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With this post, we would like to touch upon the topic of cinema and talk about films dedicated to trading. We have collected a huge selection of 63 films and TV series. Unfortunately, we could not find films about Forex, so this TOP of movies is more related to the topic of the stock and derivatives markets, finance, trading on the stock exchange, and the economic crisis.
In order not to mix everything into a common heap, we divided the list into four sections. It is worth considering that we tried to find the most complete collection of tapes in one post and not all of these films are our recommendation for viewing. For a better understanding, we have compiled a short description, and also attached the rating value and links to the IMDB site to each movie.
Films mostly related to the stock exchange, stocks, trading, finance
1. The Wolf of Wall Street
Released in: 2013
User Rating: IMDB 8.2
We are more than sure that this film was watched by many traders, both beginners and more experienced. If, for some reason, you have not yet seen this masterpiece – be sure to fill the gap, because the film was nominated for an Oscar five times. The film is based on a book by the former owner of a large company, D. Belfort.
Martin Scorsese’s creation is not entirely about trading, it is about financial fraud, because of which the main character burned out, whose role was played by the legendary Leonardo DiCaprio.
Do not expect the film to reveal trade secrets, they are not there. You will see a rather defiant lifestyle of the protagonist, who quickly became rich thanks to his persistent communication with clients. He threw all sorts of parties, used drugs, and entered into relationships with representatives of the ancient profession. All this continues exactly as long as the FBI agent is not interested in the activities of the protagonist.
2. Wall Street
Released in: 1987
User Rating: IMDB 8.4
The film tells us about a small Wall Street broker named Bud Fox. He has a lot of debt, lives in a rented room on the outskirts of town, drives a cheap motorcycle, and has no career prospects in his company. But he has the potential and the drive to be successful at any cost. This sets Bud apart from the people in his everyday social circle. By a fortunate coincidence, the hero asks for an audience with Gordon Gekko, a successful broker and cunning tycoon in the market with over 20 years of experience. Gecko immediately notices Bud’s possibilities and gives him a chance to prove himself. This short meeting completely changes the fate of the guy.
Further, we will not reveal the storyline so as not to spoil the experience. An iconic film of its time from director Oliver Stone. It is the number one film about trading on the topic of brokers and trading on Wall Street according to viewers. Michael Douglas deservedly received an Oscar for Best Actor. If for some reason you haven’t seen this movie yet, then it’s time to catch up.
3. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Released in: 2010
User Rating: IMDB 6.2
More than twenty years later, Oliver Stone is shooting a wonderful continuation of his picture. The same characters and a similar plot, shown a little from the other side.
The corporate raider Gekko, released from prison, finds himself in a completely unusual world. His methods cease to work, and his reputation is no longer the same. Although the young trader Jacob preferred to take him as his partner. They agree: Jacob helps Gekko to make peace with his daughter, and Gekko, in turn, helps to raise Jacob to the top of financial success.
4. The Big Short
Released in: 2015
User Rating: IMDB 7.8
The action of the picture begins in 2005 from the very beginning of the inception of the 2008 crisis. It tells the story of three different groups of people who, by different coincidences, have learned that the market has turned into a big speculative “bubble” and is about to burst. Assuming that this will happen very soon, everyone is in a hurry to get their benefit from it.
In this movie, the term “big short” is used, i.e. trading by opening a short position, selling in a falling market. A rather specific financial product is involved in this game – a credit default swap, a derivative instrument like futures or options.
The film is based on real events described in the book by the writer and former trader Michael Lewis, who specializes mainly in the topic of finance, using a lot of documentary material in his works. The cast of the first magnitude is impressive: Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, and Steve Carell perfectly coped with the role of people who believed in the possibility of a mortgage real estate collapse, contrary to the popular opinion. All of these actors were nominated for an Oscar in former times, and Bale and Pitt have already decorated their shelves with a figurine. The film won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
If you have concerns that you will not understand all this economic terminology in the dialogues of the characters, then in special inserts Selena Gomez and Margot Robbie will explain to you what’s what in simple language. So, the film is a must-see for anyone interested in trading topics.
5. Rogue Trader
Released in: 1999
User Rating: IMDB 6.4
A young trader from England gets a job at a bank to keep track of assets and trade on the stock exchange at the same time. Blinded by his success, he makes several serious mistakes and loses a lot of money. To hide this, the hero comes up with a shady enterprise.
The film was based on real events described in the memoirs of Nick Leeson, a former trader at Barings Bank, who went bankrupt during the Asian financial crisis. The movie shows how, playing against the general market decline and overloading positions in the derivatives market, they ruin a bank with more than two hundred years of history. An interesting fact: it was the traders who made the biggest losses on the exchange, trading options, and futures.
Film of the late 2000s. The main role was played by the still young Ewan McGregor. A film with a simple scenario, but good implementation. It is definitely recommended for all traders and portfolio managers.
6. Boiler Room
Released in: 2000
User Rating: IMDB 7.0
The protagonist Seth Davis is a cheater who organizes an illegal casino in his house. One fine day, a casino visitor invites Seth to work in a broker office, where his salary is several times higher than his current income. Seth starts earning a lot. But high earnings are achieved through fraud in the financial brokerage world. Will the protagonist’s conscience allow him to continue pursuing such a profitable, and at the same time, such a dishonest way of enrichment?
