Recommend me a Film! About Finance, Banking and/or Trading

Recommend me a Film! About Finance, Banking and/or Trading

Author
Discussion

Dave2P

Original Poster:

795 posts

186 months

Tuesday 8th October
quotequote all
Got a bright youngster undecided on degree subject (current preferred is Auto/Aero Engineering) who wants to know more about Finance and stuff (and preferably not from a TikTok Crypto-Bro...).

Recently enjoyed 'The Big Short' and wants to know more about the reality.

Any recommendations for good (factual) documentaries and/or dramatised films?

Searching throws up 'Trader', 'Wall Street' (obvs), etc. but is there anybody on YouTube worth watching?

Suggestions gratefull received, thank you!

Dave

essayer

9,497 posts

200 months

Tuesday 8th October
quotequote all
Margin Call

Heathwood

2,736 posts

208 months

Tuesday 8th October
quotequote all
Eat the rich: The game stop saga mini series on Netflix is worth a watch IMO.

EddieSteadyGo

12,857 posts

209 months

Tuesday 8th October
quotequote all
essayer said:
Margin Call
One of my favourite films. I'd recommend it too.

zspere

722 posts

111 months

Tuesday 8th October
quotequote all
Too big to fail - compliments the big short nicely

Margin Call is fantastic

Series 1/2 of Industry

Imasurv

445 posts

90 months

Tuesday 8th October
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Another for margin call, great film.

sagarich

1,241 posts

155 months

Tuesday 8th October
quotequote all
essayer said:
Margin Call
Absolutely fantastic film, another vote!

Dave2P

Original Poster:

795 posts

186 months

Tuesday 8th October
quotequote all
Excellent, thanks all! Margin Call up next then... cheers.

wyson

2,512 posts

110 months

Tuesday 8th October
quotequote all
Inside Job

wyson

2,512 posts

110 months

Tuesday 8th October
quotequote all
LSE has a lot of podcasts up about finance. Quite a few uni’s have opened up their lectures publicly as well. Probably better he watch a few of those and gets a taste of the real deal, rather than base decisions on entertainment.

TwigtheWonderkid

44,430 posts

156 months

Tuesday 8th October
quotequote all
Dumb Money. Great film about the Gamestop battle.

Dave2P

Original Poster:

795 posts

186 months

Tuesday 8th October
quotequote all
wyson said:
LSE has a lot of podcasts up about finance.
Thanks, I'll point him at those too.

ooid

4,489 posts

106 months

Tuesday 8th October
quotequote all
Financial markets by Robert J. Shiller, Yale Online courses (youtube). About 20 videos or so no need for movies really.

skyebear

312 posts

12 months

Tuesday 8th October
quotequote all
+1 for Margin Call
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
Inside Job
Boiler Room
The Wolf of Wall Street
American Psycho

ColdFusion channel on YouTube.

GliderRider

2,488 posts

87 months

Wednesday 9th October
quotequote all
Not a film, but the latest HBO/BBC series of 'Industry' wink

Seriously though I would definitely recommend reading 'Liar's Poker' by Michael Lewis (who also wrote 'The Big Short').


Edited by GliderRider on Wednesday 9th October 00:19

vindaloo79

998 posts

86 months

Wednesday 9th October
quotequote all
https://youtu.be/oXno18pOHgo?si=PRpKJv0WfliLSALY

Million Dollar Traders series from yesteryear - think the apprentice if it was about trading other peoples money.

I really enjoy any videos I spot by Anton Kriel.

https://youtu.be/L7G0OfJUON8?si=4huYSvaQH6qdY6QN

This would be a good one for a young’un.


Edited by vindaloo79 on Wednesday 9th October 02:22

asfault

12,741 posts

185 months

Wednesday 9th October
quotequote all
zspere said:
Too big to fail - compliments the big short nicely

Margin Call is fantastic

Series 1/2 of Industry
Series 3 ongoing and id say its the best so far.

Wololo

270 posts

41 months

Wednesday 9th October
quotequote all
Trouble with finance is that most of the time people only want to hear the stories about it going wrong. And for good reason.

One thing I would point out is that you absolutely can forge a very good career in finance with most quantitative degrees, so absolutely no reason for subject choice to be seen as deciding one's entire career path. Degree decision seems life defining at 17/18 but what's much more important is how well you did in your studies, how much networking/schmoozing you did, summer internships and so on. I did none of the networking and schmoozing and spent my summers working in chemistry rather than finance, which meant that when I moved over to finance, certain pathways were basically closed off to me because I was up against people who had two summer internships at JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs.

Pay particular attention to the scene in Margin Call where Zachary Quinto's character tells the high muck mucks what his background is. His background is not even remotely unusual within the trading organisation I work for.

Edited by Wololo on Wednesday 9th October 06:33

ChrisNic

608 posts

152 months

Wednesday 9th October
quotequote all
Rogue Trader - tells the story of Nick Leeson at Barings.

LooneyTunes

7,360 posts

164 months

Wednesday 9th October
quotequote all
Always used to enjoy the series Billions. Although some of the plot lines were a bit far fetched, there were some very recognisable character types.

The reality? There are lots of different areas of finance, banking, trading, etc. Lifestyles range from the relatively low stress and predictable through to the brutal (very high pressure, very long hours, punishing travel schedules). At the brutal end it can really affect your health, relationships, etc.

Across all areas there are many nuances in terms of particular focus and specialism.

Attended various recruitment events and met loads of young people wanting to get into the industry. There was a pretty common theme with the questions. Generally they wanted to work in the areas that made the most money. Only a handful seemed to quickly grasp that that area was whichever interested them the most: you can’t work in that environment and be successful if your heart isn’t in it.

You need an exit plan/target. Too many get stuck living month-to-month, shackled with enormous mortgages, expensive wives/girlfriends. People can run into problems if they don’t get off the treadmill at the right time, and with something to do thereafter.

In terms of university: serious subject (sciences/maths/engineering) perhaps with plan to follow by an MBA later would be my suggestion BUT with a heavy focus on career from the outset: there is probably still a significant follow through from summer internship placements to full time jobs (even if not with same firm). Internships give tremendous insight, training, and differentiation from all those who decide in their final year that they want to chase the money.

Lastly, worth being aware of the relentless change driven by tech in the finance sector.

Slightly o/t vs original question, but hopefully food for thought.