Best Stock Market Movies Every Investor Should Watch

You might be interested to know about the exciting world of the stock market. Have you ever thought of catching stock market movies? 

There are different ingredients for a great stock market film, from disaster to success and adventure, all of which can be found in the busy stock markets of the financial world. 

You never know what will happen in the stock market; there will be new transactions, trends, and so on. Here are the top stock market movies to watch if you want to learn about financial markets and their history through the exciting lens of a camera and the fascinating cinematic storytelling.

List of Best Stock Market Movies Every Investor Should Watch

1. Margin Call (2011)

"Margin Call" is a thought-provoking film on the dynamic and delicate world of banking and how easily it might collapse. The story begins when a financial company's Management Division Head is sacked while working on a critical analysis. 

His apprentice, who followed up on the analysis, discovered the natural causes of the financial crisis of 2008. It graphically depicts the recklessness of reputed banks and gives an insight into how substantial financial companies operate and what motivates their employees. 

This film tackles the natural causes of the financial crisis in the United States in an excellent look at how banks operate to achieve their insatiable desire for profit. This is one of the best depictions of the stock market. 

Amazon Prime has a great movie about the stock market that you can watch.

2. Trading Places (1983)

Classic comedy Trading Places depicts trading as a street con artist is tricked into becoming a manager of a commodities trading corporation by replacing an executive, much like the Prince and The Pauper. 

They bet a street con artist can become a famous investor because of two cold-blooded millionaires. The movie's concluding scenes describe a frantic trading session and lead to a heart-stopping conclusion, which pierces the audience's hearts. 

The socioeconomic class structure of the United States is examined in the film.

3. Equity (2016)

When it comes to stock market movies, Equity is an excellent alternative to the usual male-centric tales of Wall Street. 

In this suspenseful thriller, a woman's aspirations to become a Wall Street power player are contrasted with the suspicions of a prosecutor who suspects her of corruption. She sets out on a trip to unravel a web of corruption in the system to prove her worth. 

When one of her closest and most trusted colleagues betrays her, she must use everything she has to save herself from the inevitable destruction she faces. It is one of the best stock market films with a female protagonist and a focus on professional setbacks.

The film focuses on female narratives and navigates the shallow stock market. Amazon Prime Video has one of the top stock market films available for you to watch.

4. Too Big To Fail (2011)

This film offers a revelation about the allegedly solid world of finance, providing an insider's perspective on the 2008 Financial Crisis. 

It's one of the best stock market movies on our list and poignantly shows how financial businesses and banks work together, which may lead to a terrible economic disaster if one fails. 

Shocking truths regarding the government's inability to control the financial sector are revealed in the film. This film received an IMDb rating of 7.5/10.

5. Rogue Trader (1999)

If you're looking for a stock market movie that will teach you all you need to know about risk management and how financial oversight can go wrong, then Rogue Trader is the film for you. 

In the film, Leeson is a master manipulator of financial reporting. Insight into how a trader's mind works and his desperate attempt to disguise his oversight and careless mistakes are provided in this book. IMDb's rating for this film is 6.5/10.

6. Chasing Madoff (2010)

Following Bernie Madoff's multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme is the inspiration for the film "Chasing Madoff." 

Harry Markopolos and his colleagues at the US Securities and Exchange Commission spent ten years investigating Madoff's Ponzi scheme, which defrauded an estimated 18 billion dollars. 

Since the Ponzi Scheme is exposed in this film and the negative aspects of the financial sector are highlighted, it is one of the best stock market movies out there today. Amazon Prime members can watch this film for free.

7. Barbarians at the Gate (1993)

F. Ross Johnson, CEO of Nabisco, is the subject of a comedy-docudrama film, Barbarians at the Gate, which follows his incompetence as he tries to buy out the rest of the company's shareholders. 

The leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco is one of the best stock market movies based on a true story, and this all-time classic does it justice. Amazon prime video has one of the best stock market movies on their site.

