There is never such a thing as enough money and movies have proved this over the years through the stories of aggressive, greedy businessmen. Despite being in privileged positions where they can afford everything they need, these villains and antiheroes spend their days figuring out how to accumulate more wealth, and they do so by crossing all moral boundaries.
To the businessmen themselves, it’s simply a case of being ambitious and ensuring they remain winners, but in the process of them getting what they want, the lives of several people get destroyed. Even so, the films about people with insatiable financial appetites remain interesting to watch, and as detestable as the characters are, audiences can’t help but root for them sometimes.
15Wall Street (1987)
Wall Streetexamines the art of corporate raiding (buying large stakes and then working to drive up their value), through the infamous Wall Street broker, Gordon Gekko. One of Gekko’s tactics include buying stocks upon hearing rumors of a takeover, forcing the potential buyer to pay him huge sums. His other tactic includes acquiring companies and then liquidating them, to benefit from pension and insurance agreements.
It’s all very illegal and Gekko gets away with it for a long time until his protégé suddenly becomes righteous and remorseful. The young man is appalled by the lack of empathy his mentor shows, so he vows to set him up, leading to his arrest and conviction. Still, it takes a while for that to happen, and before it does, the movie gives audiences ample time to enjoy the planning and execution of the schemes.
14The Founder (2016)
AmongMichael Keaton’s greatest movies,The Founderis one of the least appreciated, yet it’s the most informative. The major detail that the biopic lets audiences know is that the founders of McDonald’s didn’t benefit much from the global restaurant chain. All the glory went to the salesman Ray Croc, who offered to help the brothers franchise their restaurant only to present himself as the genius behind it all before completely shoving the siblings out of their own creation.
As easy as it is to admire Croc’s charm and relentlessness, it’s also easy to hate him because the brothers do nothing to deserve the treatment that they get from him. He even promises them royalties, only to refuse to do so, and at one point one of them suffers a diabetic shock because of the unfortunate developments. The other asks Croc why he pushed them out of their business instead of just stealing the idea, to which he responds that the value is in the name.
13Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
Sometimes the threat of getting fired serves as a motivation for employees to work harder, but it can also inspire them to be greedy and malicious. InGlengarry Glen Ross,four real estate salesmen are forced to use dubious tactics after their patronizing and arrogant boss vows to only keep the top two performers at the end of the month.
Each of the employees fears being jobless because of various reasons, so they all end up backstabbing each other while defrauding clients at the same time. The general story is totally engrossing, which is no surprise considering that the movie is adapted from David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize–winning play and the script was written by the author himself.
12War Dogs (2016)
For long-time friends Efraim (Jonah Hill) and David (Miles Teller), getting rich is a priority, so they decide to start a company to bid for military contracts during the war in Iraq. Initially, they do well by handling small contracts, but they soon become ravenous and bid for a $300 million contract for the supply of AK-47s, yet they have no clue how to get the guns.
It’s at this point thatWar Dogsgets interesting. Because there is a global shortage of the needed weapons, the duo approaches a blacklisted arms trafficker to help them get the supply, and from there on, it all falls down. Overall, fans are treated to one ofJonah Hill’s best performances, as well as marvelous quotes and amazing globetrotting adventures that stretch from Albania to Baghdad.
11Greed (2019)
The appropriately titledGreedfollows a gourmandizing businessman who continues to demonstrate his thirst for money and gratification even as he is being investigated by the authorities. Sir Richard “Greedy” McCreadie (based on the former Acardia group CEO Philip Green) is accused of tax avoidance, asset stripping, and reliance on sweatshops for his fashion line, yet he still finds it appropriate to throw a Gladiator-themed 60th birthday party on the Greek island of Mykonos. And even for that, he uses low-paid immigrant workers for the preparations.
