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Best Must-Watch Investing Movies

Haiden Holmes

Apr 08, 2022 17:04

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With the financial market's recent wild swings, this may appear even more perplexing than normal. However, going "boldly" where no one has gone before is less difficult than you may expect.


Numerous resources educate individuals about stocks, bonds, hedge funds, real estate, and other financial instruments.


Additionally, you may learn a lot about investing and economics just by sitting about and watching movies on your computer.

Margin Call

The story unfolds over 36 hours at the start of the 2008 financial crisis at a prominent investment bank. A junior analyst learns that the bank's holdings in worthless mortgage-backed securities are about to destroy the firm, prompting all traders to offer worthless assets to customers intentionally. Provocative and uncannily comparable to the Goldman Sachs incident in 2007.


Margin Call, maybe the most financially realistic movie on the list, chronicles a 24-hour period in the life of a Wall Street firm on the verge of collapse (modeled closely after some of the large bulge brackets).


Margin Call makes little attempt to conceal its scorn for some of the world's top banks' irresponsible risk-taking in the 2008 financial crisis, such as trading complicated derivative contracts they barely understood. There's a poignant scene in the film when two prominent bankers discuss the impending doom that will befall their institution and the rest of the financial world while they talk over the shoulders of a janitor who has no idea what's going on.

Wall Street

No list would be complete without Wall Street.


Surprise, surprise: the number one financial movie that every professional should watch is Oliver Stone's masterpiece, which inspired millions of college grads to shout the legendary line "Blue Horseshoe likes Anacott Steel" as they hurried to their Series 7 tests. Wall Street, originally created to demonstrate the extravagance and hedonism associated with banking, continues to hold immense influence as a recruitment tool for traders, brokers, analysts, and bankers over 30 years after it was created.


Although the movie serves as a cautionary tale about the risks of insider trading, let's face it, who wouldn't want to be Bud Fox or even Gordon Gekko (legitimately, of course) and indulge our greedy side a little bit; after all, as Gekko would say, "Greed is good."


The 1987 classic Wall Street, starring Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen, is one of the most well-known Wall Street films. Bud Fox (Sheen) is a young stockbroker who works for Gordon Gekko (Douglas), a rich businessman and Wall Street fixture.


Observe how the distinctions between good and evil blur when money is involved. This story discusses stocks, insider trading, greed, and market timing, and this one is certain to keep you occupied.


This film allows Charlie Sheen to offer an outstanding performance with Michael Douglas, who portrays an unethical Wall Street trader who profits from insider trading.


Discover why these guys feel "greed is good" by watching the video.

The Big Short

In this film, based on Michael Lewis' nonfiction book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, we follow a group of clever traders as they discover the housing bubble that set off the financial crisis in 2007–2008 before the rest of the world did.


The movie is renowned for its deft handling of complex financial products. Selena Gomez explains synthetic CDOs at a poker table, and Margot Robbie explains mortgage-backed bonds in a champagne tub.


The Big Short is based on Michael Lewis's book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. The video takes viewers on a journey through the 2008 housing bubble from the perspective of a few investors who saw a bubble and gambled against it.


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The DVD teaches investors how to decipher industry-specific news and protect their interests via hedging. And even if investors are unwilling to wager against a corporation, the video demonstrates the possibilities and global repercussions of large short positions.


A few years before the 2008 housing market bubble burst, a few hedge funds and astute investors saw the impending crisis and made calculated preparations to benefit from it. The movie is a must-see for everyone interested in investing, but it's also an excellent viewing for those who are less economically minded. Based on actual events, the film was released in 2015.


It's a movie about a small group of investors who gambled on the impending burst of the US housing bubble in the mid-2000s. The film contains a plethora of technical terms and jargon from the world of economics, and despite the obvious effort to explain things—which includes speaking directly to the audience while looking into the camera, as well as cameo appearances by movie stars like Margot Robbie and Selina Gomez—complete comprehension of what's happening is a challenge. It's preferable to view this movie at home, where you can stop or rewind to better grasp what's occurring. It takes some perseverance, but you will learn about high finance without realizing it.

Inside Job

Inside Job, a 2010 Academy Award-winning documentary, takes viewers on a journey through the 2008 financial crisis. Matt Damon narrates the video, which features interviews with some of the film's most notable participants and influences. Inside Job examines the monetary worth of stocks traded on stock exchanges, subprime mortgages, and high-risk ventures. Additionally, investors will understand how the chase for profit became out of control to the point where it was unsustainable.


