With countless movies on money, it was hard to filter this list down to just a dozen titles. Still, after watching thousands of films (my first trip to the cinema was at the age of two when I watched The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers) I managed to select the top 12 below.
In the following titles, we’ll explore themes like greed, poverty, emptiness, and success!
P.S. I’ll be sure to keep these recommendations 100% spoiler-free!
Table of Contents
Wall Street
Release Date: 1987
Starring: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, and Daryl Hannah
When most people think about movies about money, 1987’s Wall Street is the first title that comes to mind. It’s truly one of the most iconic financial dramas of all time, with unforgettable quotes like:
“The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”
The story follows the young, ambitious stockbroker Bud (Charlie Sheen) and the ruthless corporate raider Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) as they collude for good ol’ fashioned insider trading.
As boundaries get pushed with Gekko’s shady business dealings, Bud is forced to choose between the wealth his mentor is offering or the morals and relatives he once held dear. Wall Street is the movie about money and no list would be complete without it.
Funnily enough, Gordon Gecko could’ve avoided most of the problems he encountered in the movie if he simply got his stock insights from legal newsletters like Capital Exploits. Oh wait… they didn’t have online newsletters back then.
The Secret of My Success
Release Date: 1987
Starring: Michael J. Fox
Released in the same year as Wall Street, The Secret of My Success (starring Michael J. Fox) is a cult classic that doesn’t get nearly as much attention as the Michael Douglas blockbuster above.
That said, it tells a riveting tale of the fresh graduate Brantley Foster who moves from his small town in Kansas to the hustle and bustle of New York City — to pursue a career in finance, of course.
Things don’t go as planned when he learns that the position he was hired for is no longer available. However, Brantley quickly makes his way to the top of the corporate ladder when he uses his job as a mailroom worker to start posing as a high-level executive at the company.
Will his lies catch up with him or has Brantley really found a shortcut to the top?
More importantly, will a big desk, shiny title, and huge salary even make him happy in the end?
In Time
Release Date: 2011
Starring: Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried
Set in a future where time is literally money and hitting zero instantly kills you, In Time creates a captivating story with allegories of wealth inequality.
People living paycheck to paycheck and dying in the streets while billionaires sit unaffected in their ivory towers hits closer to home when the relationship between money and survival is unified into a single resource: time.
This memorable movie stands to question why the wealthy should live in excess while others die with nothing to their name.
We may not have literal ticking time bombs on our wrists in the real world, but there’s no question that countless people die prematurely due to a lack of access to food, clean water, and healthcare.
The Pursuit of Happyness
Release Date: 2007
Starring: Will Smith
Will Smith plays a Chris Gardner, a single father who struggles to make ends meet and give his son a sense of security. Despite the constant challenges that comes his way, Chris powers through in the pursuit of happiness to create a better future for his son.
The movie is a true testament to the power of persistence and how keeping hope alive may well be the only way out of poverty. To quote Confucius:
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fail.”
See more quotes on learning from failure here
Indecent Proposal
Release Date: 1993
Starring: Robert Redford, Demi Moore, and Woody Harrelson
David and Diana (played by Woody Harrelson and Demi Moore) visit Las Vegas desperate plea to save their home before they default on its mortgage. The house always wins though, and they inevitably lose every last cent to their name.
When all hope seems lost, a lone billionaire (Robert Redford) offers them a million dollars. The catch? He wants to sleep with Diana in exchange for the money. Will David and Diana compromise on their morals to keep their house from being foreclosed?
The movie seeks to finally answer the question as to whether or not money can actually buy happiness. Is love and fulfillment just another asset to purchase? Or does wealth only remove the unpleasant distractions so that you can be acutely aware of the emptiness in your life?
The Money Pit
Release Date: 1986
Starring: Tom Hanks and Shelley Long
This Tom Hanks classic follows the story of two young lovers, Walter and Anna, as they buy a gorgeous country home outside the city. The huge property is for sale for a shockingly low price but it soon becomes clear why it’s listed far below market value.
As the home falls to pieces, so too does Walter and Anna’s relationship. This hilarious film serves as a great reminder that not all properties are assets. In fact, some homes can be huge liabilities that weigh you down.
It reminds me of the lessons on assets and liabilities that Robert Kiyosaki goes over in his best-selling personal finance book Rich Dad Poor Dad. After all, not all discounted properties are a steal, many are better categorized as value traps.
