Most of you might be aware of this movie. Indeed, it was such a masterpiece that captured the hearts of millions of people. Leonardo DiCaprio played the lead role and showed the true nature of Jordan Belfort, who duped innumerable people. The story is intriguing as the protagonist becomes a motivational speaker in the end.
This was indeed a groundbreaking transition. Well, we have bought you the best 12 films that contain the popular elements of the former such as crime, greed, and power. The article is written after a thorough analysis of factors like genre, plot, etc.
Here are the Best Movies like the Wolf of Wall Street:
The Big Short
The Big Short was released in 2015 with the theme of biographical comedy-drama. This movie is as amazing as the title. It is based on the 2010 book by the same name. Set in the 2008 financial crisis, the film is popular for its unconventional techniques for elucidating financial instruments.
You will get to know the collapse of the housing market in 2008. Further, it is pretty exciting to see a socially awkward hedge fund manager predicting the imminent financial crisis. The Prominent stars of the movie are Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt. Great dramatization and fascinating personalities will keep you hooked until the end of the movie.
Get acquainted with the sly entrepreneurs who profited from this crisis. The film has earned various accolades such as the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Comedy amongst others. This is a recommended film for everyone.
War Dogs
War Dogs is a 2016 dark comedy-crime film based on real-life events. The movie is based on Arms and the Dudes written by Guy Lawson. Jonah Hill, Miles Teller, Ana de Armas, and Bradley Cooper are the major artists of the movie.
The story has two main characters namely Efraim Diveroli and David Packouz who get a whopping ammunition contract for the Afghan National Army. Previously a massage therapist, David becomes an arms supplier for the US government. David becomes a part of AEY. David has a girlfriend named Iz who is not aware of the nature of his business.
It is intriguing to watch the protagonists’ resorting to various illegal ways to meet the terms of their contract including bribery. The trio even manages to escape death. Moreover, some turn of events happens and David’s ally becomes untrustworthy. Eventually, they are arrested by the FBI. Although many aspects of the film are fictionalized, it still succeeds in captivating the audience.
The film’s box office managed to surpass its budget. Some of the actors such as Jonah Hill’s had a compelling performance. Apart from this, other reasons to watch the film include a great script and exceptional acting.
Boiler Room
This is a relatively older movie. An award-winning movie having a wonderful storyline, it has captured the interests of many. The lead roles are played by Giovanni Ribisi and Vin Diesel. The main character Seth Davis is a college dropout who runs an unlicensed casino in his home. This very fact is not appreciated by his father, who is a federal judge in New York.
But one single, day everything changes. After meeting Greg Weinstein, Seth joins a brokerage firm that reveals him the formula to become a millionaire. This firm deals with speculative penny stocks.
He passes the Series 7 Exam and becomes an independent stockbroker. The guy then succeeds in scamming Harry Reynard, manager of a gourmet foods company. Eventually, he is disowned by his father.
Even he becomes guilty of this act. It is extremely exciting to watch the complete movie to understand the repercussions of excessive greed. The movie received mixed responses from the audience. It gives the message that money-related crime leads to the dooming of one’s destiny.
American Psycho
This film is directed by Mary Harron. This movie is all about men’s vanity. The main actor in the film is Christian Bale who plays Patrick Bateman, an attractive sociopath. He works for Wall Street. Patrick has hidden alternate personalities. He is the embodiment of Confusion, hatred, self-loathing, and lust.
The movie portrays the executive lifestyle of the males with a bit of fetishism. Being a comical movie, it comprises numerous jokes. The Bateman (Patrick) murders a score of people in a gruesome manner.
Indeed, he is a narcissist driven by the ego who victimizes women. The film presents the character in a satiric light and despises him. What’s more? The landscape is chaotic and crazy laughs can be experienced by the viewers. The menace is outright.
Catch Me If You Can
This film is directed by the renowned producer Steven Spielberg with the main actors being Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken and others. Being a true story, many of its elements are derived from real life. Basically, the film showcases the life of Frank Abagnale who duped people by impersonating as a pilot, doctor, and lawyer.
The guy does not attend the respective schools but still practices all the above occupations. This cool kid becomes a victim of trauma when his parents get divorced. Frank gets a 12-year sentence in a maximum-security prison for the cons that he commits. Interestingly, he becomes so apt at fraud check that the FBI later seeks his assistance in apprehending other forgers.
Indeed, the story is very preposterous and will keep you hooked. Isn’t it interesting to see the transition of this kid from a genius to a criminal? He gets everything he wants viz. status, respect and babes. And even downfall, in the end.
The Social Network
Want to know the untold story of the popular social service-Facebook? If your answer is yes, then this movie is made for you. The Social Network is a 2010 biographical drama movie directed by David Fincher.
The main actors are Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake besides others. After watching this movie, you’ll get to understand the backdrop of Facebook. Mark creates a website called Facemash that allows visitors to rate the attractiveness of female students at Harvard University.