8. The Ascent of Money (2008)

The Ascent of Money is a fascinating documentary on the rise of financial markets, stock exchanges, credit, and trading in modern society and the profound impact on us all. 

It's broken up into six sections, and this expanded version is what elevates it to the top of our list of the finest stock market movies ever!

9. The Big Short (2008)

The Big Short, an Oscar-winning film with a compelling storyline, is a must-see for everyone who enjoys a good thriller. Featuring Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Steve Carrell, and Ryan Gosling, it explains the financial crisis of 2008 and reveals that the American housing bubble sparked it. 

What sets this movie apart is that it explores the moral dilemmas of men who predicted the impending disaster. Still, it also has a smattering of truth, thanks to the director's use of ridiculous comedy.

10. Banking on Bitcoin (2017)

Documentary tracing the origins of the bitcoin currency While this documentary focuses more on blockchain technology, it is nevertheless a must-see for anyone interested in the stock market or finance in general. 

It takes the audience on an exhilarating voyage through the emergence of bitcoin technology, its impact on the trading world, and its implications for the next era and the high-tech world!

11. The Wolf of Wall Street (2016)

Films like The Wolf of Wall Street have become classics in the Wall Street genre. Leonardo DiCaprio won an Oscar for his performance as the film's protagonist, directed by Martin Scorsese.

The film tells the story of Jordan Belfort, a well-known stockbroker who creates a fortune by defrauding investors. He lost his job and began selling penny stocks due to the market's sharp decline. 

That drove him to start his own company, Stratton Oakmont, to continue selling penny stocks and reaping the rewards of the more significant commissions. Affluent and one of Wall Street's most potent traders, his life was at an all-time high.

12. Boiler Room (2009) 

Ben Younger is the director of the American film Boiler Room. Its primary concern is with financial crimes perpetrated by several stockbroker firms all over the world. The film's storyline is based on a true story about the world of stock trading. 

No particular trading phrases are utilized in this video or any NYSE scenes because the primary goal is to demonstrate the effects of trading in this financial exchange.

The film explains how people can make money through stock market investing clearly and concisely. Ben Affleck, Vin Diesel, and the other notable stars in this film all had excellent acting performances that made the movie even more thrilling.

Notably, the film does not overdo the romance and instead shows the reality of the financial world, which is undoubtedly its most valuable asset. 

The Boiler Room warns stock market investors in the United States to be highly wary of broker businesses that try to defraud customers to make large sums of money.

13. Inside Job (2010)

Another well-received film addressing the well-known issues of 2008 is Inside job. Filmed in 2010, it accurately depicts the events on Wall Street during this period. This film tells the story of how Wall Street's reckless behavior led to the collapse of the whole financial system.

Iceland is the setting for the first half of Inside Job. In the 1990s, three banks in Iceland generated securities worth ten times the country's entire GDP.

The film is one of the worst documentaries ever made. As a result, this may have been the director's primary purpose. Wall Street members, credit agencies, and regulators are all depicted in this video as they were responsible for the 2008 economic collapse. 

Among the film's many strengths is the absence of overtly humorous elements and the outstanding work of its talented cast. Matt Damon and Gylfi Zoega are just two of the big-name actors who appear in the film.

14. Floored (2009)

Floored, a 2009 film directed by James Allen Smith, is another film that should be discussed in this article. This film is considered a financial classic because it depicts the trading floor setting. 

It is a very educational documentary demonstrating how chaotic stock market trading can be.

The movie is enjoyable since it is not too overly dramatic and romanticized. In addition, the film is based on a true story, which is a notable aspect. 

Millions of people lost large sums of money in the stock market at the film's release, and the financial system was on edge. We can confidently assert that Floored may be the first time anyone has previously viewed the inside of a trading floor like this.

15. Betting on Zero (2016)

Ted Braun directed the 2016 documentary film Betting on Zero. Bill Ackman's short investment in Herbalife, which appears to be a billion-dollar wager that the company will soon collapse, has been examined in this documentary.

Does the fact that Herbalife is still in business suggest that Bill Ackman's short thesis is incorrect? Bill Ackman's followers may still be out there, given how much money he gained shorting the market before the COVID-19 crisis in 2020. 

