Best Trading Movies

Christmas is a time for movies, and it’s smart to have a few trading-related movie suggestions ready to strike, so you can get others fired up on the idea before someone mentions “Home Alone” again.

Here’s a few to consider:

Trading Places

THE best Christmas movie ever. If you haven’t seen it, put that down that mince pie and get watching.

It is a comedy from 1983 featuring Dan Aykryod and Eddie Murphy but has a few cool trading pit scenes.

And being a trader you’ll get what’s going on and what they are trying to do.

Trapped traders…?!

Boiler Room

Vin Diesel and Ben Affleck star in this one believe it or not!

Not strictly trading, more a big pump-and-dump scheme using cold calling.

A fun watch regardless.

Margin Call

Kevin Spacey stars in this movie following an investment bank during a 24 hour period right in the thick of the GFC circa 2008.

It depicts a new analyst basically opening up a spreadsheet and sounding the alarm on some serious exposure to mortgage-backed securities.

Mostly filmed in the board room, but interesting nevertheless.

Big Short

Great movie about a selection of traders and funds shorting the US housing bubble.

Worth watching to see Margot Robbie explaining mortgage-backed bonds and short selling from a bathtub…

That scene just so happens to be right here if you’re so inclined.

Wall Street

An absolute old-school classic with Michael Douglas as Gordon Gecko.

“Greed is good”!

A nice blend of insider trading, corporate takeovers, and greed.

Rogue Trader

This was a movie about Nick Leeson bringing down Baring’s Bank.

Starring Ewan McGregor it follows his story as he goes from star trader to criminal.

Some great trading pit scenes here and also some great lessons about trading psychology.

The public hated it, giving it 1.5 stars on rotten tomatoes, but I thought it was great!

(That’s probably the trader in me, but I still recommend)

Billions

Not strictly a movie but a great fictional series following a hedge fund as it makes dodgy trades and the power moves that come with it.

Rumour has it that Bobby Axelrod was depicting Steve Cohen.

And Wendy (the trading psychologist) for the hedge fund, was based on Denise Shull, author of Market Mind Games.