Name a group of people who are the least sympathetic and you will probably come up with Wall Streeters. That is why Bane (Tom Hardy) makes them a prime target when putting Gotham under martial law in The Dark Knight Rises. The group of Haves have always used Capitalism as a way to keep an ironclad grip on the resources.
That is what makes movies about Wall Street so entertaining – be it satirical humor or an unflinching look at all the true-to-life ways that the wealthy keep winning at the expense of everyone else. Hitting theaters on September 29, Craig Gillespie’s new film, Dumb Money, is another one of those tales. Inspired by the bizarre occurrence of turning GameStop into a highly valued stock. With that in mind, let’s look at the best movies that take hedgefunders for all they’re worth.
10. Boiler Room (2000)
The Ben Affleck and Giovanni Ribisi-fronted film, Boiler Room may seem to have the makings of your typical outlandish fare of the early 2000’s, but that wasn’t how Ben Younger saw it. In fact, the young writer was inspired by his experiences as a day trader at the firm Sterling Foster when he got the idea for the film. He told New York Magazine that as soon as he got the job, the idea for a story started to percolate.
Like in life, the film revolves around fresh young faces doing anything they can to make money. Ribisi stars as Seth Davis, a college dropout who tries to impress his family by starting work at J.T. Marlin. But he soon learns that the firm is not as it appears and is making money from illegal trades. Not the most inventive concept when it comes to the subject material, it was a precursor to many films in the genre of its ilk.
9. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)
In the trend of creating a sequel to a decades-old film for a transparent cash grab, it makes sense to revitalize Wall Street. However, released only 2 years after the housing market crash, the film has little self-awareness. Instead, it focuses on Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) who, after being released from federal prison for insider trading, is somewhat of a reformed sinner.
But after meeting his daughter’s fiancé, Jake (Shia LaBeouf) — an ambitious day trader in his own right — he gets pulled back into the finance world. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps will never be as iconic as the original and doesn’t have the modern sensibilities that it should, but it does know enough to be an entertaining ride that only Oliver Stone can produce.
8. Money Monster (2016)
The real strength of the Jodie Foster-helmed film is at the heart of its concept. Starring frequent collaborators George Clooney and Julia Roberts, Money Monster focuses on the disgruntled everyman Kyle (Jack O’Connell), who loses all his money after investing in a stock that financial TV personality, Lee Gates, (Clooney) suggested on his show.
While on live television, Kyle takes out his frustrations on Lee and forces him into a bomb vest. What Money Monster lacks in subtlety it makes up in its anti-capitalist subject matter. The film stresses how fruitless it is to struggle against the wave of Wall Street, and even when you televise these injustices, no one ever wins. Lee and his producer Patty (Roberts) uncover a conspiracy that a CEO (Dominic West) purposefully tanked the stock, and yet, Kyle still loses.
Such is America.
7. The Wizard of Lies (2017)
When watching the HBO film The Wizard of Lies, the general public is already aware of the crimes of Bernie Madoff, played by Robert DiNero. The biggest example of a modern Ponzi scheme – Madoff ultimately was arrested for fraudulent activity having to do with his investment firm. After founding his own stock company, he would go on to defraud his investors.
The film benefits greatly from performances from DiNero and Michelle Pfeiffer, who plays Madoff’s wife, Ruth. The added benefit of being an HBO production ensures the high quality of the film as well, even if there is nothing new to be said about the nature of greed.
6. American Psycho (2000)
It can be easy to forget that technically, Christian Bale’s famed portrayal of Patrick Bateman is about Wall Street. The adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis’ satirical novel of the same name is brutal and violent as Bateman seemingly kills his way through all the people he hates through this yuppie lifestyle in New York. But in reality, it is a delusion masking his inner pain.
Investment bankers obsessing over the design of their business cards in the ‘80s was an extravagance, and it was something that was crushing Bateman’s soul so much that he imagined killing his coworkers and everyone he came into contact with. So what is really the point of American Psycho? Wall Street — and, by extension, American culture — is soul-crushing. It’s hard to argue with that.
5. Wall Street (1987)
You can’t have a list about Wall Street without the titular film that started it all. And as Gordon Gekko said so eloquently: “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.” That is why he is an iconic villain. And he is a villain. Despite how many fans may appreciate his diabolical nature and charisma of Michael Douglas, there is nothing about the character that is worth rooting for. Not in 1987 and not now.
Oliver Stone’s film was as much of an indictment on capitalism four decades ago as it is in the eat the rich culture we have going for us currently. When second-tier stockbroker Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) finally gets the interview he so desperately wants with the famed Gekko, he couldn’t be happier. But all the charms of the ruthless financier’s world comes at the cost of Bud’s soul. Wall Street is a classic for a reason.
4. Margin Call (2011)
When the 2008 housing market crashed, it surprised most of America, but not necessarily Wall Street. This event is the subject matter for the 2011 film, Margin Call. Though the film is stacked to the gills with stars like Demi Moore, Paul Bettany, and Jeremy Irons, it is a largely quiet affair, as Wall Street talks about the impending crisis.
J.C. Chandor had the added perspective of understanding what this may have looked like because he had the added advice. He spoke to PBS about selling his property in 2006 before the market even crashed. This information proved to be incredible subject material for a thoughtful film about the 24-hour period where Wall Street decided what to do with the information about the most detrimental mortgage crisis.
3. Hustlers (2019)
There is always another perspective, and Hustlers addresses this beautifully. Instead of focusing on the crooks who caused everyone to lose their homes in 2008, Hustlers features the true story of how a group of dancers kept their business going – albeit with a few fictionalized details. Inspired by Jessica Pressler’s New York Magazine article (via Longform), newcomer Destiny (Constance Wu) becomes enraptured by the charismatic Ramona (Jennifer Lopez).
But after the housing market crashes, they start drugging Wall Streeters to ensure they still get paid. These women are mothers, students, and girls who have no other means of work. This puts another face to a crisis of corporate greed. Even though the women were eventually found out, it was a fun ride while it lasted.
2. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Make no mistake, Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) is not the most ethical of characters. Though his status as the protagonist of The Wolf of Wall Street may have confused some fans, that doesn’t mean he is someone to be admired. Jordan starts as a somewhat admirable character who loves his wife and slowly devolves into the world of drug use, cheating, and fraud.
And this all would not have been possible without the world of Wall Street. Jordan Belfort was a real person, and The Wolf of Wall Street was based on a book of his own creation. If there is a movie that explains the evils of that industry, it’s this one.
1. The Big Short (2015)
In 2015, Adam McKay made Wall Street look the most greedy, and he did it in the most palatable way possible. Starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Christian Bale, The Big Short explains in no uncertain terms how the mortgage crisis happened while using celebrities such as Anthony Bourdain (RIP), Margot Robbie, and Selena Gomez to explain how loans work. The Big Short is — in short — brilliant, hilarious, and heartbreaking. This film is one of the most significant of the decade and explains how the banks failed America.