To fund his "shell" company, he created a SPAC in 2020 that raised $4 billion in venture capital.

16. American Psycho (2000)

Christian Bale stars as a wealthy investment banker with a sinister secret in this violent and thought-provoking thriller based on the Bret Easton Ellis novel. 

American Psycho, despite its lack of actual finance, sheds light on the strange world inhabited by finance's top class and the total disconnect they have with each other and the rest of the world.

17. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

With its endlessly quotable dialogue, this big-screen adaptation of a David Mamet play follows a group of sad real estate salesmen who have seen their values destroyed by years of working for a dishonest firm.

3 Sales positions may be vulnerable to avarice and underhanded tactics, as well as the pressure imposed on salespeople by their superiors, in this film.

However, Alec Baldwin's "motivational speech" steals the show and shows the best and worst of working under immense pressure.

18. The Wizard of Lies (2017)

Bernie Madoff's enormous financial deception is brought to light in this film. Robert De Niro, the Oscar winner who plays the huge dazzling swindler in the field, is directed by Barry Levinson.

Two Golden Globe nominations were made for the film in 2018. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Ruth, his wife, and Nathan Darrow and Alessandro Nivola, his children, in the HBO film. Amidst the crisis, Bernard L. Madoff's family begins to come apart, as depicted in the film.

Bernie Madoff is one of the most infamous Ponzi schemers of all time. As a result, there is nothing left to save. Nothing remains of the 50 billion dollars that were supposed to be there.

19. Arbitrage (2012)

The 2012 film Arbitrage is a satire on the financial industry's obsession with making money at all costs. It appears that Richard Gere's character, Robert Miller (Richard Gere), has everything he could desire.

As a hedge fund manager, Robert receives a lot of money from his company's sales. However, after Robert speculated on a copper mine, $400 million vanished.

All of his ploys to hide the truth fail, and his personal life begins to suffer.

Related questions on stock trading: FAQs

1. Should you ever sell your stock?

Sometimes, investors may decide to sell a stock because they believe other investments offer a better return. The time may have come for an investor to consider selling a stock that is underperforming or falling behind the general market.

2. How long should I keep a stock in my portfolio? 

In the first two years, most of the money is made. In most circumstances, profits should be taken when a stock rises 20% to 25% over a good buy point. When a stock surges more than 20% from a breakout point in less than three weeks, it's time to hang out longer.

3. Can I take money out of my stock portfolio?

Your brokerage account is the only one from which you can make withdrawals. Selling stocks or other investments will be required if you wish to take out more money than you now have on hand. The funds in your brokerage account will not be available for withdrawal until the stock sale has settled.

4. How often should I monitor my investments?

Keep an eye on the company's quarterly earnings and other developments to ensure your initial motivations for investing are still valid. However, you don't have to monitor your stock prices daily.

5. Can you sell your stock quickly?

It is possible to sell a stock immediately after purchasing it, but some restrictions exist. – You can only make three same-day trades in five days in a typical retail brokerage account. A pattern day trader must maintain a $25,000 balance in a margin account once they pass that barrier.

6. Do you need to pay taxes on stocks?

Stocks you sell for a profit are subject to capital gains taxes, as are dividends you get as an investor. Use tax-deferred retirement or college savings accounts to lower your tax burden for at least a year.

Final thoughts 

According to our theory, movies about financial markets have always been a popular choice for studios. Traders' lives have been shown in several Hollywood films, including tales of risk-taking, triumphs and losses, and the challenges they face in their professional lives.

Even though these films are often based on true stories, that does not mean that traders should view them as a roadmap to success or as a source of inspiration. Thus, each stock market story has its dramas, failures, and successes.

Real-life stock market trading differs significantly from what is depicted in Hollywood films, which tend to exaggerate and dramatize events. While they may not appeal to everyone, those interested in investing in the stock market may find them fascinating. 

A few of these trading films have been nominated for or even won Academy Awards. Go and watch them all now!