The actors who played their roles remarkably: the emotional Giovanni Ribisi, the charismatic Vin Diesel, and others – will definitely leave a pleasant impression after watching this film.
7. The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron
Released in: 2003
User Rating: IMDB 6.2
The film is based on the book “Greed Anatomy” by Brian Cruver, who witnessed the rise and fall of the Enron company. A classic story about how quickly you get used to a beautiful life. A young and promising careerist Brian gets a job at Enron as a trader, quickly learns, and also quickly gets rich. Things are going uphill – parties in the office, the purchase of a luxury car and other material goods, life is adjusted. But gradually everything changes and as a result, by the fall of 2001 the company declared itself bankrupt. The feed shows how these events affected the shareholders and loyal employees who remained in it until the end.
8. Margin Call
Released in: 2011
User Rating: IMDB 7.1
The film is set in September 2008, at the height of the global economic crisis. An ordinary bank trader with the help of the latest analysis program receives data that the stock market will inevitably collapse and the company will go bankrupt. The firm’s top analysts soon confirm these concerns. Senior management is immediately aware of the dire prospect that lies ahead of them: to quickly get rid of stocks to extract at least some money, or open the truth to investors and lose everything.
There is a minimum of action in the film, the plot is built on dialogues, which can sometimes seem boring, especially if you have a poor idea of the essence of the financial problem. There is no information directly about trading in the film, it is about a corporation. There is an opinion that the plot of the film frivolously presents to the viewer the fate of the investment bank Lehman Brothers. The film is played by famous and not so famous actors from the USA and Great Britain, whose play is simply pleasant to watch.
9. The Wizard of Lies
Released in: 2017
User Rating: IMDB 6.8
The Wizard of Lies is a biographical crime drama about Bernie Madoff, a con man who for many years ran the largest pyramid scheme under the guise of an investment company. As befits any pyramid – it came to an end and Bernie first confessed to his family that his business was a complete lie. Relatives, amazed by this news, passed this information on to the authorities.
This film is not for those who are waiting for an interesting denouement, action, or even the disclosure of the soul of the protagonist, it is about the experiences within the family because Bernie dragged all his family and friends into a difficult situation.
Stars such as Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer played the main roles. The picture is recommended for viewing, at least to understand that all financial pyramids must be avoided.
10. Life Without Principle
Original name: Duet min gam
Released in: 2011
User Rating: IMDB 6.9
Crime and life drama are straight from Hong Kong. The general background of the film is the collapse of the global financial economy, the stock market, and the market default in Greece. There is no protagonist or antagonist in this picture. In the center of the plots are several overlapping stories of different people: a policeman trying to arrange his life; a bank manager who has to force a high-risk mutual fund on people to fulfill a plan; families of gangsters, problem-solving gangster families looking for money; a financial broker trying to capitalize on price movements. Pleasant acting, the abundance of characters, and storylines do not cause boredom when watching this movie.
The film is not a masterpiece of cinema, but it can add variety to you and show the Asian flavor in all its manifestations. The film was nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
11. Team Spirit
Original name: L’outsider
Released in: 2016
User Rating: IMDB 6.7
Christophe Barratier is a French filmmaker who made this film about the reverse side of trading at one of the largest financial conglomerates – Société Générale.
The story of the rise and fall of the trader of this bank, Jerome Kerviel, as a result of which, the company suffered damage of just under five billion euros. Jerome speculated with the bank’s funds for his purposes. The film is set during the 2008 global crisis.
12. Win/Win
Released in: 2010
User Rating: IMDB 6.7
The young man quickly becomes a successful trader in a well-known investment bank. Even though his present life is not like his past, he begins to move away from himself – failure is not possible.
Little-known Dutch drama on a modest budget.
13. The Bank
Release in: 2001
User Rating: IMDB 6.5
Actor David Wenham is assigned the lead role in this film – a programmer working in a banking environment. He manages to invent a “golden” formula, with the help of which it became possible to predict the movements of the stock market. The hero is faced with a difficult choice – to join the team of a mercenary bank manager or to maintain his independence.
14. The Sugar
Original name: Le sucre
Released in: 1978
User Rating: IMDB 6.4
French film, filmed in the genre of drama and crime. This movie is more than forty years old, but it does not lose its value and is quite interesting.
You get great pleasure from the wonderful play of the main characters Jean Carme and Gerard Depardieu. Both actors were nominated for a Cesar.
The film about the stock exchange, more precisely about the machinations on it. Adrien, the spouse of the pharmacy owner, decides to play on the commodity exchange at the expense of his wife. And it undoubtedly ends up in the hands of the “sharks of the market”, namely, a broker devoid of honesty, a sugar tycoon and other nosy individuals who have started a fraud on the stock exchange with such a common commodity as sugar.
Naive Adrien entered into an adventurous game, he was even lucky for a while.