Charles H. Ferguson directed Inside Job, a documentary movie. The movie digs at the factors that contributed to the 2008 financial crisis. Additionally, it includes interviews with Christine Lagarde, former IMF managing director, Bill Ackman, an investor and hedge fund manager, and Nouriel Roubini, an economist. Inside Job also received the 2010 Academy Award for best documentary film. The 2008 financial crisis resulted in the loss of many people's money and employment, and it came dangerously close to causing a global financial catastrophe. It's well-researched and leaves the spectator enraged at the extent of greed and corruption in the financial system, as narrated by Matt Damon.

Too Big to Fail

Too big to fail is a well-known term used by George Bush in 2008 to emphasize the necessity to "bailout" certain financial institutions to avert a global economic disaster. To this day, the term refers to huge firms that are so ingrained in the global economy that their demise might result in financial disaster.


Too Big To Fail is an engrossing film that gives viewers an inside look into the financial/banking sector. Additionally, investors will develop an understanding of the issues associated with excessive debt and greed.


Who will discuss the function of the stock market in the global economy and the second-and third-order impacts of significant corporate failures? The film is a great example of the kind of film that investors should see better to understand finance and its function in the economy.


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The video examines the 2008 financial crisis, focusing on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. Numerous well-known actors play the era's financial heavyweights. Between late March and mid-October 2008, the movie follows Richard Fuld's infamous attempt to save Lehman Brothers; conversations between Hank Paulson (Treasury Secretary), Ben Bernanke (Chairman of the Federal Reserve), and Tim Geithner (President of the New York Fed) as they seek a private solution for Lehman; and backchannel negotiations between Paulson, Warren Buffet, investment bankers, a British regulator, and a member of Congress.

Rogue Trader

This movie chronicles the story of Nick Leeson, a trader who single-handedly brought Barings Bank, the world's second-oldest commercial bank, to its demise. Leeson, a rising star on the Singapore trading floor, blew up as swiftly as he ascended, concealing massive losses from his superiors in meticulously concealed accounts, culminating in the mother of all failed bets on a short straddle position on the Nikkei, which experiences a huge sigma move.


While the movie is amusing in and of itself, Leeson's story serves as an excellent lesson on risk management and financial oversight. The video teaches an important lesson on how greed may cloud one's judgment.

Trading Places

Eddie Murphy acts as a homeless guy named Billy Ray Valentine, and Dan Aykroyd as Louis Winthorpe III, the managing director of a commodities trading firm called Duke & Duke Commodity Brokers. The proprietors of this commodities brokerage firm are brothers Mortimer and Randolph. The Duke brothers place a wager based on their divergent opinions on the nature-nurture argument and decide to conduct an experiment. The cruel rich brothers plan to conduct their experiment on Valentine and Winthorpe.


They orchestrate an accidental meeting between Valentine and Winthorpe that permanently alters their lives. When Valentine overhears the plan's specifics, he and Winthorpe collaborate to impoverish the Duke brothers. By uncovering the brothers' insider trading scheme, Winthorpe and Valentine utilize the knowledge to their advantage, ultimately destroying them while amassing wealth.


Eddie Murphy stars as a streetwise con artist who is duped into becoming the manager of a commodities trading firm, unintentionally succeeding a blue-blooded CEO portrayed by Dan Aykroyd.


Although real trading takes second place to the protagonists adjusting to their new circumstances, the movie's last 15 minutes feature a frenetic trading session in the orange juice futures pits. Without spoiling the plot, this sequence alone is worth the price of admission, but the supporting cast, the 80s nostalgia, and the protagonists' excellent performance make this a must-see.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Terence Winter wrote The Wolf of Wall Street, which Martin Scorsese directed. It is based on Jordan Belfort's novel of the same name. Leonard DiCaprio stars as Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker who profits by selling initial public offerings (IPOs), blue-chip stocks, and penny stocks. The movie chronicles the ascension and fall of an unethical and clever stockbroker who is eventually arrested for money laundering and securities fraud.


As a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, you should see this Scorsese-directed film about a well-known stock scammer, Jordan Belfort.


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As with Barbarians' pump and dump scheme, The Wolf of Wall Street is based on true events (though with significant dramatic license), centered on the infamous Stratton Oakmont, an over-the-counter brokerage firm, and a pump-and-dump scheme that aided in the IPO of several large public companies during the late 1980s and 1990s.


