Mostly Stock Market movies center around the world of stock trading, investing, and the stock market. These movies often depict the fast-paced and high-stakes nature of the stock market and the financial industry, as well as the characters’ ambition and greed. These movies can also explore the impact of stock market on the economy, the society and the individual lives.
Best Stock Market Movies made in Hollywood
List of best Stock Market Movies
Stock Market Movie | Year |
The Wolf of Wall Street | (2013) |
Wall Street | (1987) |
Boiler Room | (2000) |
The Big Short | (2015) |
Too Big to Fail | (2011) |
The Pursuit of Happyness | (2006) |
Trading Places | (1983) |
Margin Call | (2011) |
The Inside Job | (2010) |
The Company Men | (2010) |
Equity | (2016) |
The Smartest Guys in the Room | (2015) |
Arbitrage | (2012) |
The China Hustle | (2017) |
The Hummingbird Project | (2018) |
Other People’s Money | (1991) |
Top Stock Market Movies
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013):
“The Wolf of Wall Street” is a 2013 American biographical black comedy crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Terence Winter, based on the memoir of the same name by Jordan Belfort. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Belfort, a Long Island penny stockbroker who runs a firm that engages in securities fraud and corruption on Wall Street in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The film also stars Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Kyle Chandler and Matthew McConaughey.
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The movie is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker who rose to wealth and fame on Wall Street in the late 80s and early 90s, but was eventually brought down by fraud and corruption. The film is a black comedy and depicts the outrageous and excessive lifestyle of the stockbrokers and the excesses of Wall Street in the late 80s and early 90s. The Wolf of Wall Street received positive reviews from critics and was nominated for several awards, including five Oscars, and won one for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Wall Street (1987):
“Wall Street” is a 1987 American drama film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, and Daryl Hannah. The film tells the story of Bud Fox (Sheen), a young stockbroker who becomes involved with Gordon Gekko (Douglas), a wealthy and unscrupulous corporate raider. As Fox becomes more involved in Gekko’s illegal and corrupt business dealings, he begins to lose his morality and integrity.
The movie is set in the world of corporate finance and the excesses of Wall Street in the 1980s. It was inspired by the insider trading scandals of the time, and is a commentary on the greed and excess of the era. Michael Douglas won an Oscar for his portrayal of Gordon Gekko, a ruthless and cunning corporate raider, who is famous for his quote “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.” The film was a critical and commercial success and has since become a cult classic. It was also nominated for an Academy award in the Best Picture category.
Boiler Room (2000):
“Boiler Room” is a 2000 American crime drama film directed by Ben Younger and starring Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Nia Long, Nicky Katt, Ben Affleck, and Ron Rifkin. The film tells the story of Seth Davis (Ribisi), a college dropout who becomes a stockbroker at a small, illegitimate brokerage firm, where he becomes involved in a high-pressure, high-stakes world of stock fraud.
The movie is a fictionalized account of a young man who gets a job at an illegal stock brokerage firm and how he navigates the world of stock fraud and the high-pressure sales tactics that the firm uses. The film explores the theme of greed and the corruption of the stock market and how it can be dangerous for inexperienced investors. It also explores the theme of morality and the consequences of making the wrong choices. The film received generally positive reviews and was a box office success. It was praised for its accurate portrayal of the stock market and the high-pressure sales tactics used by stockbrokers.
The Big Short (2015):
“The Big Short” is a 2015 American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Adam McKay and written by McKay and Charles Randolph, based on the 2010 book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis. The film stars Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt, with a supporting cast that includes Melissa Leo, Hamish Linklater, John Magaro, Rafe Spall, Jeremy Strong, Finn Wittrock and Marisa Tomei.
The film is based on the true story of the 2008 financial crisis and the few people who saw it coming and profited from it. The movie tells the story of several investors, including Michael Burry (Bale), Mark Baum (Carell) and Jared Vennett (Gosling) who bet against the housing market and predicted the collapse of the subprime mortgage market. The film uses a non-traditional narrative style, breaking the fourth wall, and uses humor and meta-fiction to explain complex financial terms and concepts to the audience. The Big Short was a commercial and critical success, receiving several nominations and awards, including Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Christian Bale.
Too Big to Fail (2011):
“Too Big to Fail” is a 2011 American television film directed by Curtis Hanson and written by Peter Gould, based on the book of the same name by Andrew Ross Sorkin. The film tells the story of the 2008 financial crisis, focusing on the actions of the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve to contain the crisis and prevent the collapse of several major financial institutions. The film stars an ensemble cast, including William Hurt, Paul Giamatti, Billy Crudup, Topher Grace, and Cynthia Nixon.
The movie is a dramatic retelling of the events of the 2008 financial crisis, focusing on the actions of the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve to contain the crisis and prevent the collapse of several major financial institutions. It follows the key players including Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and other financial leaders as they navigate the financial crisis and the efforts to stabilize the economy. The film received generally positive reviews and was nominated for several awards, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, and won Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Dramatic Special, and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Dramatic Special.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006):
The Pursuit of Happyness is a 2006 American biographical drama film directed by Gabriele Muccino and written by Steven Conrad. The film stars Will Smith as Chris Gardner, a struggling salesman who becomes homeless with his young son. It is based on the true story of Gardner’s rise from homelessness to becoming a successful stockbroker. The film also stars Thandie Newton, Jaden Smith, and Brian Howe. It was released on December 15, 2006 and received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success. Will Smith received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance in the film.