15. Dealers
Released in: 1989
User Rating: IMDB 5.6
Two brokers, completely different – a rather calculating and sensible woman, and a dreamy romantic, by the will of their superiors, begin to work together to bring the corporation to a new level and leave failures in the past. It is not difficult to guess that the strongest feelings of attraction flare up between them. This attraction only reinforces the positive outcome in the stock market.
British drama of the late 80s.
16. Equity
Released in: 2016
User Rating: IMDB 5.5
The main character is a rather middle-aged woman who works as an investment banker. She will have to earn millions by managing the issue of shares of a promising company in the field of computer technology. And even with the threat of a financial scandal hanging over her, the heroine will have to expose the bribery schemes and identify the perpetrators.
Anna Gunn is a wonderful actress who played the main role in this picture.
17. Trader Games
Original name: Krach
Released in: 2010
User Rating: IMDB 4.7
The main character of the film (Gilles Lellouche), a young and ambitious trader. The concept of ethics and morality for him is not the main place. Money is the main indicator of the success and authority of a given character. Together with a familiar scientist, they manage to design a program for predicting the movement of stock indexes, based on climatology and atmospheric phenomena. He found a gold mine and his business is flourishing, but greed interferes with everything.
Despite the seemingly simple plot and weak rating, the film manages to keep the viewer’s interest to the end. The outcome is quite predictable. This movie can interest both beginners and experienced traders, show the events on the market and the psychology of trading.
The actors play convincingly and convey the atmosphere of the stock exchange world. It is worth noting the good performance of Michael Madsen as a boss.
Films indirectly related to markets where this topic is partially or in small part mentioned
18. The Hummingbird Project
Released in: 2018
User Rating: IMDB 6.2
This story is about two cousins (Vincent and Anton), who decided to crank up a scam unimaginable in its implementation, the purpose of which is to get fabulous money. The essence of the idea is to stretch practically across the entire country (from one American coast to another), a fiber-optic cable with a minimum of bends between two trading exchanges. In theory, this gamble should speed up data transfer by 1 millisecond, which is quite enough to get data on quotes faster than competitors. It is quite expected that the heroes will have an enemy in the person of their former employer, who will not tolerate rivalry.
The film is interesting for its reasoning and the plot itself. By genre, the film is a drama with small comedy inserts. The actors played their roles well, especially the play of Alexander Skarsgård as an autistic genius is remembered.
19. Buy & Cell
Released in: 1988
User Rating: IMDB 5.2
Herbie is a stockbroker who is framed by management for alleged financial fraud at the company. He goes to prison for a long term – thirteen years.
At first, dull and knocked out of the usual life, Herbie does not find a place for himself. But after some time, having mastered the walls of his new place of residence, he begins to be active on the stock exchange. By the way, an excellent idea is to engage in your direct professional activities in a prison cell. Soon, the prisoners began to read the Wall Street newspaper.
Wonderful crime comedy, great cast!
20. Limitless
Released in: 2011
User Rating: IMDB 7.4
Eddie is a writer from New York. In recent years, he has been haunted by continuous failures. Eddie has a crisis of ideas and does not know what to write about, meanwhile the deadline for the work is fast approaching. A chance meeting with an old acquaintance turns the character’s life upside down. He offers him to try the secret drug NZT-48 absolutely free of charge. Under his influence, Eddie’s brain begins to work with unrealistic power and opens up new possibilities, which allows him to write a book in the shortest possible time. Soon, with the help of the miracle pills, he learns to trade on the stock exchange and begins to make his fortune. Now his life takes place in a completely new direction. But he does not even suspect that this drug has side effects.
The main roles in the film were played by Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro. The creators released a film with interesting plot twists in the science fiction genre with a high rating of viewers.
21. Too Big to Fail
Released in: 2011
User Rating: IMDB 7.3
This film will introduce you to the events that led to the financial crisis in 2008. The film is based on the book “Too Big to Fail” by Andrew Ross Sorkin.
2008 is the year of a difficult economic crisis all over the world. One of the main reasons is the overheating of the US credit market. Which is quite actively refuted in this film. But the opinion of the creators should not be taken for truth, you must form your opinion after watching this film.
22. Overheard
Original name: Sit ting fung wan
Released in: 2009
User Rating: IMDB 7.1
Three friends and fellow police officers are investigating the economic crime of a fairly large company that deals with fraud in the stock market. They conduct surveillance around the clock and listen to all conversations of the employees of this company. One day they overhear a dialogue between the general manager and his secretary that literally tomorrow their company’s shares will rise. The opportunity to make money on this comes to the mind of the police. One needs money for the operation of his child, the second is preparing for a wedding with a girl from a wealthy family, where the father of the bride puts pressure on a guy who is not rich enough. And they decide not to tape this conversation of the head of the company and start playing on the stock exchange. The third police officer is trying to cover up his colleagues and destroy evidence. But everything goes wrong – somehow information leaks, the auction is stopped, and an investigation is initiated against the police.
Quite an exciting Asian film from China. By the way, this is a trilogy, so if you like the first part, the others are worth checking out.
23. Arbitrage
Released in: 2012
User Rating: IMDB 6.6
The main character, named Robert, is a scam. In his life, there are two women – a spouse and a mistress, who in turn arrange scandals for him. The character makes big money with ease. But such bloated entrepreneurship cannot last forever. Seeing on the horizon that his business is about to end, Robert tries to sell his business to a large bank before his illegal affairs are revealed. Sudden events and circumstances force one to commit a desperate act.