The movie is based on true events surrounding Stratton Oakmont, an over-the-counter brokerage firm, as well as the late 1980s and 1990s pump and dumps operations. Whether you like it, despise it, or could live without it, this movie is an excellent investment for investors. It addresses Wall Street's issues with greed, corruption, and fraud.

Barbarians at the Gate

Barbarians at the Gate is a documentary about one of the largest hostile takeovers in US history. KKR acquired tobacco and food major RJR Nabisco for $31 billion in a stunning takeover deal.


HBO produced the film in 1993, based on the well-received non-fiction book of the same name. Barbarians at the Gate is one of the most popular films among fans, having won two Golden Globes and received an IMDB rating of 7.3.


Based on the RJR Nabisco bidding battle, which began when the conglomerate's CEO, F. Ross Johnson, wanted to purchase the firm outright. The move sparked the biggest bidding battle in history between Johnson and the Kravis brothers, culminating in a $25 billion leveraged buyout – the largest LBO in history at the time. In 1993, the picture was released.


While the movie takes considerable artistic license in depicting this true story, viewers will be astonished and amused by Nabisco CEO F. Ross Johnson's ineptitude and avarice, as well as the behind-the-scenes discussions and shenanigans surrounding this historic LBO.


Barbarians At The Gate, an award-winning film, is based on the actual story of RJR Nabisco's leveraged acquisition in the late 1980s. F. Ross Johnson, the business's CEO, used a leveraged buyout technique to keep the company afloat. While the objective was to salvage the stock and the business, a bidding war with Henry Kravis began. Unfortunately, this resulted in a higher stock price than anticipated, leaving the company with massive debt and a grim future.


The movie educates audiences on the value of reading and comprehending industry news, acquisitions, debt, and leveraged buyouts.

Boiler Room

Ben Younger directed and wrote the drama film Boiler Room. The movie follows the story of a 19-year-old college dropout who works at J.T. Marlin, an investing movie. He observes some questionable activity at the brokerage firm and eventually assists FBI investigators in apprehending the brokerage firm's co-founders.


Boiler Room exposes a pump and dump scheme in which the price of a company's shares is artificially inflated by exaggerated, deceptive, and fraudulent claims. The movie serves as a stark reminder to investors to prefer organizations that are honest about their objectives and business practices.


This drama, largely based on Jordan Belfort's pump-and-dump operation, depicts the story of Seth, a college dropout who joins a brokerage firm in order to become wealthy and earn his father's favor. The firm operates a "boiler room" - a tiny area where brokers work in close quarters to encourage one another to make more pump-and-dump deals, often invoking Wall Street legend Gordon Gekko. Seth finally loses faith in the concept and plots the firm's demise.


While Barbarians at the Gates is set in the gloss and splendor of a corporate boardroom, Boiler Room is based on the financial industry's lowest rung: the pump and dump plan. While Boiler Room is a work of fiction, pump-and-dump operations and the anguish and suffering they wreak on their victims are quite real.


Boiler Room serves as a cautionary tale for people considering investing in the stock market, advising them to stay with transparent, stable organizations with great foundations and always to remember the proverb, "If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is."

Glengarry Glen Ross

This critically praised movie version of a David Mamet plays centers on a group of despondent real estate salesmen whose morals have been completely corroded by years of working for their unethical corporation. This movie demonstrates the avarice and underhanded techniques that salesmen may encounter, as well as the pressure that salespeople face from their bosses.


If you've ever wondered why people say "Coffee's for closers," watch Alec Baldwin's alpha male pitch here. There's a saying that winners drive BMWs and losers drive Hondas... and you receive a cup of coffee only if you close a deal.


Glengarry Glen Ross is a top-rated financial film according to our in-depth evaluation. The characters are tremendously appealing and incredibly well-acted, including Al Pacino as Ricky Roma, Jack Lemmon as Shelley Levine, and Alec Baldwin as Blake.


The fight for power and influence among the real estate office's personnel is exacerbated when top manager Blake announces a sales competition. The loser should be dismissed, while the winner should get a luxury vehicle.


Suddenly, any tactics are permissible, and a ruthless battle for the clients begins. Land plots are sold under duress to consumers who have resorted to previously unimaginable means such as fear of extinction.

Conclusion

Films about the stock market, entrepreneurs, and persons who have amassed enormous wealth are very popular with the general public. Any aspiring financial professional should watch these films, but even if you're not considering a career in the area, you could pick up some useful information. Hollywood has produced several award-winning comedies, action-packed thrillers, and dramatic films that are not only entertaining but also educational.