5 finance shows every trader should watch
Money, power, and egos the size of skyscrapers. That combination alone makes the world of finance an endless well of good stories, and screenwriters know it better than anyone.
We picked the 5 highest-rated shows according to IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes that revolve around trading, banking, and big money. Two Wall Street dramas, one raw investigative deep-dive, and one show just for kicking back.
It won't make you a better trader. But it'll show you how the people making the biggest bets on the market think, and how often they get it wrong.
Big dramas from the world of finance
Three shows that pull you into the world of hedge funds, investment banking, and Wall Street power games. No matter whether you know what short selling is.
Billions
Where to watch: HBO Max, SkyShowtime
New York, the world of power politics and big finance, as tangled as one-way streets in Prague. You're watching a clash between two heavyweights: sharp-witted U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades and hedge fund genius Bobby Axelrod. And what a ride it is! Seven seasons, 12 episodes each, and it never loses steam until the end. You get a front-row seat to some of the slyest power plays and influence tactics out there.
Forget the idea that this is a niche show for finance nerds only. Backed by a killer soundtrack, it serves everything up clearly and jargon-free, and once it hooks you, it won't let go. If you like showdowns where cunning and wit are the real weapons, give Billions a shot.
Succession
Where to watch: HBO Max, Prime Video
For our next pick, we don't have to go far. We're staying in New York, but this time the focus is on the Roy family, who own one of the biggest media and entertainment conglomerates around. When the head of the family and the company steps down, a fight for control breaks out among his four adult children. Years of family loyalty start to crack, and what you get is a family drama across 4 seasons, 10 episodes each.
Don't expect characters you'll root for. This is a raw look into the psychology of power-hungry manipulators whose whole rulebook just got rewritten the moment the patriarch left the stage. And you'll enjoy every minute of it if you're into great performances, a plot as sharp as a hedge fund manager's suit, and quick, witty dialogue. It's an HBO show, after all. That alone is a quality guarantee.
Industry
Where to watch: HBO Max, Prime Video
If you're tired of more stories about middle-aged people living in New York, pay attention. Industry follows a group of ambitious young graduates trying to land a permanent job at one of London's top investment banks. But a good CV and solid results won't be enough. The company culture is a little different than it looks on the surface…
Expect a ride fueled by ambition, sex, drugs, and backstabbing that can end either at the top of the corporate ladder or in a very dark place.
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An investigative look into the real world of finance
This is where the dramatization stops and true crime takes over: real cases, real money, real consequences.
Dirty Money
Where to watch: Netflix
Not into scripted drama? Want a proper investigative deep-dive into corporate reality today, even if it won't always make you feel great? Then Dirty Money is exactly for you.
Two seasons, six episodes each (about 50 minutes long), covering the biggest wrongdoings of corporations and well-known individuals alike. Expect money laundering, financial fraud, political maneuvering, and corporate scheming with the ordinary consumer left holding the bag.
Each episode was made by a different team of seasoned investigative journalists, so you're never going to get bored. This is true crime in the purest sense, where the crime scene is the unchecked practices of late-stage capitalism.
Something lighter
If you want your finance content without the heavy moral hangover, this is the category for you.
Black Monday
Where to watch: SkyShowtime
Let's not end on a serious note. Here's your palate cleanser. A comedic take on the biggest crash in Wall Street history. It happened in October 1987, and nobody knew what caused it until now.
What happens when a group of second-rate traders takes on battle-hardened Wall Street veterans, all wrapped up in one giant cocaine cloud courtesy of director Seth Rogen?
If you're into wild, joke-packed comedy shows that don't drag on forever but make for a perfect breezy summer binge, Black Monday is exactly for you.
What to take away from this if you actually trade
The world of big finance, where billions get thrown around and hedge funds decide the fate of companies and people, is out of reach for us mere mortals. After watching Billions or Industry, you might not even want to be there.
But you can get a little closer to it yourself.
If you've got a knack for trading, start a trading challenge with us at Fintokei for as little as $49. Pass it, and you'll get an account with $5k in virtual capital to trade with. If things go well, you cash out part of your profits in real money. Payouts go out every 14 days.
How Fintokei works
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As part of the support team, I help traders get the best possible experience at Fintokei. I trade myself: indices are my go-to. When markets close, I reset on the padel court or in front of a PC game. Favorite platform: cTrader. Favorite challenge: ProTrader.