The unsurpassed Richard Gere plays the lead role well, and the plot of the film is quite interesting.
24. Money Monster
Released in: 2016
User Rating: IMDB 6.5
Lee Gates is a self-confident person. He is an anchorman whose financial advices has made him a well-known Wall Street guru. However, not all of his predictions of stock growth are destined to come true. One of his regular viewers loses all his money and decides to break into the studio with a firearm to take hostage, who gave him bad advice. He wants to get answers and demands not to stop the live broadcast, thereby increasing the interest of viewers in the program.
The duet of George Clooney and Julia Roberts looks great, the actors play very convincingly. Unfortunately, the scriptwriters failed to fully realize a quite interesting idea; the film received average reviews from viewers. But in general, this is a light thriller that is not a pity to spend time on.
25. The Deal
Released in: 2005
User Rating: IMDB 5.0
A thriving Wall Street speculator is assassinated by a good friend who ran a project to resolve a dispute in a company deal. Tom and a new employee, Abby, are taken to understand this crime. During the investigation, they fall in love with each other. The investigation goes quite far and Abby is kidnapped. Tom is faced with a choice – to report on the shocking results of this work or to save the life of a loved one.
Crime drama starring Christian Slater.
26. Barbarians at the Gate
Released in: 1993
User Rating: IMDB 7.2
The main character, Frederick Ross Johnson, in the past, sold newspapers in one of the towns of Canada, but now he is one of the leaders of a fairly large company that sells tobacco, namely RJR Nabisco. After some events, Frederick decides to purchase all the shares of the company at the lowest price and become the sole owner. But other co-owners were not satisfied with this situation and a real confrontation began and the RJR Nabisco conglomerate began to threaten a riot.
27. The Associate
Released in: 1996
User Rating: IMDB 6.1
Laurel Iris is very good at money because she is a financial analyst. And she could have made a dizzying career on Wall Street, but biases and conventions prevent Laurel from achieving this because of her skin color. The main character practically loses faith in her further growth up the career ladder.
And then she comes up with an adventurous idea – to replace herself with a fictional Caucasian partner. Everything went just fine until a racist colleague decided to dispel the myth about the origin of this partner.
Quite a funny comedy film, starring Whoopi Goldberg, who looks quite harmoniously in the film.
28. My Piece of the Pie
Original name: Ma part du gâteau
Released in: 2011
User Rating: IMDB 5.8
The main character loses her job in Dunkirk and goes to Paris for decent wages. There she meets a successful stockbroker and gets a job as a housekeeper for him.
She quite sincerely perceives her new callous employer, meeting with whom she changed her life forever.
In the film, you can see how the life values of the social strata of society differ and how relations develop between people.
French drama with elements of light comedy. Gilles Lellouche the protagonist of this movie.
29. Imagine That
Released in: 2009
User Rating: IMDB 5.6
Evan Danielson is a successful financial and economic analyst in the US stock market, played by the beloved actor Edie Murphy. It would seem that Evan found himself in the world of stock market intrigues, the clash of bulls and bears, and also billions of dollars constantly revolving around the financial centers of the United States like a tornado. But one day, a calm and measured career as a market analyst gets a hole. Evan’s forecasts, which have been profitable for many years, become inaccurate and erroneous. But then it suddenly turns out that Evan’s daughter begins to predict future movements of quotations on the stocks and bonds market in her drawings. This event makes Evan take a different look at his family.
30. Rollover
Released in: 1981
User Rating: IMDB 5.4
Leigh Winters, a former movie star, became the head of a petrochemical company after the mysterious death of her husband. In the conditions of a general stock exchange fever, she is like a child who has fallen into adulthood trying to manage this complex business structure. But not having the proper financial and economic knowledge and experience, she entrusts to the expert on transactions on the stock exchange Hubbel Smith. Having personal feelings for Lee, he helps her run the company and helps save her business.
This drama is notable primarily for its historical basis. The director was perfectly loyal to the atmosphere of the 80s when the energy crisis was raging throughout the financial world.
31. Quicksilver
Released in: 1985
User Rating: IMDB 5.7
The film tells the story of Jack Casey trying to get rich by trading on the US stock market. After he takes a job as a broker, his trading rises and falls. A winning trade is followed by a losing one. But at one point, as a result of a large losing trade, he loses his entire deposit. But he does not stop there and borrows money from his father to continue trading. However, he fails again, the investment is lost. The broker career is over. Dreams of wealth are not destined to come true.
Thriller starring young Kevin Bacon.
32. The Pursuit of Happyness
Released in: 2006
User Rating: IMDB 8.0
The main character, along with his five-year-old son, finds himself on the street due to the inability to pay more rent. Working as a salesperson does not bring him enough livelihood. Once in the parking lot, he meets a wealthy stockbroker and after a short conversation decides to radically change his life. Having got a job as an intern in a brokerage company, a man hopes to get a specialist position. However, it turns out that during the entire internship, which lasts six months, he will not be paid a salary, and at the end of this period he has yet to pass the exam for this position. Will the main character find a way out of this situation?
