Lights, camera, action.
“Show me the money!” – This iconic line from Jerry Maguire could be the mantra of every stock market drama ever made.
The world of movies have explored the world of finance, capturing the highs, lows and everything in between. From cunning stock brokers to commoners looking for loopholes in the banking industry, films bring the stock market alive with suspense and emotion.
Here are the best stock market movies that’ll keep you hooked while giving you a view into the world of wealth and risk.
1. Baazaar (2018)
It’s a story set in the fast-paced world of Mumbai’s stock market. Baazaar shows ambition and greed play their role in a person’s mind. There is a ruthless businessman, who has a hunger for success. The film revolves around a young, starry-eyed trader who idolises the businessman but soon learns that his hero bends the law. With sharp dialogues and intriguing twists, Baazaar is an intense drama that tells us about insider trading and financial manipulation in corporate India.
2. The Big Bull (2021)
This film is inspired by real events surrounding Harshad Mehta’s stock market journey. The Big Bull shows the rise and fall of a small-time stockbroker who dreams big. The film blends how scandalous it can be when you know the loopholes in the Indian banking system. It gives a glimpse into the stock market boom of the late 1980s. While it is not as intense and detailed as its web-series counterpart (Scam 1992), this movie is a shorter version of the web series under the same name.
3. Saas, Bahu aur Sensex (2008)
This dramedy (drama + comedy) weaves the stock market into the daily lives of semi-urban people. It is a refreshing break that follows a group of middle-class women who learn from their ups and downs of the share market. While managing family dynamics and some financial education, Saas, Bahu aur Sensex shows how even seemingly unrelated worlds can come together, proving that anyone can take charge of their financial destiny.
4. Gafla (2006)
This is indeed a hidden gem in Bollywood’s financial drama genre. Gafla is a story that shows the life of Subodh, an ordinary man who finds himself in a massive stock market scam. Inspired by the Harshad Mehta story, the movie explores the psychology of ambition and the thin line between right and wrong. Its raw storytelling portrays the Indian financial space as a must-watch for anyone interested in the stock market.
5. Share Bazaar (1997)
This movie describes the volatile world of stock trading. It focuses on the moral dilemmas and challenges faced by stock brokers. With a mix of high-stakes drama and human emotions, Share Bazaar captures the chaos and uncertainty of financial markets. While it may not have the glamour of modern productions, the film offers an authentic portrayal of the Indian stock exchange’s cutthroat environment.
6. Guru (2007)
Although not explicitly about the stock market, Guru tells the inspiring story of an ambitious entrepreneur. He rises from humble background to build an empire. Drawing parallels with real-life businessman tycoon Dhirubhai Ambani, the film touches upon themes of risk-taking and corporate rivalry. It is a masterpiece that resonates with dreamers.
7. Paisa Vasool (2011)
This is a lighthearted comedy centred around a woman who becomes a financial consultant to earn quick money, Paisa Vasool adds humour to the world of finance. While it does not directly involve stock markets, it touches upon money management and the value of investments. The film is a fun take on how people perceive wealth and risk in everyday life.
Do you think that is it? Of course not. Here is a list of Hollywood movies that are depicted by events from the global markets.
8. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Directed by Martin Scorsese, this dramedy (drama + comedy) biopic is a ride through the rise and fall of Jordan Belfort, a famous American stockbroker. It tells us his journey from a humble stockbroker to being the infamous “Wolf of Wall Street,” who creates an empire by defrauding and misinforming investors. With wild parties and his exquisite lifestyle, the film paints a clear picture of Wall Street’s dark side. It is a cautionary tale about unchecked greed and corruption.
9. The Big Short (2015)
This movie is an extraordinary feat of storytelling, The Big Short takes the audience behind the scenes of the 2008 financial crisis. It follows a group of unconventional investors who predicted the housing market collapse and bet against it. These investors earned massive profits while the economy crumbled. With its clever use of breaking the fourth wall, the film explains complex financial instruments like mortgage-backed securities and credit default swaps in an engaging and sometimes humorous way.
10. Money Monster (2016)
This tense thriller is story of a charismatic TV host of a financial advice show. When an angry investor takes the TV host under hostage on live television and blames him for his financial ruin. The film delves into corporate corruption, media sensationalism and the consequences of high-stakes trading.
11. Trading Places (1983)
A comedic masterpiece, Trading Places is a social satire set in the world of commodities trading. The film tells the story of two men– one is a privileged broker and the other is a street hustler. Both of them are a part of a cruel experiment planned by two wealthy brothers. When their lives are switched, the duo teams up to turn the tables on their oppressors i.e., the wealthy brothers. The movie blends humour and finance together. It shows the absurdities of Wall Street culture.
12. Wall Street (1987)
The quintessential stock market drama, Wall Street is both a critique and an anthem of financial ambition. Michael Douglas’s iconic performance as Gordon Gekko, the ruthless corporate raider, introduced the world to the phrase, “Greed is good.” The film follows a young stockbroker lured into Gekko’s world of insider trading and corporate takeovers. With sharp dialogues and intense moral dilemmas, it is a cautionary tale about the ethical cost of success.
13. Inside Job (2010)
This Academy Award-winning documentary is a well researched story of the 2008 global financial crisis. It narrates the systemic corruption in the financial services industry, from unrated mortgages to deregulation. By interviewing economists, politicians and journalists, the film presents a tale of greed and negligence at the highest levels. It is an eye-opener for anyone seeking to understand the financial crisis and its far-reaching consequences.
14. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
Based on the book under the same name, this documentary tells us about the infamous Enron scandal. Through interviews and archival footage, it details how executives at the energy company manipulated markets, fabricated earnings and ultimately caused one of the largest corporate bankruptcies in history. The film offers a chilling look at unchecked corporate greed and the devastating consequences for both employees and investors.
15. Margin Call (2011)
Set over a tense 24-hour period at a fictional investment firm, Margin Call captures the early hours of the 2008 financial crisis. When a junior analyst uncovers a catastrophic flaw in the firm’s risk model, the entire hierarchy crumbles to contain the effect of the fallout. The film is a combination of corporate ethics, survival instincts and the human cost of financial decisions.
16. Too Big To Fail (2011)
This film is a dramatic retelling of the true story of Nick Leeson, a derivatives trader whose reckless decisions led to the collapse of Barings Bank, one of the UK’s oldest financial institutions. The film is a tale of pride and the dangers of carelessness in high-stakes finance.
17. Boiler Room (2000)
This drama delves into the morally ambiguous world of young stockbrokers chasing the American Dream. Giovanni Ribisi stars as Seth Davis, a college dropout who gets drawn into a shady brokerage firm promising quick wealth. As he climbs the ranks, Seth begins to uncover the unethical practices driving the firm’s profits. The film critiques greed and ambition while exploring the personal toll of selling one’s soul for success.
Wrapping Up
Stock market movies do more than just entertain– they educate and inspire. It’s no longer just facts and someone’s story, it’s info-tainment– a perfect combination of real stories with a visual storytelling edge. Hence, such movies inspire and invoke real emotions.
Whether you are an investor or just someone looking for great cinema, these films offer important lessons based on the Indian stock market.
Interested in how we think about the markets?
Read more: Zen And The Art Of Investing
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