To learn more, here’s a quick video on assets versus liabilities from Robert Kiyosaki himself:
The Change-Up
Release Date: 2011
Starring: Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds
The grass always looking greener on the other side is a common occurrence throughout the professional world. Those with a full-time job envy the free time entrepreneurs have while business owners wish they had the constant productivity of office workers.
This buddy comedy puts a new spin on the classic Freaky Friday, body-swapping premise. How will the responsibility-free Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) fare with family man Dave’s (Jason Bateman) hectic career as a corporate lawyer?
At the end of the day, this movie has a lot to say about finding contentment and knowing when you have enough. It also serves as a reminder to slow down long enough to see all the fruits of your labor and how far you’ve come.
In fact, it reminds me of the gratitude mindset described in The Gap and The Gain.
The Big Short
Release Date: 2016
Starring: Christian Bale, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt
Watch as the star-studded cast delve deep into the leadup to the Global Financial Crisis in this incredible film that won the 2016 Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The story starts with Michael Burry (played by Christian Bale) realizes that countless subprime home loans are at risk of defaulting. To capitalize on this potential opportunity, he shorts (bets against) the entire housing market using more than $1 billion of his investors’ capital.
These bold and (at the time) seemingly insane actions attract the attention of bankers, hedge fund managers, and the hordes of greedy traders looking to get in on the action. See how these few men reap the benefits of America’s imminent economic collapse in The Big Short.
American Made
Release Date: 2017
Starring: Tom Cruise
This movie, starring Tom Cruise, follows the true story of Barry Seal’s life.
Watch as he goes from a TWA pilot to a CIA recon agent spying on communists in Central America to eventually working with Pablo Escobar and the Medellin cartel. Yes, that Pablo Escobar.
If you keep hearing about Narcos but don’t have the time to binge three seasons, you should definitely give this movie a shot. It’s like if the entire series was compressed into a two-hour film with Tom Cruise in the lead role.
Beyond the obvious thrill of watching someone juggle responsibilities between the US intelligence community and the largest drug cartel in Colombia’s history, American Made also touches on core concepts of money management that we can apply to our everyday life.
Themes like the diminishing returns, the point at which excessive wealth becomes a burden, and the impact that poor career choices can have on the people that matter to you most are creatively explored in this enthralling film.
The Devil’s Advocate
Release Date: 1998
Starring: Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino
An up-and-coming defense lawyer from Florida, Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves), is hired for a prestigious position at one of New York’s largest law firms led by John Milton (Al Pacino). As Kevin wins more cases alongside his newfound mentor, his marriage quickly deteriorates.
It quickly becomes clear that there’s a deep evil in John Milton (beyond the usual evil portrayed by fictional lawyers, that is). At its core, this movie is a testament to the corrupting power of greed — and how vanity can cause you to lose the things that actually matter.
Ultimately, there’s more to fear about working at Milton Chadwick Waters than a lack of work-life balance or a micromanaging boss. If you’ve ever wondered where to draw the line between moving your career forward and spending time with the ones you love, this film is a must-watch.
Runner Runner
Release Date: 2013
Starring: Justin Timberlake, Gemma Arterton, and Ben Affleck
Runner Runner follows a Princeton graduate student named Richie (Justin Timberlake) after he’s cheated out of his tuition money on an online gambling website. After deciding to fly to Costa Rica and confront Ivan Block (Ben Affleck), Richie quickly becomes entangled in a web of lies.
The seductive wealth and alluring promises of Ivan Block make the venture seem like a risk worth taking. However, Richie inevitably ends up caught between his dangerous mentor and FBI agents investigating Block’s shady deals.
Will Richie be able to run away from the risks or will his greed get the better of him?
The Italian Job
Release Date: 2003
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, and Edward Norton
The Italian Job puts a fresh spin on the 1969 classic with a new ensemble cast ready to write their name in the heist history books. This film transcends the CGI and gunfire of most heist movies to tell a more grounded, personal story about how corrupting money can be.
Watch as this team of specialists chase after a $35 million gold bullion score from Venice, Italy. Will this fortune change their lives for the better or destroy the relationships that got them this far in the first place?
Whether you’re still chasing financial freedom or sit in a gilded cage, this high-octane story of betrayal, abandonment, riches, and unrelenting greed is sure to have you at the edge of your seat.
Conclusion
There’s no shortage of movies about money but I hope this list helped you find a few watch-worthy options. The Change-Up is hands down my personal favorite since finding contentment in what I already have was one of the biggest lessons I learned after achieving initial success.
That said, there are themes and tales worth exploring in every movie I covered above. Think I missed any? Share this article on social media and mention movies you feel we should’ve included!