50 entertaining money movies to watch

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Written by Glen James

Host of the money money money (formerly my millennial money) & Retire Right podcasts & author of The Quick-Start Guide to Investing.

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Here’s some money-based movies to keep you entertained! Lots of money, no money at all, love and money, heists, crime, rich families, chasing money, investing, ransoms, forging cheques – we’ve tried to cover it all in this list! We do not endorse how characters in these movies try to make money . . . lol

comedies about money

1. Trading Places (1983) – A snobby investor and a street hustler become pawns in a rich man's bet, swapping lives to hilarious results.
   Key actors: Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Lee Curtis

2. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) – A high-flying stockbroker spirals out of control in a debauched pursuit of wealth.
   Key actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie

3. The Big Short (2015) – A group of investors predicts the 2008 financial crisis and bets against the housing market.
   Key actors: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling

4. Brewster’s Millions (1985) – A minor-league baseball player must spend $30 million in 30 days to inherit a fortune.
   Key actors: Richard Pryor, John Candy, Lonette McKee

5. The Money Pit (1986) – A couple’s dream home becomes a costly renovation nightmare.
   Key actors: Tom Hanks, Shelley Long, Alexander Godunov

6. Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) – A laid-off couple turns to comedic crime to pay the bills.
   Key actors: Jim Carrey, Téa Leoni, Alec Baldwin

7. My Blue Heaven (1990) – A mobster in witness protection struggles to fit into suburban life while scheming his way to riches.
   Key actors: Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, Joan Cusack

8. We’re the Millers (2013) – A fake family smuggles drugs across the border with ridiculous mishaps.
   Key actors: Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts

9. Office Space (1999) – A disgruntled office worker embezzles money from his soul-crushing job.
   Key actors: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Stephen Root

10. Horrible Bosses (2011) – Three friends plot to get rid of their oppressive bosses with wildly funny results.
    Key actors: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis

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drama about wealth, power, and greed

1. Wall Street (1987) – A young stockbroker is lured into the corrupt world of insider trading.
   Key actors: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Daryl Hannah

2. Moneyball (2011) – A baseball general manager uses data analytics to transform his losing team on a tight budget.
   Key actors: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman

3. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) – A group of desperate real estate agents resorts to unethical schemes to keep their jobs.
   Key actors: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin

4. Casino (1995) – The rise and fall of a Las Vegas casino boss caught in a web of greed and betrayal.
   Key actors: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci

5. American Psycho (2000) – A wealthy New York banker’s obsession with perfection leads to a murderous double life.
   Key actors: Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Reese Witherspoon

6. Goodfellas (1990) – A young man rises through the ranks of the mob but discovers the cost of loyalty.
   Key actors: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci

7. The Godfather (1972) – The story of a powerful mafia family navigating crime, loyalty, and power.
   Key actors: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan

8. Erin Brockovich (2000) – A single mother exposes a company polluting a town’s water supply, winning justice and a fortune.
   Key actors: Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart

9. Slumdog Millionaire (2008) – A poor young man competes on a game show, using his life’s trials to answer every question.
   Key actors: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor

10. The Social Network (2010) – The dramatic rise of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and the legal battles it sparked.
    Key actors: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake

heist and con movies

1. Ocean’s Eleven (2001) – A suave thief assembles a team to pull off a daring Las Vegas casino heist.
   Key actors: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts

2. The Italian Job (2003) – A team of thieves plans an elaborate gold heist in Venice.
   Key actors: Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton

3. Now You See Me (2013) – A group of magicians pulls off bank heists during their live shows.
   Key actors: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson

4. Catch Me If You Can (2002) – A young con artist successfully impersonates professionals while evading the FBI.
   Key actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken

5. Inside Man (2006) – A bank robbery turns into a psychological game between robbers and the police.
   Key actors: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster

6. The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) – A millionaire art thief plays cat-and-mouse with a clever insurance investigator.
   Key actors: Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary

7. Heat (1995) – A master thief and a determined cop face off in a battle of wits and wills.
   Key actors: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer

8. Tower Heist (2011) – An apartment staff plots to steal back their stolen pensions from a corrupt financier.
   Key actors: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck

9. Snatch (2000) – A chaotic tale of boxing, stolen diamonds, and quirky criminals.
   Key actors: Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Benicio Del Toro

10. Logan Lucky (2017) – A group of working-class misfits plans a NASCAR heist with unexpected hurdles.
    Key actors: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig

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classics featuring money themes

1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – A man discovers the true value of life after losing his savings.
   Key actors: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore

2. Citizen Kane (1941) – The rise and fall of a wealthy newspaper tycoon obsessed with his past.
   Key actors: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore

3. How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) – Three women plot to marry rich men but find unexpected love instead.
   Key actors: Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable

4. The Sting (1973) – Two con artists team up for an elaborate revenge scheme against a crime boss.
   Key actors: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw

5. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) – Gold prospectors face greed and betrayal in the Mexican mountains.
   Key actors: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt

6. The Gold Rush (1925) – A prospector’s adventures in the Klondike are filled with humor and hardship.
   Key actors: Charlie Chaplin, Mack Swain, Tom Murray

7. You Can’t Take It With You (1938) – A quirky family shows a rich businessman the joys of life beyond money.
   Key actors: Jean Arthur, Lionel Barrymore, James Stewart

8. Bonnie and Clyde (1967) – A couple’s infamous crime spree leads to notoriety and tragedy.
   Key actors: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman

9. A Christmas Carol (1951) – A miserly man learns the value of generosity after ghostly visitations.
   Key actors: Alastair Sim, Mervyn Johns, Hermione Baddeley

10. The Great Gatsby (2013) – A mysterious millionaire’s lavish lifestyle hides his pursuit of a lost love.
    Key actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire

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family-friendly money movies

1. Richie Rich (1994) – The world’s richest kid must save his parents from a corporate takeover.
   Key actors: Macaulay Culkin, Jonathan Hyde, John Larroquette

2. Blank Check (1994) – A kid accidentally receives a blank check and lives out his wildest dreams.
   Key actors: Brian Bonsall, Karen Duffy, Miguel Ferrer

3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) – A poor boy’s golden ticket leads to a magical factory tour.
   Key actors: Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, Helena Bonham Carter

4. Mad Money (2008) – Three women plan to steal old money destined for shredding from the Federal Reserve.
   Key actors: Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes

5. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) – A homeless man’s relentless pursuit of success transforms his life.
   Key actors: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Thandiwe Newton

6. Enchanted April (1991) – Four women escape their dreary lives by renting an Italian villa, discovering life’s riches.
   Key actors: Miranda Richardson, Josie Lawrence, Joan Plowright

7. Money for Nothing (1993) – A working-class man finds a bag of stolen cash and faces moral dilemmas.
   Key actors: John Cusack, Debi Mazar, Michael Madsen

8. Cinderella Man (2005) – A down-on-his-luck boxer fights to provide for his family during the Great Depression.
   Key actors: Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Paul Giamatti

9. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) – A classic tale of a poor boy entering a magical chocolate factory.
   Key actors: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum

10. Babe (1995) – A farmer and his prize pig discover unexpected fortune and fame.
    Key actors: James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, Christine Cavanaugh

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