10 Money-themed Films to Revisit This Summer
Summertime is for beach trips, family outings, road trips, swimming and watching loads of blockbuster movies! Since this year has thrown us a curveball for how we go and do these activities, we’d like to share with you one of our favorite activities, watching movies with money plots and themes. Who doesn't love a themed movie night? Naturally, for us, it’s always fun to revisit our favorite accounting centric films and we’d like to share them with you to inspire your next movie night.
There are a plethora of films to choose from that feature some element of accounting/financial story or plot. Categories of money-themed movies range from drama to comedy to action and even sometimes thrilling. While the subject of money can vary such as tax evasion, insider stock trading, robbery, hustling and, most recently, money laundering. Our list is a good mixture of all of those.
So, here you go! Here are our 10 favorite money-themed Summer films to revisit:
Ghostbusters (The original one from the 80’s) We LOVE Louis Tully, the accountant! Rick Moranis plays the hilarious Tax Accountant, health nerd character, Louis Tully, who is also madly in love with Sigourney Weaver, his tall, gorgeous neighbor who finds herself constantly cornered by Louis’s charm. Watch his goofy antics here. We never stop laughing!
Wall Street (from the 80’s!) - Insider Trading. Released in 1987, Wall Street was a hot summer blockbuster film starring Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen and Daryll Hannah, directed by Oliver Stone. Wall Street is the ultimate 80’s film about the stock market hustle and the risks of insider trading. Wall Street is a tale about how quickly we are willing to forget our morals for the pursuit of wealth and power.
The Wolf of Wall Street - Stockbroker Success and Failure. Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a stellar performance based on the true story of Jordan Belfort who, back in the ’80s, found himself rising with the tide of fortune and wealth, living the high life of crime and corruption only to find he can’t handle the pressure.
The Color of Money - Game Hustling. Another ‘80’s American drama film based on the topic of money is The Color of Money. Directed by Martin Scorsese, Paul Newman and Tom Cruise star in this novel based film glorifying the game of pool and the ultimate hustle and flow of winning tournaments together. After what seemed to be the perfect plan for scamming players in a huge pool tournament, Newman and Cruise also find themselves entangled in a love triangle. Truly an entertaining film even to this day.
Ozark Money Laundering. Netflix and Jason Bateman have hit this series out of the park! Netflix’s widely popular Ozark was already a top pick for viewers since it was first released. Everything about this series is so well done and truly believable, it almost makes money laundering seem easy. But, it’s not! If you are one of the few people not watching the Netflix series, Ozark, it is highly recommended.
Trading Places - A hilarious spin on being a stockbroker! Dan Aykroyd, an upper-class stockbroker, and Eddie Murphy, a street smart hustler, star in this cleverly written comedy when their lives intersect and they become subject of a bet gone wrong. This film gives you lots of laughable spins and is always very entertaining no matter how many times you’ve watched it.
The Untouchables - What happens when you do not file a tax return! We love this truly authentic crime film about Al Capone’s illegal activity during the years of prohibition and the FBI’s struggle to bust him for his mobster activities. The story takes a major turn when Elliot Ness, played by Kevin Costner, decides if he can’t catch Capone in the act of selling and distributing illegal liquor, then he will charge Capone with not filing his taxes. Which we feel is such a clever move!
Casino - Las Vegas Gambling. In 1995, another brilliant Martin Scorcese film was released, Casino which follows Sam “Ace” Rothstein played by Robert DeNiro, who is asked by a Chicago Mob Boss to oversee the day-to-day operations of gambling and game playing at a specific hotel.
Scarface - Drug Cartel activities. Known as one of the most intense films ever produced, Scarface follows Tony Montana, played by Al Pacino, a Cuban refugee in Miami turned drug lord. This movie is bloody and teeth gripping but remains one of our favorites still today.
Drive - Owing a debt. A little lesser-known film with a killer soundtrack is Drive. Starring Ryan Gosling as an unnamed getaway driver for criminal activity who finds himself entangled in a dangerous love triangle complicated by owed debt and robbery.
Rainy days are perfect for sitting and watching old movies with the family. So, who's making the popcorn? We hope you enjoy our money-themed movie list and maybe you can even come up with your own. If you do, please share it with us!