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Overall,Greedprioritizes fun and family rather than business matters. Much of the plot revolves around the birthday preparations and as the story unfolds, audiences are given a proper look at McCradie’s poor relationships with both his loved ones and his employees. He is the kind of person who sees no problem in forcing people to dress like Roman slaves or insulting them in front of others. In the end, he pays for his sins in a brutal fashion.
10The Big Short (2015)
The Big Shortis a perfect movie for those who care more about good performances than the story. The strong cast includes Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Steve Carell, and Christian Bale, who each show greater enthusiasm than they normally do in their other projects. The events — based on Michael Lewis’The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine— center around the hedge fund manager Michael Burry’s decision to bet his investors’ money on the collapse of the housing market.
It’s a mildly unethical move since Burry doesn’t ask those who have trusted him with their money for permission. As expected, lawsuits and threats follow, but he sticks to his guts as he believes that the move will change his life. Interestingly, this turns out to be a rare case where greed pays off. True to his vision, the fund’s value shoots by 489%, making him and his investors wildly rich.
9How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967)
Based on the similarly titled stage musical,How to Succeed in Business Without Really Tryingfeels very much likeMad Men. There is an antihero who never hesitates to use questionable means to rise up the corporate ladder and an office full of women dressed in colorful ‘60s dresses. Still, there is a reason to love this story more than that of the AMC series because it’s the grass-to-grace type, and the person at the center of it is unapologetically Machiavellian in his approach.
J. Pierrepont Finch isn’t born intelligent. While working as a window cleaner, bumps into the bookHow to Succeed in Businessand vows to follow each step. Soon he finds himself in a corner office before finally becoming the head of the company. Nothing is ever enough for him, and he never cares who he hurts during his quest to rise to the top. The ‘60s flick doesn’t take itself too seriously either. It’s a musical at heart, so there are numerous dance numbers and captivating romance subplots.
8The Wolf of Wall Street (2014)
Undoubtedly one ofMartin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio’s greatest collaborations,The Wolf of Wall Streetfollows the persuasive and ambitious Jordan Belfort as he rises from a junior investment broker to the wealthy owner of Stratton Oakmont. The events are all mostly factual as they are based on the real Belfort’s own memoir of the same name.
It’s the perfect crime movie as it’s full of excesses that include cursing and endless partying. Belfort’s strategy to get and stay rich involves using the “pump and dump” strategy (inflating the price of stock through misleading statements). Awed by the riches that he has accumulated from this method, Jordan sticks to it, but that proves to be his downfall. The FBI and the SEC come knocking, causing him to lose everything he held dear.
7Other Peoples Money (1991)
Like Gekko fromWall Street, “Larry the Liquidator” Garfield (Danny DeVito) fromOther Peoples Moneyis a corporate raider. In the same manner that bacteria does in the human body, he enjoys squeezing himself into companies and dismantling them for his own profit. When he targets a small cable company, the owner does his best to distract him, including instructing his attractive daughter-in-law to befriend him.
There’s obviously no saint in this particular movie. Everyone is looking after their own interests, but viewers will be inclined to side with the cable owner more. Soon, Danny falls in love with the lady, complicating his business plans and making him question what he initially stood for.Other People’s Moneyisn’t as strong as the Michael Douglas movie of the same kind, but it’s something viewers will thoroughly enjoy, especially because of the romance subplot.
6The Company Men (2010)
The Company Menis a realistic look at greed in the corporate world, showing that there are normally two extremes — some benefit greatly from it while others suffer. In the story, the employee of the shipbuilding company Global Transportation Systems (GTX), chooses to lay off numerous employees, and still build a new headquarters at the same time. The decision is seen as silly by some, but it soon pays off for him and other senior executives because the company’s stock improves greatly.
On the other hand, many lives are destroyed in the process. One particular employee struggles to come to terms with the job loss and keeps lying to his family every morning that he is going to work. In the end, he commits suicide. But despite all the negative things that are happening, the CEO doesn’t flinch. To him, money in his pocket is more important than the well-being of others.
