Looking for more shows/movies like HBO's McMillions
February 21, 2020 8:16 AM Subscribe
My partner and I have been loving the nuggets out of HBO's documentary about the years-long rigging of the McDonalds Monopoly game, and I'm looking for more shows/movies that scratch the same itch.
The criteria I'm looking for here:
1) White collar crime - con artists, financial scams, coverups, etc at the center
2) Said crimes primarily exploit or target rich/powerful people or large corporations
3) Outright fun or at worst tragicomic
4) Justice Is Served - white collar criminals & rich people get punished; the "little people" make it out alive or even triumph. (The latter is more important than the former; I don't mind if one rich asshole makes a fortune off another)
5) Bonus points if it's based on a true story or an outright documentary
In fiction, think The Informant! - the Wolf of Wall Street isn't ideal but gives you an idea of what's still "in bounds."
Conversely, I'm trying to actively avoid anything about, say, modern MLMs, even if they might be otherwise interesting. (If it helps, I also really hate 'cringe' comedy; I would pay huge amounts of money rather than watch a single episode of Curb your Enthusiasm.)
The criteria I'm looking for here:
1) White collar crime - con artists, financial scams, coverups, etc at the center
2) Said crimes primarily exploit or target rich/powerful people or large corporations
3) Outright fun or at worst tragicomic
4) Justice Is Served - white collar criminals & rich people get punished; the "little people" make it out alive or even triumph. (The latter is more important than the former; I don't mind if one rich asshole makes a fortune off another)
5) Bonus points if it's based on a true story or an outright documentary
In fiction, think The Informant! - the Wolf of Wall Street isn't ideal but gives you an idea of what's still "in bounds."
Conversely, I'm trying to actively avoid anything about, say, modern MLMs, even if they might be otherwise interesting. (If it helps, I also really hate 'cringe' comedy; I would pay huge amounts of money rather than watch a single episode of Curb your Enthusiasm.)
Leverage is great and very much hits this spot for me.
posted by angst at 8:27 AM on February 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by angst at 8:27 AM on February 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
"FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened" on Netflix.
posted by jonathanhughes at 8:40 AM on February 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by jonathanhughes at 8:40 AM on February 21, 2020 [3 favorites]
How about the story of Michael Larson, who figured out the pattern of the game board on Press Your Luck and went on a crazy winning streak? There's a documentary on YouTube.
posted by kindall at 8:43 AM on February 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by kindall at 8:43 AM on February 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
These are great - following this with interest.
One that I thought of, which might fit is Moneyball. Not a documentary, but a fictionalized account of past events.
2nding the Big Short.
posted by hydra77 at 9:00 AM on February 21, 2020
One that I thought of, which might fit is Moneyball. Not a documentary, but a fictionalized account of past events.
2nding the Big Short.
posted by hydra77 at 9:00 AM on February 21, 2020
There is a good one about the fall of Enron called The Smartest Guys in the Room.
Spoiler: they weren't really
posted by SpacemanStix at 9:24 AM on February 21, 2020 [6 favorites]
Spoiler: they weren't really
posted by SpacemanStix at 9:24 AM on February 21, 2020 [6 favorites]
Response by poster: Just jumping in to say that Moneyball is a great example of something that isn't technically what I asked for but has the same "energy" and vibe and thanks so much for reminding me of it!
posted by Tomorrowful at 9:48 AM on February 21, 2020
posted by Tomorrowful at 9:48 AM on February 21, 2020
The Legend of Cocaine Island
It's not white collar crime but it has a similar vibe where most of the players and characters are interviewed to tell the story.
posted by loveandhappiness at 10:06 AM on February 21, 2020
It's not white collar crime but it has a similar vibe where most of the players and characters are interviewed to tell the story.
posted by loveandhappiness at 10:06 AM on February 21, 2020
In fiction, Leverage was indeed tailor-made for you.
The best version of the Theranos story is the book Bad Blood.
Rogue Trader and The Spider Network are both true stories of widespread/large-scale deception at a bank or banks (they don't necessarily have a true "heist" element to them, but I'm not sure you absolutely require that).
Psst, The Informant is actually a true story! (Well, in the "nonfiction book gets adapted into nondocumentary film" sort of way.)
posted by praemunire at 12:38 PM on February 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
The best version of the Theranos story is the book Bad Blood.
Rogue Trader and The Spider Network are both true stories of widespread/large-scale deception at a bank or banks (they don't necessarily have a true "heist" element to them, but I'm not sure you absolutely require that).
Psst, The Informant is actually a true story! (Well, in the "nonfiction book gets adapted into nondocumentary film" sort of way.)
posted by praemunire at 12:38 PM on February 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
Sour Grapes is a documentary about wine fraud and the Silicon Valley bro money that fuelled the market that made the fraud easier to execute. Bonus Koch brother (Bill) appearance in the doc. Here's the trailer.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 3:20 PM on February 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 3:20 PM on February 21, 2020 [1 favorite]
"Owning Mahoney" true story of a mild mannered Bank Manager who gambles away millions of bank money. Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
posted by smudgedlens at 7:37 PM on February 21, 2020
posted by smudgedlens at 7:37 PM on February 21, 2020
In The Big Short no one is punished. The 'little people' lose homes and/or half the value of their retirement accounts.
posted by Homer42 at 11:00 PM on February 21, 2020
posted by Homer42 at 11:00 PM on February 21, 2020
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The HBO doc about Theranos^^
posted by soren_lorensen at 8:24 AM on February 21, 2020 [3 favorites]