Trading Places (1983):
Trading Places is a 1983 American comedy film directed by John Landis, starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. The film tells the story of a wealthy commodities broker and a homeless street hustler whose lives cross paths when they are unknowingly made part of a bet by two wealthy brothers. The bet is to see whether a man from a privileged background or a man from a deprived background will be more successful when their positions are switched. The film also features Jamie Lee Curtis, Ralph Bellamy, and Denholm Elliott. It was released on June 10, 1983 and was a commercial and critical success. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Margin Call (2011):
Margin Call is a 2011 American independent drama film directed and written by J. C. Chandor. The film is set in the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis and follows the employees of an investment bank, who must figure out what to do with a massive amount of toxic assets on the bank’s books before the markets open the next morning. The film stars Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Mary McDonnell, Demi Moore, and Stanley Tucci. It was released on April 15, 2011, and received positive reviews from critics and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The film is considered as one of the most accurate representation of the 2008 Financial crisis on screen.
The Inside Job (2010)
The Inside Job is a 2010 American documentary film, directed by Charles Ferguson, about the late-2000s financial crisis. The film examines the systemic corruption of the United States by the financial services industry and the consequences of that systemic corruption. The film is presented in five parts, which examine how changes in the policy environment and banking practices helped create the financial crisis.
It also explores how this corruption has been allowed to continue largely unchecked and how government policies have failed to protect citizens from its effects. The film features interviews with financial experts, politicians, journalists, and academics, including former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, economist Joseph Stiglitz, and journalist Matt Taibbi. The film was released on October 8, 2010, and received widespread critical acclaim, winning an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Equity (2016):
Equity is a 2016 American drama film directed by Meera Menon and written by Amy Fox. The film is set in the world of investment banking, and follows a senior investment banker, Naomi Bishop (Anna Gunn), as she fights to secure a promotion and take her company public, while navigating the cutthroat world of Wall Street.
The film also stars James Purefoy, Sarah Megan Thomas, Alysia Reiner, and Samuel Roukin. It was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016 and was released in limited theaters on July 29, 2016, and it received positive reviews from critics and was praised for its nuanced portrayal of women in the finance industry. The film also won several awards at various film festivals.
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005):
“The Smartest Guys in the Room” is a 2005 American documentary film, directed by Alex Gibney, which examines the actions of Enron Corporation and its senior executives before the company’s collapse in 2001. The film is based on the book of the same name by Fortune magazine writers Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind.
The film uses interviews, archival footage, and reenactments to tell the story of the rise and fall of Enron, one of the largest corporate frauds in history. It also examines the culture of corporate greed, the role of accounting firm Arthur Andersen, and the failures of government regulators that allowed Enron to commit fraud for so long without detection. The film was released in 2005 and received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It is considered as one of the most comprehensive account of the Enron Scandal on screen
Arbitrage (2012):
Arbitrage is a 2012 American drama film directed by Nicholas Jarecki and starring Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Brit Marling, and Tim Roth. The film centers around a hedge fund magnate, Robert Miller (played by Gere), who becomes embroiled in a financial scandal and must navigate a web of deceit to protect his empire and his family. The film received generally positive reviews and Gere’s performance was praised by critics.
The China Hustle (2017):
The China Hustle is a 2017 American documentary film directed by Jed Rothstein. The film explores the world of Chinese companies listed on American stock exchanges, and the fraud and corruption that occurred within the industry. The film features interviews with investors, financial experts, and whistleblowers, and details the ways in which these companies deceived investors and regulators. The film received generally positive reviews and was praised for its in-depth examination of the topic. It was nominated for Best Documentary at the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards.
The Hummingbird Project (2018):
The Hummingbird Project is a 2018 Canadian-Belgian drama film directed by Kim Nguyen and starring Jesse Eisenberg, Alexander Skarsgård, and Salma Hayek. The film follows two high-frequency traders, Vincent (Eisenberg) and Anton (Skarsgård), who are trying to build a fiber-optic cable from Kansas to New Jersey in order to gain an advantage over their competitors. The film explores themes of greed, ambition, and the cut-throat nature of the world of high-frequency trading. The film received mixed reviews from critics and was not widely seen.
The Company Men (2010):
The Company Men is a 2010 American drama film, directed and written by John Wells. The film is about the lives of three men trying to survive a round of corporate downsizing at a major company, and how that affects them, their families, and their communities. The film stars Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner and Maria Bello.
The film follows the lives of three men, Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck), Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper) and Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones) who are laid off from their jobs at a major corporation and have to redefine their identities, their sense of self-worth and their idea of success. It was premiered in September 2010 at the Toronto International Film Festival and was released in limited theaters on January 21, 2011, but received mixed reviews from critics and had a limited box office success.
Other People’s Money (1991):
Other People’s Money is a 1991 American comedy-drama film directed by Norman Jewson and starring Danny DeVito, Penelope Ann Miller, and Gregory Peck. The film is based on the play of the same name by Jerry Sterner. The story centers around Lawrence Garfield (DeVito), a corporate raider who tries to take over a New England wire and cable company, but finds himself facing resistance from the company’s president (Peck) and his daughter (Miller). The film explores themes of greed, power, and the moral implications of corporate takeovers. The film received generally positive reviews and DeVito’s performance was praised by critics.
Here is the end of the post “Best Stock Market Movies“, as a stock market lover you should watch these movies.