The Big Short tells the story of bond and real estate derivative geeks who saw the housing crash of 2008 coming and bet against the collateralized debt obligation bubble, thus striking it rich. If you’ve already seen it and are looking for more, we have compiled a list of great movies like The Big Short you can watch. Shadiness, greed, actualization, and ruthlessness combined with a corporate/political compartmentalization that makes it impossible for any one group, let alone a single person, to understand the full problem… and why it impacted the entire world… and really… continues to do so almost 12 years later.
Wall Street investors learn that the economy is in the process of an implosion that will leave many people broke and homeless. This biographical comedy shows us how human greed can break the world if left unchecked. Thanks to its talented actors, we may not understand the financial world, but we do appreciate good filmmaking.
List of Movies Like The Big Short
1. Margin Call (2011)
The movie Margin Call follows an analyst who starts working at an Investment Bank. He uncovers information that could destroy his boss in the 2008 financial crisis. Based on the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the movie gives a realistic representation of what happened in the interiors of the Wall Street firm. The company resorts to downsizing to save the firm from the crisis.
This terrifically gripping film is an object lesson in the show – don’t tell that engages the audience’s intelligence to work out the implications of what is happening through hints and allusions and not through explicit explanations. If you want to see more stories about Mortgage Crisis after watching movies like The Big Short, then Margin Call is a must-watch.
2. Too Big To Fail (2011)
After leaving his top job at Goldman Sachs, Henry Paulson, the secretary of the Treasury, tried to tackle the problems that arose during the global economic meltdown. This film offers a close look at the financial crisis of 2008. This movie asks questions about Inside jobs and does very well in explaining the root cause.
Too Big To Fail is a very interesting film with great performances from the cast. I will highly recommend you watch this film if you wish to learn more about the financial crisis; this is truly an eye-opening film like The Big Short.
3. The Ides of March (2011)
The Ides of March is a political movie that features Ryan Gosling and George Clooney at the centre. Ryan plays an idealistic staffer for a new presidential candidate who gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail.
The film does a great job of displaying the corruption that goes on and how it can infiltrate the most honest campaigns, which began with pure intentions to do good for people. The Ides of March will remind you of how inside jobs and corruption can affect everyone around. I highly recommend this movie to those who like the political genre of movies like The Big Short.
4. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Directed by the well-known director Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wallstreet is a black comedy crime film that recounts Jordan Belfort’s perspective on his career as a New York City broker. The film introduces viewers to life in the fast lane through stockbroking; Belfort takes a hit after a Wall Street crash. He teams up with Donnie Azoff, cheating his way to the top as his relationships slide.
This movie isn’t a usual biopic of any prominent, respectable person but is rather based on a crazy true story where a man who goes from a nobody to a rich man. Extremely crazy, and highly entertaining, I will highly recommend you The Wolf of Wallstreet as a fan of movies like The Big Short.
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5. The Founder (2016)
The Founder brings the true story of Ray Kroc, an American Businessman who bought and became the CEO of McDonald’s and created a billion-dollar empire. Before this, Ray was a middle-aged struggling salesman on road, everything changes when he meets Mac and Dick McDonald.
The film showcases what it takes to build such a dominant empire and what it costs. Micheal Kenton does exceptional work as Ray Kroc. The story has a lot to learn in fact, it’s taken as a case study from pretty much all the business schools and universities because it shows the vision and the entrepreneurship of an entrepreneur, which is not in the hamburger business at all but in the real estate business. The Founder is a great film similar to The Big Short.
6. 21 (2008)
Based on a true story, the movie 21 is a card game-casino heist in which a group of M.I.T. students masterminds learn how to count cards (an illegal casino practice) in the game Blackjack in order to steal millions from Las Vegas casinos. Ben Campbell is the main character, a young, highly intelligent M.I.T. student who wants a scholarship to go to Harvard.
Ben’s math teacher, Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey), bribes him into joining a blackjack group so he can pay for Harvard tuition. Ben’s morals and outlook are tested by this journey. Cole Williams, played by Laurence Fishburne, is a brutal casino security guard who has a personal resentment for Rosa and wants to bring him down. If you just watch exciting movies like The Big Short that will leave you speechless, then 21 is the Right choice for you.
7. Joy (2015)
Joy is an American biographical comedy-drama film starring Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano, a self-made millionaire who created her own business empire. Facing betrayal, treachery, the loss of innocence, and the scars of love, Joy becomes a true boss of family and enterprise in a world of unforgiving commerce.
Joy is an inspirational film for aspiring entrepreneurs, and Jennifer Lawrence’s performance is terrific and highly underrated. So, If you are looking for inspiring movies about business like The Big Short, then Joy won’t disappoint you.
8. Hustlers (2019)
Inspired by the viral New York Magazine article, Hustlers follows a crew of savvy former strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients.
Destiny meets Ramona, an old friend and veteran exotic dancer, who shows her how to swindle money from rich clients. However, they soon land in trouble as their scheme does not last very long. Check out this film if you’re looking for more movies like The Big Short.
9. The Report (2019)
The plot follows staffer Daniel Jones and the Senate Intelligence Committee as they investigate the Central Intelligence Agency’s use of torture following the September 11th attacks. It covers more than a decade’s worth of real-life political intrigue, exploring and compacting Jones’s 6,700-page report.
An outstanding depiction of how far governments or authorities are willing to go in order to make their people safe by cornering all moral ethics & accountability. It’s a deep & thorough case study about the detention & interrogation program used by the country’s top investigation agency post-9/11 attacks.
Also Read: Movies About Secret Societies
10. The Social Network (2010)
David Ficher’s The Social Network is based on Mark Zuckerberg as he created a social networking site, Facebook, with his friend Eduardo’s help. Though it turns out to be a successful venture, he severs ties with several people along the way. The very template of an assured masterpiece, The Social Network is exactly what happens when an impeccable script, a visionary director & a talented ensemble unite under one roof and work together in perfect harmony.
Chronicling the founding of Facebook, the story concerns Mark Zuckerberg, a Harvard sophomore who, in his dorm room, creates a social networking site that would later take over the digital world, unlike anything before or since but later finds himself being sued by two brothers who claim he stole their idea and also by the co-founder who was squeezed out of the company. Check out The Social Network if you’re looking for more similar films like The Big Short.
Honourable Mentions
Here are a few incredible movies like The Big Short that didn’t make our list, you ca have a look at theme as well:
- Moneyball
- The Nice Guys
- Dallas Buyers Club
- American Hustle
