Must-Watch Movies and Documentaries about Day Trading
Unfortunately, few movies depict the life of a day trader. The pressure to struggle between profit and imminent loss rarely appears in Hollywood movies. So if you want to learn more about trading, it is essential that you keep up with how pop culture presents the world of trading today. You won’t find many “day trading movies” or movies about the forex industry in general; however, the forex industry is also not the only trading industry in the world.
Must-watch trading movies
As stated above, there aren’t many movies about day traders. Nevertheless, it makes sense to type “best day trading movies,” “day trading movies,” “movies about day trading,” “day trading movie,” and “best movies about day trading.”
Hopefully, the movies below will make the world of trading look more attractive. Whether you are an inexperienced trader or a professional, it is vital to know how the world sees traders.
Through this, the trader will be able to conduct him or herself accordingly. However, these movies are not just about how traders are seen; the movies below are also about how the world of trading, be it on Wall Street or off Wall Street, really is.
This is why the list of movies contains masterpieces of fiction, stories based on true events, as well as documentaries trying to capture the true stories behind the events they describe. This way, inexperienced traders will know what they are getting into, while professional traders will be able to advance themselves in the industry with the mistakes and the expectations of the world in mind.
Day traders and interesting movies
We can start with The Big Short (2015). It was directed by Adam McKay and earned him a lot of praise worldwide. This film was nominated for several Academy Awards, as well as BAFTA and other awards.
The Big Short received awards for its screenplay, including an Oscar, which is high praise and makes the above-mentioned movie one of the best trading movies in history. It is based on the stories of a number of individuals that were part of the trading industry in 2008, right before the 2008 financial crisis.
According to the script, one person, Michael Burry, is able to foresee the market crash and starts betting against (shorting) the real estate market. Notably, this, in turn, results in two more people noticing the trend; one of them is a banker, and the other person is a hedge fund manager. This story tells how Michael Burry and others started betting against the market, expecting the economic crash and how the crash brought them phenomenal amounts of profit.
While at it, The Big Short also goes into detail about some of the industry lingo, as well as the more complicated concepts that arise within the film. This makes the film from 2015 incredibly easy to understand while also providing some knowledge to the viewer, which makes it a great movie to watch for all beginner traders looking to learn more about trading, CFDs, subprime mortgages, etc.
Besides, you get some fantastic performances by Steve Carell, Ryan Gossling, and the rest of the star-studded cast. However, don’t feel bad for not liking any of the characters. The Big Short doesn’t want you to like them, and they don’t much like themselves either.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Regarding interesting movies, we need to mention The Wolf of Wallstreet.
Directed by Martin Scorsese with a cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey, Margot Robbie, and more amazing stars, this was considered by many to be the film of the decade.
The Wolf of Wall Street was nominated for multiple awards and features some of the most impressive story writing, action as well as the most impressive jaw-dropping moments in film history.
It follows the story of Jordan Belfort, a less than scrupulous financial specialist, as Belfort goes from rich to more affluent to filthy rich to have the kind of money many can’t even dream of.
The great thing about The Wolf of Wall Street is that it takes its time to explain some of the concepts of trading while also showing the kind of suspicious acts the man was engaging in. In its overall presentation and contents, The Wolf of Wall Street is one of the best movies on forex trading and not forex trading. The movie will galvanize many and has made many want to trade for all the wrong reasons, but we still recommend it.
Wall Street (1987)
Directed by Oliver Stone and featured Michael Douglas, Martin Sheen, and Charlie Sheen. The film was made more than 30 years ago, but the sentiment towards money seems to ring true through time, with the tagline “Greed is Good” following it wherever it goes.
One interesting fact: The performance in the film earned Michael Douglas an Academy Award, so yes, it is definitely worth watching just because Wall Street is a good movie. But beyond that, Wall Street explores in-depth what Wall Street trading looks like. The movie tries to portray the type of people who are drawn to trading in both positive as well as negative lights, with those who are driven by greed shown to be what they truly are.
The film explores insider trading and how easy it is to be tempted by large sums of money. It is worth noting that you will see the trading floors enough while being kept on your toes by adrenaline throughout the entire film. Last but not least, the themes covered within this film definitely make it one of the top movies for Forex traders.
Trader (1987)
Directed by Michael Glyn, Trader is about Paul Tudor Jones II, one of the most legendary traders. This movie will be useful for inexperienced traders. Do you know why? The trader is about the man who made millions of dollars trading Futures and Forex.
The movie follows Paul Tudor Jones II, describing his life, sensibilities, and the way Paul Tudor Jones II works while tracking and exploring how complex and fast-moving the world of trading is.
More importantly, all of this takes place right before the market crash of 1987, offering an outlook on the market and the world that is rarely seen or captured by fictional films of the time.
Certainly, Paul Tudor Jones II is one of the most important traders and hedge fund managers alive today. He, in many ways, defined the way the market works today by how he acted and how he traded throughout the years. It is desirable to watch Trader.
He owns one of the most significant investment funds, Tudor Group. Go ahead and watch Trader; you won’t regret learning how a man who has been this successful operates.
Boiler Room (2000)
We should not forget about Boiler Room as well. It was directed by Ben Younger and had a star-studded cast featuring Vin Diesel, Ben Affleck, and other impressive actors.
Many people like Boiler Room because it offers viewers an important and incredibly interesting story. It follows the main character, who decides to get a job as a broker and on his journey to becoming incredibly rich, at any expense.
Boiler Room explores the thin line that lies between morality, decency as well as the unconstrained pursuit of riches. The high-speed action, the incredible wealth, and the fun of the film could help any person try and participate in the world of trading. This inspiring nature is what makes this movie one of the best movies for traders in Forex or otherwise while also keeping it as one of the best movies about business, in general.
Inside Job (2010)
Inside Job was directed by Charles Ferguson. It is regarded as one of the best documentaries to have been made about the 2008 market meltdown; this one is a must-watch. The movie explores the world of trading in 2008, specifically the trading that led to the crash, the trading that was happening during it, and the trading that took place afterward.
Inside Job starts a conversation with all the businessmen who made money and lost it upcoming and during 2008. Furthermore, it explores the effects, the corruption, and the details of trading that happened. It is an uncompromising look at the issues that the industry faces while getting directly in the face of those who operate in it. Undoubtedly, Inside Job is one of the best stock trading movies out there, and if you have not done so yet, you should put it on your schedule of movies to watch.
Rogue Trader (1999)
Rogue Trader is a cautionary tale of trader Nick Leeson. He went bankrupt in 1995 after accumulating $1.3 billion in hidden trading losses. The film initially captured the excitement of turning a massive loss into an equally huge victory. In the end, this false confidence led to the collapse of England’s oldest banking institution.
Rogue Trader describes the consequences of adding a complete lack of trade management to losing positions. Notably, any trader who has a liquidated position can prove that making money desperately will never win. This timeless reminder resonates throughout the above-mentioned movie, as it places the audience in the cockpit of a racing car speeding over a cliff. Traders can recognize all signs of an approaching blowout. So, a well-managed stop loss is better than a poorly managed victory.
