Interesting Movies & Web-Series on Stock Markets

Stock markets can be tricky to understand. With financial education only just gaining momentum in the country, it is understandable that many people don’t invest in the stock market because they don’t know much about it. Even when people try to learn about it, the subject is intricate.

So, how do you do it? If you’re looking to start from scratch and love binging on digital content, we’ve got a few movies and web series that could be on your next watchlist. Watching digital content will give you a peek into the world of the stock market but also the scams, loopholes, and a host of other exciting things associated with it.

The Big Short (2008)

Based on a book by Michael Lewis, the movie revolves around the housing crisis of 2005, which led to the infamous recession in 2008. While most Americans lost their livelihood due to the crisis, a group of men made a fortune by rightly predicting the economy’s downfall. The film has a stellar cast, including Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and Ryan Gosling. The Big Short is rated 7.8 on IMDB and has an approval rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie is available to watch on Netflix.

Wall Street (1987)

Directed by Oliver Stone, Wall Street is the story of a young stockbroker experiencing the trials and tribulations of the stock market, played by Charlie Sheen, under the tutelage of his experienced mentor Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglas. The movie centers around the ‘Greed is good’ philosophy and aptly showcases the workings of the stock market. Wall Street is rated 7.4 on IMDB and has an approval rating of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie is available to watch on Disney+ Hotstar.

Billions (2016-Present)

Created by Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Andrew Ross Sorkin, Billions is a web series set in the heart of New York City. The drama pits an ambitious hedge fund manager, Bobby Axelrod, against an idealistic attorney, Chuck Rhoades. The show has lessons on investment and how to run a business. Citing the show’s popularity, Billions has been renewed for a sixth consecutive season. Billions are rated 8.4 on IMDB and have an approval rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. The series is available to watch on Disney+ Hotstar. 

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Directed by the legendary Martin Scorcese, The Wolf of Wall Street is a movie about the life of Jordan Belfort, a SWall Street stockbroker and his partner Donnie Azoff. The characters are played by Leonardo Di Caprio and Jonah Hill, respectively. The drama portrays the unethical and corrupt ways Jordan Belfort sells penny stocks to his customers, ultimately leading to his downfall. The movie comes with many lessons, such as how a superior should behave with his employees in the corporate world to gain their trust and how one shouldn’t take life that seriously. Wolf of Wall Street is rated 8.2 on IMDB and has an approval rating of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.

Scam 1992 (2020)

The first Indian movie on the list, Scam 1992, is based on a book authored by Debashis Basu and Sucheta Dalal. The web series centers around Harshad Mehta, a BSE stockbroker, and his involvement in the 1992 securities scam. Mehta was illegally taking money from banks to finance his buying. He was first exposed by Sucheta Dalal, the co-author of the Scam 1992 book and a reporter at the time. The web series takes a peek into one of the biggest stock market crashes in the history of the Indian share market. Scam 1992 is rated 9.3 on IMDB. You can watch the series on Sony LIV.

Margin Call (2011)

Directed by JC Chandler, Margin Call’s story revolves around the actions taken by a group of investment bankers in 24 hours at a banking firm during the infamous financial crisis of 2008. The movie comprises a stellar cast: Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, and Zachary Quinto. The movie portrays how business owners must not panic in the face of adversity and be confident in their abilities even in the toughest of times. Margin Call is rated 7.1 on IMDB and has an approval rating of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. You can watch the movie on Netflix.  

Rogue Trader (1999)

Created by James Dearden, Rogue Trader is the story of an investment banker who is responsible for Britain’s oldest bank going bankrupt. The movie comes with multiple lessons such as team management, business ownership, accountability, and the importance of owning up to your mistakes. Rogue Trader is rated 6.4 on IMDB. You can watch the movie on YouTube. 

Boom Bust Boom (2015)

Directed by Terry Jones, this documentary portrays the history of economic cycles. The movie uses animations to describe concepts from Nobel-winning economists such as Daniel Kahneman, Robert J Shiller, and Paul Krugman. The movie aims to educate the common man about the economic system by representing multiple economic crashes throughout history. Boom Bust Boom is rated 7.1 on IMDB. 

Inside Job (2010)

Directed by Charles Ferguson, Inside Job is a documentary that analyzes the reasons behind the infamous financial crisis of 2008 and the perpetrators behind it. The documentary consists of multiple interviews with important journalists, politicians, and people from the American stock market. Inside Job is rated 8.2 on IMDB. You can watch the documentary on Netflix. 

Gafla (2006): 

Only the second Indian feature on the list, Gafla is a loose adaptation of the 1992 scam of the Bombay Stock Exchange. The cast includes Vikram Gokhale and Shruti Ulfat in important roles. The crime drama is rated 7.3 on IMDB. You can watch the movie on Prime Amazon Video.