6 Must See Movies That Teach Us Finance & Banking

Republished By Plato

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Nov 16, 2023

Freepik friends watching films on a laptop - 6 Must See Movies That Teach Us Finance & Banking

What do you think of when you imagine the world of finance? Data, numbers, stockbrokers yelling? And even though these are a part of it, there are many intriguing and captivating stories, some fictional and some real, that have inspired Hollywood for years. While you will still need books to learn the ins and outs of the financial world, you can watch these films for a crash course.

If you want to binge on thrilling corporate greed stories that let you take a peek into the financial system, this list is for you.

1. The Big Short

The Big Short is the perfect step for your way into this world of finance as it brings together the characters who worked out that the banks were heading towards a financial crash in 2008. These intelligent and savvy traders figured out the housing bubble that eventually triggered the crash and decided to bet on it. The big banks, unaware of their future demise, accept the wager.

Based on the novel “The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine” by Michael Lewis, the movie cleverly explains sophisticated financial instruments. It has Selena Gomez and Margot Robbie appearing and explaining what synthetic CDOs and mortgage-backed bonds are. The film uses art and facts to portray the very real events that led to the financial crisis of 2008.

Even if you haven’t been interested before, it will leave you feeling fascinated and intrigued by this world, making it our top pick for movies about investment banking. It is currently streaming on Prime Video and Apple TV.

2. Rogue Trader

Rogue Trader is the story of Nick Leeson, an investment broker who started out in finance as a promising and ambitious young man. As the film progresses, Nick gets promoted to high positions and makes risky moves to get some quick profits. He lost a lot of money, which he first tried to conceal. However, his actions bring the bank to its knees.

The real-life story of a young Barings Bank employee with the same name inspires the story of Nick Leeson. After he lost $1.4 Billion, twice the trading capital of the company, Barings had to declare bankruptcy, and he was ultimately arrested in Germany.

While the movie is entertaining, it also gives a great lesson in financial oversight and risk management. Available on Prime Video, this is the story of a man’s collapse by greed that reminds us that illegal and unethical practices will always bring one to their downfall.

3. Trading Places

This feature is unlike anything on this list of movies about investment banking as it is a comedy feature about two brothers running a commodity futures brokerage. While debating the impact of heredity and environment on one’s life, they decide to experiment and switch the lives of a corporate executive and a street hustler.

As you might expect, the hustler flourishes while the executive can’t get a handle on his new life. However, the unexpected turn comes when the executive and the hustler join forces to get revenge on the brothers. They beat them at their own game: futures trading.

The portrayal of Billy Ray Valentine by Eddie Murphy became so popular that it led to the creation of the ‘Eddie Murphy Rule,’ which banned the use of misappropriated government information for trading in the commodity markets.

Currently streaming on Prime Video, it is a lighthearted and comedic tale that offers a peek into the world of commodity futures brokerage in a fascinating role-reversal way. However, if you want to watch it, you might have to use a VPN, depending on where you are located.

4. Glengarry Glen Ross

Glengarry Glen Ross is the big-screen adaptation of a play by David Mamet of the same name that follows a team of real estate salesmen who have worked at their unethical company for years, because of which they have lost their morals. The film brilliantly showcases the greed and manipulative, and often underhanded, tactics used by finance workers.

It also sheds light on the pressure salespeople face from their superiors to meet their sales goals by hook or crook. The cast has done a phenomenal job, but it’s important to single out Alec Baldwin’s performance, who steals the spotlight with his motivational speech.

The film will take you through the best and worst aspects of working in the financial industry. You can watch this masterpiece on Prime Video and AppleTV or you can get Kodi Addons.

5. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is a documentary film showcasing Enron’s truth. This energy corporation had been a con game since its establishment. It includes interviews with Mike Muckleroy, an Enron executive, and Sherron Watkins, the whistle-blower, congressional hearings testimony and video footage.

The documentary covers everything from the company’s history to its collapse in 2001. It reveals that the California energy crisis of 2001 was a sham as Enron manipulated the state’s energy supply and drove up the electricity price. The company, which had a stellar reputation, was involved in dubious trading from the start of its operation.

This movie is a must-watch if you want to see real events showcasing the consequences of personal greed. Unfortunately, this documentary isn’t available in all the countries. If that’s the case with you, you can either use free websites or use Avast VPN on FireStick or other devices to get access to it and then stream it.

6. Wall Street

This is one of the best movies about investment banking that every finance professional needs to watch. It is set in a local Wall Street stock market firm where a young stockbroker, Bud Fox, uses stock price tampering and other illegal moves to get promoted quickly. He realizes the consequences of get-rich-quick schemes as he faces the dilemma of either duping his father or making a fortune.

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What’s most impressive about this film is how they have showcased the financial dealings in a way that seems complicated but also somehow makes sense. Anyone can follow this movie and know what’s going on and why it is going on. To watch this movie, you will need a subscription to Disney Plus. It is also available for rent on Amazon Prime.

Summing Up

These movies about investment banking are a must-see for anyone interested in the ups and downs of the financial world. Even if you are not looking to make a career in film, you can get insight into the wild and learn the true meaning of corporate greed.

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