the strongest effect on a person's success. To settle the wager, they take a homeless con artist, Billy Ray Valentine (Murphy), and switch his life with that of their employee, Louis Winthorpe III (Aykroyd), a successful businessman. Through a series of outrageous circumstances, Billy Ray and Louis eventually team up to take down the Dukes and restore justice in their lives. Throughout the movie, the two protagonists must use their wits and street smarts to outwit the powerful Dukes. Trading Places is a classic comedy, examining the class system and its effects on society.

From Michael Moore, starring Michael Moore, William Black, Jimmy Carter, Elijah Cummings
Rated R

From Oliver Stone, starring Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas, Tamara Tunie, Franklin Cover
Rated R

From Darren Aronofsky, starring Sean Gullette, Mark Margolis, Ben Shenkman, Pamela Hart
Rated R

From J.C. Chandor, starring Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany
Rated R

From Ben Younger, starring Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Nia Long, Nicky Katt
Rated R

From Mike Nichols, starring Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver, Alec Baldwin
Rated R

From John Wells, starring Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones, Suzanne Rico
Rated R

From Nicholas Jarecki, starring Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Brit Marling, Tim Roth
Rated R

From Robert Connolly, starring David Wenham, Anthony LaPaglia, Sibylla Budd, Steve Rodgers
Rated Not Rated

From Oliver Stone, starring Shia LaBeouf, Michael Douglas, Carey Mulligan, Josh Brolin
Rated PG-13

From Brian De Palma, starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith, Kim Cattrall
Rated R