14 Interesting Movies Like The Big Short 2023

It feels like the world is heading toward another financial crash in the near future. While the market appears stable, the war in Ukraine and the political upheaval in England are causing lots of problems for investors and the financial market. Stock prophet Michael Burry has predicted a world of pain for traders in recent weeks, and he would know, as he’s the man the fantastic financial movie The Big Short is based around. Movies like The Big Short break down what happened when the financial crisis of 2007 – 2008 occurred, leaving millions of people homeless and bankrupt. 

American investor Burry (a fantastic Christian Bale) plays a major role in the movie as the man who predicts the crash. Unlike many others, Burry made a fortune off the crash in real life, with The Big Short serving as a warning about what can happen when investors overextend. The film was a surprise hit and won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2016 Oscars. 

As well as featuring a stellar cast (Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Brad Pitt, Jeremy Strong, and Marisa Tomei), the movie uses famous people to break the fourth wall and explain important financial terms. It’s innovative filmmaking from director Adam McKay, who has gone from making comedies with Will Ferrell to serious dramas. 

There is no better time to visit The Big Short, with the way the markets are struggling, but if you’ve already seen the movie and want something different, here is a selection of movies like The Big Short that will feed your hunger for financial drama. 

14 Interesting Movies Like The Big Short

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1. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

The fifth collaboration between director Martin Scorses and actor Leonardo DiCaprio is based on the true story of stockbroker turned criminal Jordan Belfort. DiCaprio is incredible as the charismatic Belfort, a wannabe who rises up through the ranks of Wall Street and ends up opening his own brokerage firm, Stratton Oakmont. Becoming accustomed to the high life (fast cars, copious amounts of cocaine, and lots of sex), Belfort becomes less concerned with being ethical and all about making as much money as possible, leading to the FBI getting involved and his eventual downfall. 

The Wolf of Wall Street has everything you want from a Scorsese movie, with a great script, tremendous plotting, and a terrific ensemble cast that includes Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Kyle Chandler, Jon Bernthal, and Matthew McConaughey. DiCaprio finally won an Oscar for his performance as Belfort too. 

2. Margin Call (2011)

When it comes to movies like The Big Short, Margin Call is about as close as you can get. The 2011 film also deals with the financial crash of 2007 – 2008 and has a stellar ensemble cast that includes Zachary Quinto, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore, Paul Bettany, Kevin Spacey, Simon Baker, and Stanley Tucci.  

The movie follows a group of executives at an investment bank over a 24-hour period as the financial crisis hits and they try to figure out how to save their own bacon. While it didn’t get the attention that The Big Short did, this movie was still well-received by critics and gives another view into the chaos that ensued when the market crashed. 

3. Wall Street (1987)

Oliver Stone’s mediation on excess and greed is the perfect vehicle for Michael Douglas to show his smarmy side. He plays Gordon Gecko, a ruthless stockbroker who will stop at nothing to make as much money as he can. He takes hot shot Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) under his wing and exposes him to the dark side of trading. 

Fox is blinded by the life of luxury Gecko leads but as he dives deeper into the business his conscience starts to come into play and he is forced to make a decision between greed or doing the right thing. Wall Street is a classic 80s flick with Douglas and Sheen in top form. The 2010 sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps isn’t great but still makes for a great double feature with the original. 

4. Steve Jobs (2015)

This autobiographical movie about the Apple founder is a great insight into the type of person Jobs was and how he dealt with different situations. Set across a 14-year period (1984 – 1998) at crucial moments of Jobs’ life, Steve Jobs is a character study about one of the brightest minds who struggled with his private life. 

Michael Fassbender is superb as Jobs, with Danny Boyle directing from a script written by Aaron Sorkin. It’s a much better watch than the Ashton Kutcher starring Jobs which came out two years earlier. 

5. American Hustle (2013)

Christian Bale put on a stack of weight to play charming conman Irving Rosenfeld (based on the real-life Mel Weinberg) in David O. Russell’s American Hustle. Along with his partner in crime, Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), the two find themselves on the wrong side of the law and are forced to work for FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) to catch more comen.

This is another great ensemble cast full of heavy hitters that received rave reviews. Topping many critics end of year lists, American Hustle received a massive ten Oscar nominations but failed to win any. But it did win three Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Amy Adams), and Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture (Jennifer Lawrence). 