The story inculcates the whims and fancies of the 19-year-old student Mark Zuckerberg, and against that the founding story of Facebook is revealed. He even considers an exclusive dating site that is later released as ‘Facebook’.
The film grossed billions of dollars worldwide and succeeded in surpassing major titles of 2010. Further, it has won certain awards and was nominated for seven British Academy Film Awards. Most people have watched this movie. For those who haven’t watched yet, the groundbreaking film is a must-watch.
Margin Call
This is one of the movies set during the 2008 financial crunch. According to critics, it is the best Wall Street movie ever made. The director of the movie belongs to a family of investment bankers.
The film stars prominent personalities such as Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, etc. The movie starts with an unnamed investment bank laying off innumerable people on the trading floor during a normal business day. Sullivan, a risk analyst tries to raise the issue of high volatility levels of mortgage-backed securities.
He, along with certain other prominent people of the company, tries to prevent the firm from going bankrupt. The managers call an emergency meeting overnight. The people who were acquainted with the risks and never paid any heed to them start engaging in a blame game. Another round of layoffs awaits the employees.
Get ready to watch the persuasion, blame games, and the desire to accumulate huge sums of money in this movie. The movie garnered much attention from the public and was nominated for various accolades.
Nightcrawler
The main actors in the movie are Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, and Bill Paxton. Nightcrawler portrays the story of a sadist and ruthless man who is ready to do any kind of work/job to earn a living.
The movie was probably a novel idea. The scenes are shot in the sparkling city of Los Angeles. This man gets a perfect job for him in which he has to capture crime scenes including road accidents and shootings. He then sells the footage to a local TV news station. Things take an ugly turn when this man starts fabricating the crimes.
Indeed, this very thought is horrible. The story is filled with violence and gore. The movie performed well at the box office, particularly due to the plot and exceptional acting. It has received many awards and was even nominated at the 87th Academy Awards. This thriller film will definitely provide you with an unforgettable experience.
Trainspotting
This film revolves around five friends, who are drug addicts. It is directed by Danny Boyle and features famous people such as Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner amongst others.
The addicts want to clean themselves, but end up reselling a hefty volume of drugs in London, England. The movie depicts the desperate saga of these addicts. It also reveals the level of devastation that will arise owing to substance abuse.
These guys do not have any home or a place to stay. With the passage of time, the friends get a major deal. Their painstaking approaches and outrageous ways to search for drugs will certainly leave you in awe. Due to the adult content, this movie may not be appropriate for all. Still, it gives the message that addiction only leads to doom and nothing else.
Wall Street
This is the oldest movie on this list. It was made by Oliver Stone to pay tribute to his father who was a stockbroker during the Great Depression. Some of the prime actors are Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, and Daryl Hannah.
The film shows a junior stockbroker (Bud) who desires to work with an eminent Wall Street player named Gekko. After many instances and numerous attempts, Gekko becomes a client of Bud. It is extremely exciting to watch the protagonist who is fond of winning becoming a true hero.
The Wall Street Shark, Gekko is certainly a predator, who is the main inspiration of Bud. As incredible as it sounds, many people have even become stockbrokers after watching the movie. This proves the influence of the film characters. This movie is a must-watch for people who are captivated by the stock market. The sequel titled Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps was released on September 24, 2010.
Rogue Trader
This biographical drama film premiered in 1999. It is also based on a true story. The movie stars Ewan McGregor and Anna Friel as the main actors. The protagonist is Nick, who becomes the General Manager of the Singapore Trading Floor (the SIMEX exchange). After a huge loss occurs, Nick escapes to Malaysia along with his wife.
Due to his gambling, Barings Bank goes bankrupt. Finally, he is arrested on his way to London. In spite of having a slow pace, the story will keep you hooked. You’ll get to know the complexities of the futures markets with an element of suspense.
Goodfellas
This movie is directed by Martin Scorsese and was released in 1990. The main characters are played by Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, and Robert De Niro. The main genre of the film is a gangster.
This will appeal to people who are fond of mafia and kingpin style movies. The main characters are associates and spend most of their nights at a nightclub. This suggests that men are some sort of womanizers. One of them is even a made man.
As the story progresses, viewers get to witness the greed, bloodlust, and criminal nature of the characters and ultimately their efforts to counteract each other. This enigmatic tale is certainly a masterpiece, owing to the superb performance of the lead actors. The film managed to earn a huge profit and won five accolades from BAFTA.
It was also nominated for six Academy Awards. It is regarded as one of the greatest films ever made and has inspired others to come up with ideas similar to its content and style.
So, this was a list of the best alternatives to the Wolf of Wall Street. We hope that this article will help you to find the best movie. Without any doubt, most films included in this article are blockbusters. Some movies may even give you insights into the stock market. Go ahead and delve into the exciting world where wealthy heroes rule and only the fortunate ones survive.