The Top 7 Movies About Wall Street: Corruption, Crisis, and Comedy

Wall Street has long been a captivating setting for filmmakers, offering stories of ambition, corruption, and financial excess. Whether through satirical takes, thrilling dramas, or real-life accounts of market upheavals, these films provide an intriguing look into the financial world. 

The list below, compiled by Brendan Morrow for The Week, highlights some of the best onscreen presentations of the New York world of high finance. 

1. Trading Places (1983)  

This classic comedy explores social class and financial power through an unusual experiment. Two wealthy businessmen swap the lives of a street hustler (Eddie Murphy) and a privileged investor (Dan Aykroyd) to settle a bet on nature versus nurture. The film is not only entertaining but also noteworthy for inspiring a real-life financial regulation known as the “Eddie Murphy Rule.” 

2. Wall Street (1987) 

This quintessential finance film introduced audiences to Gordon Gekko, the ruthless stockbroker played by Michael Douglas, whose famous “Greed is good” speech defined an era. The film follows a young stockbroker (Charlie Sheen) who gets entangled in insider trading under Gekko’s mentorship. A defining portrait of 1980s financial culture, the movie remains a reference point for discussions on corporate greed. 

3. American Psycho (2000) 

A psychological thriller that doubles as a scathing critique of Wall Street’s materialism, this film follows investment banker Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), who leads a double life as a serial killer. The movie satirizes the emptiness of corporate culture, with Bateman and his peers obsessing over status symbols like business cards and designer suits. 

4. Margin Call (2011) 

A tense, slow-burning drama set during the 2008 financial crisis, this film captures the ethical dilemmas of Wall Street executives who must decide between saving their firm or taking down the economy with it. The movie presents a gripping look at how financial institutions operate in times of crisis and the moral conflicts faced by those in power. 

5. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) 

Martin Scorsese’s high-energy biopic of stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) portrays the excess and corruption of Wall Street in the 1990s. The film is both a thrilling cautionary tale and an over-the-top depiction of greed-driven lifestyles, making it one of the most entertaining finance films of all time. 

6. The Big Short (2015) 

This fast-paced, educational drama is also set against the backdrop of 2008’s cataclysmic downturn. The screenplay follows a group of investors who predict the housing market collapse but who nonetheless intend to profit from it. Director Adam McKay employs unconventional storytelling methods, including celebrity cameos and fourth-wall breaks, to make complex financial concepts accessible and engaging. 

7. Dumb Money (2023) 

A modern take on the power struggle between retail investors and Wall Street elites, this film recounts the GameStop stock frenzy of 2021. The story follows financial analyst Keith Gill (Paul Dano) and a group of individual investors who challenge hedge funds betting against the stock. Atop a strong ensemble cast and fast-paced storytelling, the movie highlights how digital communities can disrupt traditional finance. 

Additional details about these high-finance features can be found at The Week.