Margin Call (2011)
Directed by: J.C. Chandor
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Simon Baker, Demi Moore.
This is an American drama that takes place during the initial stages of the 2007-2008 financial crisis. The focus is on a group of employees over a 24 hour period within a large Wall Street investment bank, where a junior analyst discovers that the banks holdings in mortgage-backed securities will bankrupt the bank. Therefore, result in all the traders within the firm to knowingly sell worthless investments to clients.
Margin Call explores capitalism, greed and investment fraud.
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Inside Job (2010)
Narrated by: Matt Damon
This American documentary is about the systemic corruption of the United States by the financial services industry and the consequences of that systemic corruption. Over a five-part show, Matt Damon demonstrates how changes in the policy environment and banking practices led to the Global Financial Crisis.
The Big Short (2015)
Directed by: Adam McKay
Starring: Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling and Steve Carell
An American comedy/drama which is based on the 2010 book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis. The story consists of three separate but concurrent stories, loosely connected by their actions in the years leading up to the 2007 housing market crash. The main characters anticipate a collapse in the financial system, thus bet against the market and generate huge profits.
The Wizard of Lies (2017)
Directed by: Barry Levinson
Starring: Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer
This American drama is about the fall of Bernie Madoff, whose Ponzi scheme robbed $65 billion dollars from unsuspected victims during the 2008 financial crisis.This has been recorded as the largest fraud in U.S. history.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie and Matthew McConaughey.
An American black comedy based on the memoir of the same name by Jordan Belfort. The movie chronicles the rise and fall of Belfort’s career as a stockbroker and how his firm engaged in rampant corruption and fraud on Wall Street, which ultimately resulted in his downfall.
Boiler Room (2000)
Directed by: Ben Younger
Starring: Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel and Ben Affleck
An American crime drama film about a 19-year-old guy who dropped out of college and became a successful stockbroker, at a company that sells worthless investments through high-pressure sales calls.
Wall Street (1987)
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Starring: Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas and Tamara Tunie
In this American drama, a young and impatient stockbroker is willing to do anything to get to the top, including trading on illegal inside information taken through a ruthless and greedy corporate raider. It is a mature look at the conflict between greed and ethics in the financial world.
Rogue Trader (1999)
Directed by: James Dearden
Starring: Ewan McGregor
This British biographic drama centers in the life of former derivatives broker Nick Leesonand the 1995 collapse of Barings Bank. Nick generated an £800m loss that forced one of the world’s oldest merchant banks into solvency and sent him to jail.
Million Dollar Traders (2009)
Directed by: Anthony Phillipson
Starring: Andrew Lincoln and Lex van Dam
This British television show follows a group of twelve wannabe traders dealing in shares during the events of the financial crisis of 2007-2009.The goal was to see if the inexperienced traders can be taught to outperform the market and professional investors.Hedge fund manager Lex van Dam attempts to recreate the famous Turtle Traders experiment devised by Richard Dennis in the 1980s.
The Bank (2001)
Directed by: Robert Connolly
Starring: Anthony LaPaglia and David Wenham
An Australian drama about a mathematician who devises a formula to predict future movements in the stock market. Although it's little slow at times, it finishes with a twist. People with an interest in algorithmic trading will find it interesting.
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