Movies

These are movies that are important to finance culture or have some interesting business content. Plenty of other movies take place around finance but have little relevant content.

Documentaries

• American Factory (2019) Documentary about a Chinese firm that purchases and operates a glass factory in Ohio
• The China Hustle (2017) Documentary on reverse mergers that allow foreign firms to avoid accounting scrutiny while listing their stock on U.S. exchanges
• Betting on Zero (2016) Documentary about Bill Ackman shorting stock in Herbalife for Pershing Square
• The Wall Street Code (2013)
• Money and Speed: Inside the Black Box (2011)
• Inside Job (2010) Documentary covering many aspects of the 2008 financial crisis
• Quants: The Alchamists of Wall Street (2010)
• Floored (2009) Documentary on the end of Chicago floor trading
• Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) Documentary about the fall of energy trading firm Enron
• Trader (1987) Documentary on futures trader Paul Tudor Jones

Finance Movies

• The Big Short (2015) Entertaining take on the mortgage crisis
• Margin Call (2011) Fictional story about an investment bank that begins a financial crisis
• Too Big to Fail (2011) Glossy and overly simplistic look at the 2008 bailouts
• Boiler Room (2000) Portrays a “pump-and-dump” brokerage firm
• Rogue Trader (1999) Based on the true story of Nick Leeson who brought down Barings Bank
• Other People’s Money (1991) Comedy about a corporate raid in the 1980’s
• Wall Street (1987) Portrays insider trading and corporate takeover; includes the famous “Greed is Good” speech
• Trading Places (1983) classic comedy that involves futures trading on the former Philadelphia Board of Trade