The Best Movies About Wall Street

Ranker Film
Updated April 15, 2024 21 items
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429 votes
101 voters
Voting Rules
Films about the fast paced world of finance and Wall Street

Wall Street. It's exciting, full of drama, money, danger, risk, reward, and characters of all types. It has caused the richest men in the world to become richer, and caused some of the richest men in the world to lose it all. It controls our economy and is rich with untold stories of greed and thrills most of us can't even imagine. This list of the best movies about Wall Street tell all these stories.

Some of the most memorable monologues and scenes in cinematic history take place, or are pertaining to this small stretch in New York City. Naturally, it's a perfect subject and setting for a movie. Be it a fictionalized account of a stock broker, a retelling of current events starring famous actors as Wall Street big wigs, or a straight up documentary, below are the best movies about Wall Street.

Vote up your favorite Wall Street films and let the money roll in. Not to you, necessarily, but at least to an already rich Wall Street trader.
Most divisive: Boiler Room
Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Movies About Wall Street
  • Wall Street
    1

    Wall Street

    Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen
    26 votes
    In Oliver Stone's riveting drama, Wall Street, we follow the journey of ambitious stockbroker Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen). Intoxicated by the promise of power and wealth, Fox finds a mentor in the ruthless, yet charismatic, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a titan of high-stakes trading. As Gekko's underhand tactics become clear, Fox is torn between his desire for success and his moral compass. Douglas's riveting performance earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. The film dissects the greed-infested world of Wall Street, serving as a stark reminder of the dangerous allure of unchecked ambition.
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  • Trading Places
    2

    Trading Places

    Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Ralph Bellamy
    19 votes
    In the uproarious comedy Trading Places, Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd), an affluent commodities broker, and Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy), a streetwise hustler, find their worlds flipped upside down. Orchestrated by the devious Duke brothers (Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy), this unlikely pair are thrust into each other's lives in a social experiment of wealth versus poverty. As they navigate their new realities, they uncover the brothers' nefarious scheme. Armed with insider knowledge, they conspire to turn the tables on their puppeteers in this delightful tale of cunning and comeuppance.
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  • Margin Call
    3

    Margin Call

    Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons
    19 votes
    When an analyst uncovers information that could ruin them all, the key players (Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany) at an investment firm take extreme measures to control the damage.
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  • The Big Short
    4

    The Big Short

    13 votes

    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 about the financial crisis of 2007–2008 which was triggered by the United States housing bubble.

  • The Wolf of Wall Street
    5

    The Wolf of Wall Street

    Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie
    39 votes
    In the riveting film The Wolf of Wall Street, we follow the life of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a Wall Street stockbroker. Driven by ambition, he plunges headfirst into a world of greed and excess. His right-hand man, Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill), aids him in his unscrupulous endeavors. The movie, directed by Martin Scorsese, showcases their rise to immense wealth and subsequent fall into crime and corruption. It's a tale fraught with fraud, manipulation, and the relentless pursuit of power. This critically acclaimed drama won multiple awards for its exceptional storytelling and stellar performances.
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  • Too Big to Fail
    6

    Too Big to Fail

    William Hurt, Ed Asner, Billy Crudup
    10 votes
    Financial leaders (William Hurt, Billy Crudup) spring into action when the U.S. economy falters in 2008.
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  • American Psycho
    7

    American Psycho

    Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto
    26 votes
    American Psycho, a chilling psychological thriller, follows the life of Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), a successful Wall Street executive by day and a gruesome serial killer by night. Balancing an outward appearance of wealth and normalcy with an inner world steeped in violence, Bateman's double life spirals out of control as his homicidal tendencies escalate. This film, noted for its exploration of materialistic culture and the dark underbelly of American society, is a stark portrayal of a man's descent into madness. Directed by Mary Harron, the movie offers a disturbing glimpse into the mind of a killer concealed beneath a veneer of sophistication.
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  • Die Hard with a Vengeance
    8

    Die Hard with a Vengeance

    Bruce Willis, Jeremy Irons, Samuel L. Jackson
    11 votes
    In the heart-pounding thriller Die Hard with a Vengeance, John McClane (Bruce Willis) finds himself caught in a web of danger. New York City becomes his battleground as he grapples with a vengeful adversary, Simon Gruber (Jeremy Irons). The stakes escalate when Simon initiates a deadly game of Simon Says, dragging McClane and an unlikely ally, Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson), into a high-stakes treasure hunt. Amidst ticking bombs and complex riddles, the duo must unravel Simon's sinister motives to save their city. Directed by John McTiernan, this third installment of the Die Hard franchise astounds with its relentless action and clever plot twists.
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  • Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
    9

    Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

    Peter Coyote, Gary Davis, Jeffrey Skilling
    15 votes
    This documentary explores the fall of the Enron Corporation, arguably the most shocking example of modern corporate corruption. The company is linked with several illegal schemes, including instigating the California energy crisis as a way to drive up utility prices at the expense of the average American. In a hyper-competitive environment, Enron traders resort to all kinds of underhanded dealings in order to make money at any cost and keep their high-paying jobs.
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  • Inside Job
    10

    Inside Job

    Matt Damon
    6 votes
    The global financial meltdown that took place in Fall 2008 caused millions of job and home losses and plunged the United States into a deep economic recession. Matt Damon narrates a documentary that provides a detailed examination of the elements that led to the collapse and identifies keys financial and political players. Director Charles Ferguson conducts a wide range of interviews and traces the story from the United States to China to Iceland to several other global financial hot spots.
  • The Company Men
    11