An intense drama starring Will Smith and his son. The plot keeps in suspense until the very end. The main message of the picture: Do not lose hope, fight, strive for your dream and everything will work out for you! The movie is based on a real-life experience that Christopher Gardner went through.
33. Glengarry Glen Ross
Released in: 1992
User Rating: IMDB 7.7
The film is set in Chicago. Every day in the office, successful businessmen compete with each other to get new clients who want to buy the land. The company receives a large number of offers, some of which are extremely profitable. Competition among employees is intensifying, they are ready to do anything for winning. The routine repeats itself day after day, and men no longer imagine that the situation can ever change. Once robbers break into the office and steal important documents. All employees are immediately suspected. Everyone has a motive and everyone can be involved in what happened. The search for the culprit begins.
Criminal drama is a classic talk film. Each person has a well-written character. Alec Baldwin and Kevin Spacey fit perfectly into their roles, and Al Pacino was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
This film is not about brokers, it is about real estate traders, but that does not make it less interesting for traders like us.
34. American Psycho
Released in: 2000
User Rating: IMDB 7.6
This film only indirectly concerns the work of a trader. Despite this, it shows how the character’s life is arranged and with whom successful merchants communicate. The main role in the picture is played by Christian Bale, the character in his performance is the personification of businessmen from all over America. He is constantly looking after himself, always well dressed and in good physical shape. A man communicates only with people from the upper strata of society and visits the most prestigious places. But this is only the visible side of his life. By his true nature, he is a cruel and sophisticated killer, ready to deal with everyone, including colleagues and business rivals.
35. Trading Places
Released in: 1983
User Rating: IMDB 7.5
The main characters in the film are complete opposites. One is Louis Winthorp III, who runs a massively profitable business for the richest Wall Street company. The second is crook and street tramp Billy Ray Valentine, unhappy with the way life has dealt with him. What can they have in common? Nothing. They would never have met if it had not been for one bet between two brothers, the owners of the company. The crux of the dispute: whether any rogue without proper education can run the company or not. What happens if the main characters are swapped?
A humorous picture from the 80s. Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, and Jamie Lee Curtis brilliantly performed their roles in this comedy. The film had 2 Golden Globe nominations.
The topic of the stock exchange is mentioned here partially only at the end of the film.
36. The Hudsucker Proxy
Released in: 1994
User Rating: IMDB 7.2
A provincial guy comes to New York looking for work. By coincidence, he was appointed to the position of a clerk in one large company. As a result of the cunning plans of the board of directors, he becomes the head of the company, which ultimately drastically changes his life and the foundations of the company.
Light and pleasant comedic picture. A good movie about how money is just money and you don’t need to be a prisoner of it. The shares are mentioned here only in passing. The film is directed by the Coen brothers, who gave us such masterpieces as “Fargo”, “The Big Lebowski” and “No Country for Old Men.” The high rating is more than justified.
37. Pi
Released in: 1997
User Rating: IMDB 7.4
Max is a brilliant mathematician. The essence of its existence is the search for a universal formula. Interested in his research, Wall Street analysts and people from the Jewish sect come to him. Analysts want to change the price of stocks to get rich, while others want to rule the world. Max is periodically tormented by attacks, hallucinations, and headaches, but he wants to get to the bottom of the truth himself, without outside help, because the formula is his goal.
Black and white film from director Darren Aronofsky. The film genre can be described as a dramatic thriller with elements of fantasy and detective. Cinema is definitely not for a mass audience. But if you decide to watch, then watch the picture to the end.
38. A Good Year
Released in: 2006
User Rating: IMDB 7.0
A fortunate London stock exchange swindler named Max receives news that his uncle has passed away and left him an estate in Provence. Max is forced to interrupt his active work and come to France to get rid of a house with a vineyard. On the way, he meets a pretty cyclist, accidentally knocking her over on the road, and also realizes that other people besides him are claiming this estate. Max has to stay. Gradually, childhood memories come back to him. He realizes that this area and surroundings are the complete opposite of his life in London. Max is surrounded by peace and quiet, which he lacks in the big city behind the bustle of brokerage.
The script for the film is based on the book “A Good Year” by Peter Mayle. The film was directed by Ridley Scott, author of such masterpieces as “Alien”, “Blade Runner” and “Gladiator”. The lead role is played by Oscar-winning Australian actor Russell Crowe.
The topic of trading in the film is touched upon formally and takes about ten minutes of screen time. Nevertheless, the authors of the tape ended up with a pleasant everyday drama, giving rise to the idea of buying a ticket and going to France to understand the atmosphere of this country. Recommended for viewing.
39. Other People’s Money
Released in: 1991
User Rating: IMDB 6.2
Lawrence Garfield is the Wall Street shark of capitalism. He is grasping, energetic, and used to getting his way. Behind him is more than a dozen bankrupt corporations. He is known to those around him as Larry the Liquidator. The essence of the existence of his business is the purchase of unprofitable companies, followed by crushing and resale for the purpose of self-enrichment. Once again, he is going to crank up his shenanigans with one plant owned by an eighty-year-old man who is hardly capable of repelling such a young competitor. To somehow resist the insidious liquidator, the old man resorts to the help of his daughter – a charming lawyer girl. A fierce struggle flares up between her and Larry, not only the fate of the company is at stake, not only the ambitions of people who are not used to losing but also the fate of their personal relationships.
