When it comes to learning financial skills, you don’t have to stick to books and courses. In this digital world, social media and film sectors can also teach different kinds of skills. Therefore, movies can be a great source of financial education as they tell the most compelling stories with characters you can easily identify with. You can learn everything from these movies including investing, saving, entrepreneurship, and even greed pitfalls in the most entertaining packages.
Do Films Really Teach Financial Skills?
Movies tend to depict scenarios in real life. This makes it easier for one to understand financial concepts in a more practical and personal way. Characters portray financial life struggles, critical decisions, and the consequences thereof. This makes learning about money a lot more enjoyable and memorable, sometimes even learning things from a movie made years ago.
Here are some interesting movies that not only provide a good cinema experience but also teach you the major financial skills that will help you in the future.
# | Films | Ratings on Rotten Tomatoes | Ratings on IMDb |
1 | Inside Job | 98% | 8.2/10 |
2 | Margin Call | 87% | 7.1/10 |
3 | Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room | 97% | 7.6/10 |
4 | It’s a Wonderful Life | 94% | 8.6/10 |
5 | The Ascent of Money | 97% | 7.9/10 |
6 | The Company Men | 67% | 6.7/10 |
7 | Too Big to Fail | 77% | 7.3/10 |
8 | Boiler Room | 66% | 7/10 |
9 | The Wizard of Lies | 73% | 6.8/10 |
10 | Becoming Warren Buffett | 84% | 7.5/10 |
Inside Job
This film is based on the financial crisis of 2008 when thousands of people lost their jobs and homes. It’s an Oscar-winning movie produced by Charles Ferguson, Jeffrey Lurie, and Audrey Marrs. Inside Job narrates the exact situation of the financial crisis that focuses the greed and corruption in financial sector.
The director of this film conducted various interviews and collected real-time data for this film. In other words, this is a documentary film that narrates the original stories of those affected persons with the financial crisis. This film delves into the challenges that left various types of impacts on the lives of affected persons. Inside Job is not only a film it also teaches you that if you want to make money you should be aware of the risks, consequences, impacts, and decision-making. It is a must-watch film for those who want to know the pitfalls and risks of businesses.
Margin Call
Margin Call was directed by J. C. Chandor in 2011. It is a great film that offers various lessons on finances such as risk management and crisis decisions. The movie illustrates the need for understanding financial markets with the importance of risks and consequences. It is also an excellent source to help understand strategies and ethical challenges faced by investment professionals during periods of financial instability. The movies are just perfect for any observer looking to find out what precisely goes on in a financial firm when a disaster strikes.
Enron (The Smartest Guys in the Room)
This is a documentary film directed by Alex Gibney and narrated by Peter Coyote. The film is an essential view for people who care to understand the risk of corporate malpractice and illegal financial conduct. It portrays, in minute detail, how a lack of prudent financial monitoring, greed, and deceit precipitated the fall of Enron. This serves as a cautionary tale that warns prospective financiers on ethics, responsibility, and soundness of finances in conducting business.
It’s a Wonderful Life
Although a Christmas movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” directed by Frank Capra, stands as a classic teaching about learning from life about personal finance, community lending, and the impacts of finance. This film shows that great financial planning and personal potential are important to the community. It’s a Wonderful Life is a film that illustrates the financial impacts on an individual and society.
The Ascent of Money
This is a documentary series that explains the historical evolution of money, financial systems, and their relationship in society’s development. It traces the origins of banking, stock markets, and modern economic systems, giving us a deeper understanding of how global finance operates today. This series also emphasizes the role of finance in shaping both individual and societal wealth, making it a great resource for anybody wanting to know the foundations of financial knowledge.
The Company Men
John Wells was the director of this film. The Company Men is a great film to learn about the financial flexibility of a company and the personal consequences of corporate decision-making. The film focuses on the employee experience during downsizing, as if financial instability does not just strike businesses but strikes the lives of individuals as well. This film acts as a wake-up call to diversify and prepare for job market financial fluctuations. It also stresses the need for solid financial planning during times of uncertainty.
Too Big to Fail
Too Big to Fail is an intriguing study into the 2008 financial crisis and the critical decisions major banks and government institutions made to prevent a total meltdown. This film provides crucial lessons about the interconnection of global finance, the risk that financial institutions involved, and the complexity of government intervention during a crisis. This film gives an interesting insight to people interested in how big financial decisions are made into the details of global financial systems.
Boiler Room
Boiler Room is a quick-paced cautionary tale about the dangers of get-rich-quick schemes and fraudulent financial practices. The movie centers on stockbrokers who engage in unethical trading, emphasizing the importance of diligence, research, and upholding ethical standards in financial dealings. It’s a great teaching tool for understanding the risks of speculative investments and the consequences of trading without proper knowledge or oversight.
The Wizard of Lies
It’s a Barry Levinson film and was awarded by Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture Made for Television. This biographical drama based on Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme teaches valuable lessons in trust, transparency, and the importance placed on ethical financial conduct. It exposes the terrible results of fraudulent financial schemes and is, therefore, a must-watch for anyone interested in contemplating the perils of unchecked financial power. The role of regulators is portrayed in the film as the impact of deceit on investors and how unethical financial conduct reaches as far as it does.
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Becoming Warren Buffett
Becoming Warren Buffett is a masterclass in long-term investment strategies, financial discipline, and the importance of patience in building wealth. Through the life and practices of one of the most successful investors in history, viewers gain insight into the principles of value investing and the importance of financial patience and perseverance. This documentary would provide excellent teaching material for the value of strategic financial thinking, sound investment practices, and sticking to one’s conscience in the face of market volatility.
Financial skills are very important in starting a new business. you will have to be aware of all these consequences and risks about your business before indulging in it. People must know about finances, tricks, purchasing, and buying. These 10 movies offer you the best lessons regarding finances. Each film has a unique storyline that opens new doors to provide you with business skills. Start a business but always prepare yourself for loss. Also, always keep a backup of your finances so that if you go through bad days your family does not suffer from it.