    The Company Men

    Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner
    7 votes
    A young executive at a shipping and manufacturing conglomerate, Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) is on the fast track to the top. He is a rising star at work and has all the material trappings of success. Then his company goes through a few rounds of layoffs, so Bobby and colleagues Phil (Chris Cooper) and Gene (Tommy Lee Jones) find themselves on the unemployment line. As the year unfolds, all three must redefine their lives as they struggle to survive in a hostile post-career landscape.
  • Boiler Room
    12

    Boiler Room

    Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Nia Long
    18 votes
    Welcome to the infamous "boiler room" -- where twenty something millionaires are made overnight. Here, in the inner sanctum of a fly-by-night brokerage firm, hyper-aggressive young stock jocks peddle to unsuspecting buyers over the phone -- and are rewarded with mansions, Ferraris and more luxury toys than they know what to do with. In this unassuming Long Island enclave, Gen Xers chase the green at breakneck speeds, sometimes one step ahead of the law.
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  • Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
    13

    Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

    Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin
    16 votes
    Following a long prison term for insider trading, Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) finds himself on the outside looking in at a world he once commanded. Ostensibly hoping to repair his broken relationship with his daughter, Gekko forges an alliance with her fiance, Jake (Shia LaBeouf). Although Jake comes to view Gordon as a father figure, he learns the hard way that Gekko is still a master manipulator who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
  • Glengarry Glen Ross
    14

    Glengarry Glen Ross

    Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin
    16 votes
    Glengarry Glen Ross, a drama film based on David Mamet's Pulitzer-winning play, revolves around a group of desperate Chicago real estate salesmen. Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon), an aging salesman struggling to close deals, Ricky Roma (Al Pacino), a suave top seller, George Aaronow (Alan Arkin), the timid and anxious one, and Dave Moss (Ed Harris), the aggressive instigator, all find themselves in a high-stakes competition set up by their boss. When office theft turns the heat up further, the men resort to unscrupulous tactics. Pacino's performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
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  • Other People's Money
    15

    Other People's Money

    Danny DeVito, Penelope Ann Miller, Gregory Peck
    10 votes
    "Larry the Liquidator" Garfield (Danny DeVito) is a corporate raider, deconstructing companies and selling off the parts for a profit. His new target is a small-town cable company that employs the majority of the town's residents. With everyone's livelihood depending on him, company chairman Andrew Jorgenson (Gregory Peck) hires his sexy stepdaughter, Kate (Penelope Ann Miller), to distract the ruthless raider. Larry takes the bait -- and soon finds that he must choose between Kate and money.
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  • Capitalism: A Love Story
    16

    Capitalism: A Love Story

    Robert Powell
    8 votes
    Filmmaker Michael Moore explores corporate greed, the global economic meltdown, and their disastrous effect on American lives. As he travels from the Heartland to the financial epicenter of New York and the halls of government in Washington, Moore delves into the price the country pays for its love of capitalism.
  • The Bonfire of the Vanities
    17

    The Bonfire of the Vanities

    Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith
    9 votes
    In this adaptation of the Tom Wolfe novel, powerful Wall Street executive Sherman McCoy (Tom Hanks) is riding with his greedy girlfriend, Maria (Melanie Griffith), when she makes a wrong turn and winds up in the Bronx. There, she runs over a black boy and drives off without reporting it. When alcoholic tabloid reporter Peter Fallow (Bruce Willis) discovers the story, he knows it will be scandalous and riles up New Yorkers with his coverage of the case, which soon goes to trial.
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  • Rogue Trader
    18

    Rogue Trader

    Ewan McGregor, Anna Friel, Yves Beneyton
    7 votes
    This drama, based on a true story, follows Nick Leeson (Ewan McGregor), a young British man working at Barings, a major investment bank. Sent to Singapore and placed in a position of authority at the bank's branch there, Leeson takes advantage of the thriving Asian market to make risky trades. Before long, he's in over his head and tries to hide the losses. Fleeing the country with his beautiful wife, Lisa (Anna Friel), Leeson eventually has to face the consequences of his actions.
  • The Dark Knight Rises
    19

    The Dark Knight Rises

    Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy
    14 votes
    In The Dark Knight Rises, the final installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, we witness an older, broken Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) emerge from seclusion to protect Gotham City. The city is now under threat from Bane (Tom Hardy), a ruthless terrorist with a mysterious past. As the tale unfolds, a cunning cat burglar named Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) enters the fray. Meanwhile, Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) grapples with the city's corruption. Genre-wise, it's an action-packed superhero film that won numerous awards for its visual effects and sound editing.
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  • Wolves of Wall Street
    20

    Wolves of Wall Street

    Eric Roberts, Louise Lasser, Crystal Allen
    8 votes
    Wolves of Wall Street is a 2002 film directed by David DeCoteau. It came 84 years after the original The Wolf of Wall Street directed by Rowland V. Lee and premièring in 1929.
  • Jungle 2 Jungle
    21

    Jungle 2 Jungle

    Tim Allen, Martin Short, JoBeth Williams
    11 votes
    Manhattan broker Michael Cromwell (Tim Allen) is engaged to fiancée Charlotte (Lolita Davidovich) but needs a divorce from his estranged wife, Patricia (JoBeth Williams), who's been living in the Amazon with a native tribe for years. Michael travels to the Amazon and discovers he has a son: Teen Mimi-Siku (Sam Huntington), who begs to be taken to the city to fulfill a quest for his tribe. At first, things don't go so smoothly for the kid from the jungle, but soon the boy and his dad bond.
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