An adventurous comic film starring Danny DeVito, which does not particularly stand out for its ingenious direction, beautiful music, or high ratings. But if you are at least a little interested in the topic of money and business, then this film is recommended for viewing.
40. The Bonfire of the Vanities
Released in: 1990
User Rating: IMDB 5.6
The film introduces us to Sherman, a successful Wall Street broker. He has literally everything: a high-paying job, money, an apartment in Park Lane, and a family. He also has a mistress, with whom he accidentally ends up on a dark street in the South Bronx. From that moment on, everything in his life completely changes.
A film directed by Brian De Palma, who has directed crime dramas such as “Scarface” and “Carlito’s Way”. The genre of the film can be described as a mixture of drama and comedy with a touch of satire. Despite the excellent cast of Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, and Morgan Freeman, the film received five Golden Raspberry nominations and was critically acclaimed. Even if the plot is not about trading, as such, it is worth seeing the picture.
Fun fact: The protagonist works for a fictional firm called “Pierce and Pierce”, which also employs the character of Christian Bale in the movie “American Psycho”.
41. Working Girl
Released in: 1988
User Rating: IMDB 6.8
The main character of the picture lives and works in New York as an ordinary secretary. She does not look after her appearance, dresses tastelessly, and does not know how to conduct business communication. But her dream is to achieve career growth and get a high position. Suddenly, she gets the chance to act as a leader due to a severe injury to her boss’s leg. Without hesitation, the heroine takes her place, contacts a stockbroker, and makes an important deal. When the boss recovers and arrives at the office, she finds out that the place has already been taken.
The film is a kind of movie that combines elements of drama and comedy. A fairy tale for adults in the style of the 80s. Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, and Sigourney Weaver starred. The film was nominated for an Oscar in six categories, although it took only one statuette for the best song. The picture also received four Golden Globes.
42. High Finance Woman
Released in: 1990
User Rating: IMDB 4.5
The film tells us about the life of businesswoman Brenda Baxter. She goes to the gym, keeps fit, has an interest in the stock price of large corporations, and is a brilliant executive. Brenda is married to an older man but has long forgotten how to love. She completely devotes her life to work, she has everything under control, every step is carefully thought out. By coincidence, at the sports complex, Brenda meets a young guy who tries to flirt with her but gets rejected. The next morning he comes to Brenda’s office to interview her. She gives up and they have a passionate romance.
An old, low-budget Italian drama centered on the story of a woman. There are no famous actors in the picture, there are many erotic scenes. As you might guess, the topic of the stock market is not in the first place here.
43. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
Released in: 2014
User Rating: IMDB 6.2
Jack Ryan, an ordinary CIA analyst, is assigned to come to Moscow to complete a simple task: he needs to check the operations of a company owned by a Russian oligarch. Ryan finds out that the business of the company is being done dirty, for which they are trying to kill him. To save his life, he is forced to defend himself, recalling skills from the days of the army. An experienced intelligence officer and a distrustful wife, who flew to the capital of Russia for her husband, comes to his aid. As the plot progresses, it becomes clear that the United States is facing a terrorist attack and an economic attack on Wall Street. Now the main characters need to prevent a catastrophe at any cost.
This film is probably the only one from our top, shot in the genre of an action movie. The topic of trading is, of course, not covered here, but the action is enough as well as the famous actors. The reviews from critics are not very satisfactory, so first, we recommend watching the trailer and reading the reviews to decide whether to watch the movie with popcorn.
44. Cosmopolis
Released in: 2012
User Rating: IMDB 5.1
The film is set in Manhattan. The protagonist, Eric, is a 28-year-old multibillionaire financier and CEO of a large international company. He drives his limousine through the main streets of the city and has numerous dialogues with his employees. In life, he only cares about delicious food, women, and currency fluctuations. The film takes place in 24 hours, during which he loses everything due to a devastating mistake on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
The film, directed by David Cronenberg (the creator of the old horror movie The Fly), received conflicting reviews and low ratings. There is practically no musical accompaniment in the picture; it is replaced by dialogues. The genre can be described as a drama with elements of the art house. Not every viewer will like this picture, although the topic of the exchange is partially touched upon here.
45. Wolves of Wall Street
Released in: 2002
User Rating: IMDB 2.7
Jeff gets a new job at one of the richest and most respected firms in Manhattan. The company employs young and handsome stockbrokers, they make a lot of money. When Jeff discovers the real secret of their success, he realizes that it will not be easy for him to leave now.
The topic of Wall Street traders is only touched upon in the first part of the film, for this reason, we still included it in the list. Further, the plot develops in the direction of the wolf brotherhood and werewolves, with all the ensuing problems.
This “creation” deservedly has the lowest rating from our entire list. Therefore, our verdict: if you have reviewed all the available films in the world, love the author’s view of thrillers with the presence of mystical creatures, as well as low-budget films, then we suggest that you take a chance and spend 85 minutes of your time on this picture.
