Whether you’re into forex, trust management, estate planning, or stocks, these movies will keep you entertained and engaged. The following movies should be seen at least once by any industry professional.
7 Movies About Finance That Industry Professionals Should Watch
1. Trading Places (1983)
Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Don Ameche
We’re kicking off this list with this 1983 comedy about two millionaires brothers conspiring to do a fortune-swap on a con artist and an investor. Without spoiling any details, the last 15 minutes of this movie alone is worth watching the entire thing. Plus, there’s also the matter of great casting, outstanding comedic timing, and 80s nostalgia.
2. Rogue Trader (1999)
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Anna Friel, Tim McInnerny, and Pip Torrens
This British biographical movie tells the story of trader Nick Leeson. It is reported that he single-handedly caused Barings Bank’s insolvency and collapse in 1995. While the movie is entertaining and well-done, it also serves as a great lesson in financial oversight and risk management.
3. Glengarry Glen Ross (1995)
Starring: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, and Kevin Spacey
This big-screen adaptation of David Mamet’s play talks about the lives of a group of real estate agents and salesmen whose morals have already been compromised after years of working for their company. It shows the struggles and challenges that every salesperson is exposed to like greed and the tremendous amount of pressure they get from their superiors.
4. Barbarians at the Gates (1993)
Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Peter Reigert, James Garner, and Fred Thompson
This TV docudrama released in 1993 follows the story of the LBO, or leveraged buyout, of RJR Nabisco, a huge food and tobacco corporation run by CEO F. Ross Johnson. While the movie may be entertaining and quite funny, it reflects how greed and incompetence can have adverse effects on a company, especially one as big as Nabisco.
5. The Big Short (2018)
Starring: Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt
This dramatic retelling of the 2007-2008 financial crisis triggered by the housing bubble is one of the most unique non-fiction movies in recent history.
6. American Psycho (2000)
Starring: Christian Bale, Jared Leto, Chloe Sevigny, and Reese Witherspoon
Based on a 1991 novel of the same name, American Psycho follows the life of Patrick Bateman, an investment banker. He may be wealthy and successful, but there is an ugly side that he is hiding from his colleagues, one that spins out of control and ends up in bloodlust.
7. Wall Street (1987)
Starring: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Oliver Stone, and Darryl Hannah
Of course, no movie about finance would ever be complete without Wall Street. What was intended to be a movie showing the hedonism and excesses closely associated with the world of finance, it has become a very powerful means of recruitment for traders, bankers, analysts, and brokers decades after it was released.
Do you have any other movie recommendations? What are your go-to movies about finance? Share them with us in the comments section.