6. Too Big To Fail (2011)

This straight-to-TV movie is another eye-opening look at the 2008 financial crash. Based on Andrew Ross Sorkin’s book Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System – and Themselves, the movie centers on U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson (William Hurt) and Chairman of the Federal Reserve System Ben Bernanke (Paul Giamatti) as they try and work out how to handle the upcoming disaster. 

While it wasn’t widely seen, Too Big To Fail was critically praised upon its release and is a fascinating look at how the American government tried to deal with the crash.

7. Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)

Michael Moore delivers a scathing assessment of the 2008 financial crisis and America’s obsession with capitalism in this award-winning documentary. Moore looks at a number of areas that impacted the crash and talks with the likes of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren. 

Moore also weaves a religious narrative throughout the doco that addresses the issue of whether capitalism is a sin. It’s another standout documentary from Moore who always manages to ruffle a few feathers. 

8. Boiler Room (2000)

This is Wall Street for millennials. Giovanni Ribisi plays college dropout Seth Davis who ends up working for J.T. Marlin where he becomes involved in some dodgy deals and must make the choice between turning informant for the FBI or making a run for it.

Boiler Room is an exciting flick with a cast of up-and-coming stars including Vin Diesel, Scott Cann, Jon Abrahams, and Nia Long. Ben Affleck also makes a scene-stealing cameo as Jim Young, one of the founders of J.T. Martin. 

9. Inside Job (2010)

This documentary reveals the true nature of the 2008 financial crisis and what really went on behind the scenes. Interviews with key people involved in the crash give a unique insight into the financial crisis, with the doco also explaining how the banks, despite being responsible for everything that happened, got off scot-free. 

Split into five parts, Inside Job is narrated by Matt Damon and won the 2010 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It is a real eye-opener when you find out how everything went wrong and that the banks could have stopped it. 

10. American Psycho (2000)

When you think of movies like The Big Short, the surprise 2000 hit American Psycho probably doesn’t come to mind. But the two films share similar themes about the dangers of the stock market and the criminal activity that happens behind the scenes. It’s just that in American Psycho the criminal activity is murder. 

Christian Bale is New York City investment banker Patrick Bateman. Growing tired of his normal life, Batemen finds himself embarking on a gory murder spree, or does he? Adapted from Bret Easton Ellis’s fab novel of the same name, American Psycho is a takedown of consumerism and 80s excess spliced with lots of blood and a career-making performance from Bale. 

11. The Wizard of Lies (2017)

Robert De Niro does a tremendous job portraying real-life conman Bernie Madoff in this made-for-television biopic from HBO. A once well-respected member of society, it’s revealed Madoff made his fortune thanks to the largest-ever Ponzi scheme run by his investment company. 

The Wizard of Lies is a good overview of Madoff and how he and his firm managed to con hundreds of millions of dollars from investors. De Niro is as watchable as ever while great support comes in the form of Michelle Pfeiffer as Madoff’s wife Ruth and Hank Azaria as Frank DiPascali, Madoff’s righthand man. 

12. Vice (2018)

The third movie on this list to feature Christian Bale is a political satire about former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney. Bale, a professional to the end, stacked on the pounds to play Cheney as he convinces George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell) to run for the presidency. It might not have a lot to do with the stock market, but Cheney’s dodgy deals and behind-the-scenes work are very similar to how the big banks went about their business away from the public. 

As well as Bale and Rockwell’s great performances, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Tyler Perry, Lily Rabe, and Jesse Plemons all provide great support. 

13. The Social Network (2010)

The story of Facebook gets a big-screen adaptation from director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. Jessie Eisenberg is perfectly cast as the geeky Mark Zuckerberg who would create the most popular social media platform in the world. 

Eisenberg has never been better while Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, Armie Hammer as twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, and Justin Timberlake as Napster founder Sean Parker all provide tremendous support. The soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is also incredible. 

14. Money Monster (2016)

Although Money Monster doesn’t deal with the financial crash of 2008, it does show the negative impact that the stock market can have on a person. Kyle Budwell loses his entire fortune on a bad stock tip and takes financial expert Lee Gates hostage on live television demanding answers for his lost money. 

This is a great thriller with an outstanding cast (George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Dominic West, and Giancarlo Esposito) directed by Jodie Foster, who shows she is just as capable behind the camera as she is in front of it. 

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