TV series about trading, stock exchange, money
1. Billions
Released in: 2016
User Rating: IMDB 8.4
A multi-part feature film about the confrontation between Bobby Axelrod, a wealthy financier from the heart of Wall Street, and Federal Attorney Chuck Rhodes. The case, which began as a simple investigation, gradually develops into a blood feud between the heroes. The main theme of the series is how far a person can go in pursuit of the American dream of making a lot of money.
Intellectual drama from Showtime will not appeal to all viewers, perhaps the plot will seem drawn out and boring to you. But if you are interested in US financial markets, nimble stock speculators, along with an abundance of bed scenes and BDSM hangouts, then give the series a shot. The series has a very high viewer rating.
2. Black Monday
Released in: 2019
User Rating: IMDB 7.4
It’s 1986. Newcomer Blair is looking for a job on Wall Street. Well-known companies like Morgan Stanley turn him down and the protagonist is hired by a small outrageous brokerage firm of Maurice Monroe, an African-American trader with a controversial reputation.
The series allows the viewer to enjoy the aesthetics of the 80s, remember aspects of that time, listen to slang and music from the past. The series is a comedy with a lot of interesting dialogue. There are also dramatic moments in it. Recommended for evening viewing after a hard day’s work.
3. Wall Street Warriors
Released in: 2006
User Rating: IMDB 7.2
The series is about the most famous financial street in the world – Wall Street. A documentary series with elements of a reality show: rigged conflicts, protracted monologues of participants, etc. The first season tells about the formation of seven project participants (including the famous coach-trainer in the CIS – Alexander Gerchik), their history, and life experience. Invited analysts and journalists to evaluate the actions of the heroes. As a result, the series received positive ratings from viewers, but the second season was filmed with the involvement of professional actors, which is slightly inconsistent with the genre of the documentary. The series ran for three seasons and closed in 2009.
4. Million Dollar Traders
Released in: 2009
User Rating: IMDB 7.3
This project is a British reality show created during the 2008 financial crisis. There is an opinion that only trained professionals in their field can trade on the stock exchange. Lex van Dam, manager of a hedge fund Hampstead Capital, decided to test this claim through an experiment. They were allocated $ 1 million to train eight random students on the London Stock Exchange, whose specialties were not directly related to trading. The group included: salesman, military man, engineer, veterinarian, ecologist, student, MMA promoter, and teacher. The project consists of three series. Throughout the show, students’ actions are described in voice-overs. This experiment allows you to look from the outside at the trading exchange and the work of traders in the stressful conditions of the real market.
5. The Love of Money
Released in: 2009
User Rating: IMDB 7.7
A documentary mini-series consisting of three episodes describing the events of the 2008 global crisis. The film touches on the topic of financial losses of private investors, the collapse of the US investment bank Lehman Brothers, and other equally important economic events of that year. The film is based on the reasoning of politicians, financial figures, and scientists about the root causes of this financial catastrophe. We see the main message of the film in the fact that history is cyclical and often tends to repeat itself, one should not forget the mistakes of the past and be prepared for possible, similar troubles in the future.
6. The Men Who Built America
Released in: 2012
User Rating: IMDB 8.6
Highly rated documentary series consisting of 8 episodes. The history of the series takes place in America after the end of the Civil War and continues its story until the beginning of the twentieth century. The series tells the story of the biographies of such successful entrepreneurs and financiers as John Pierpont Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt, John Rockefeller, Henry Ford, and Andrew Carnegie. The project uses a variety of actors and sets, the atmosphere of this period is perfectly recreated by the team of the History channel. With the help of a voice-over, the project will tell about the people and factors that had a direct impact on the economy and the lives of ordinary citizens, making the United States the country we know now.
7. The Ascent of Money
Released in: 2008
User Rating: IMDB 8.0
A six-part documentary series about the impact of money on society and the development of the world economy. This project is presented by Neil Ferguson, Ph.D. and graduate economist, professor at Harvard University, and is based on his book. Neil will talk about the main directions of development, typical for various sectors of the economy, express his thoughts and interviews with different people: economists, activists, ordinary workers, etc. This series does not contain complex terms and deepening into economic specifics, it will be useful both for specialists in this field and for ordinary people, even though the author’s point of view is controversial among the masses. The topic of the trading exchange is not touched upon in this series, but we still decided to include them in the list for general information and broadening our horizons.
Documentaries
1. Trader
Released in: 1987
User Rating: IMDB 7.2
Paul Tudor Jones is the main character of the film, a successful trader of the 20th century. The fortune that he owns exceeds $ 1,000,000.
It should be noted that the film was shot quite naturally. The presentation of the events we observe is surprising – it is very lively. Capturing the deals that the protagonist and his colleague, Peter Borish, are making.
The heroes are happy to pass on their experience to the audience, which is very rare.
Paul Tudor Jones believes that charity has helped him achieve such success in the market. And luck was accompanied by the fact that Paul shared his wealth with others.
It is also necessary to mention another component of the success of the protagonist – this is the ability to accept their losses.
2. Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room
Released in: 2005
User Rating: IMDB 7.6
In this documentary, we are talking about one large US corporation – Enron. The story of its fall is told through interviews with people who are associated with this company – these are managers, analysts, and others. This collapse brought about financial dramas and had a huge impact on the fate of people.
A feature film “The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron” was shot based on this real story.
3. Quants: The Alchemists of Wall Street
Released in: 2010
User Rating: IMDB 7.1
“Quants” are programmers and mathematicians who work in the financial field. Quite a few famous personalities, here are some of them: Emanuel Derman (nickname – Einstein of Wall Street) – financial analyst; Paul Wilmott is a textbook author and advises traders not to get carried away with numbers. Now at the faculty, at Columbia University, future quanta are acquiring knowledge. But 40 years ago, very few people knew this concept – it was used only in a specialized environment.
This film is about how “quants” appeared and what role they played on the stock exchange. Most of the film is devoted to interviews with participants in those events, some of them remain anonymous. Part of the rest of the time is devoted to formulas. The filmmakers show the mathematics of finance from a different angle.
4. Floored
Released in: 2009
User Rating: IMDB 6.7
Exchange pit is a slang name that characterizes the place where trades take place.
This film will help you learn in detail all the subtleties of the trader’s profession and form a personal opinion in this area. The director chose one of the world’s largest stock exchanges in Chicago, where the filming took place.
The characters are people from among traders. Their interview will help to understand the structure of exchange trading, as well as assess possible difficulties and prospects.
Through time, you can see the impact of progress on the functioning of the trading floor and how the advent of computers changed the principle of market analysis.
5. The Pit
Released in: 2009
User Rating: IMDB 6.4
This film immerses us in the reality of the New York Stock Exchange. Traders talk about their activities, their specifics, positive and negative aspects of trading.
Director Joanna Lee came up with the idea to shoot this picture in the wake of how she was an assistant to one of her friends on the stock exchange. She was so captured by this incredible rhythm of trading that she could not help making this film. By the way, Joanna is the first director who got access to everything that happens on the stock exchange.
Having learned the explanation of the concept of “stock trading”, you will see how all this happens. Interviews are taken not only with experienced traders but also with those who have just begun to learn this way. Hear a story about promotion, about personal life, about what worked and what didn’t. See how people’s lives have changed over time and what impact the transition to electronic platforms has.
6. The China Hustle
Released in: 2017
User Rating: IMDB 7.2
Over the past 10 years, shares of many Chinese companies have become available on the exchanges of the United States of America. Many individuals in the United States invest their funds in them. But, as it turned out, most Chinese companies are in conspiracy with US investment banks, and their income is unnecessarily inflated. New York brokers take up this gamble. From the film, you will learn what difficulties they had to face.
7. Inside Job
Released in: 2010
User Rating: IMDB 8.2
The global economic downturn has caused several million people to lose their jobs and homes. Through litigation and interviews with important people in the world of finance, political figures, and correspondents, the film reveals the gruesome reality of the beginnings of the crime industry that has allowed bribing political and economic figures, scientists, and many others.
8. The Corporation
Released in: 2003
User Rating: IMDB 8.0
The film opens the door to the world of corporations, you can see the true picture of this environment. The way of becoming from the very beginning to the present day is demonstrated.
Serious topics are touched upon here, but not fully disclosed as the viewer would like. Apparently, there are some restrictions or settings that do not allow this. For example, such topics as the destruction of nature, the impact of corporations on the economy, and others are covered.
9. Becoming Warren Buffett
Released in: 2018
User Rating: IMDB 7.6
A story about an ambitious guy from the US state who became a famous investor and one of the humble rich people in the world. The billionaire lives in a house that he acquired fifty years ago, and independently, without security, drives to the office where he runs the company. Now he is among the top richest people in the world.
10. 1929: The Great Crash
Released in: 2009
User Rating: IMDB 7.4
After the end of the First World War, the United States was awarded the title of favorite. In 1919, its economy flourished, while in other allies of Europe – quite the opposite. Concessional loans and mass production in the 1920s led to the rise of the stock market. And in 1928, literally in one year, the market rose by 50%. After that, there was a collapse in just six October days in 1929.
11. The Food Speculator
Released in: 2011
The film will focus on trading in the food market. Over the years, the cost of precious metals has increased dramatically. But the price of sugar and cereals has increased several times. The answer to the question “Is there a facet of such a game in the food market?” you will learn from this picture. Director Kees Brower also plays the role of a detective, enters the environment of traders, and tries to trace the chain of criminal acts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is worth noting that no film or series filmed on the topic of markets, finance or trading will teach you how to trade, will not open the “Holy Grail” or a profitable trading strategy. However, the schematic functioning of the individual processes mentioned in the presented pictures can be captured and appropriate conclusions can be drawn. An additional plus is not only the opportunity to while away the evening watching fiction or documentary films on topics of interest to you, but also to superficially study the basics of economics, finance, and the stock market game, as well as plunge into the atmosphere of economic battles in the world financial markets.
We recommend that you save this post to your browser bookmarks so you can always have a list of movies and TV shows about trading that you can watch in your spare minute.
