When one thinks of crime films, it’s easy for one’s mind to go to those violent gangster films or the stylish heist films. However, as the recent HBO film Bad Education revealed, the white-collar crime stories can be just as intriguing.

White-collar crimes usually deal with the shady dealings of the corporate world. Though the guilty might not use guns or violence to get what they want, their scores are usually grander than what can be stolen from a bank. These kinds of stories offer plenty of unique and engrossing films. Here are the best white-collar crime movies, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

10 The Other Guys (78%)

There are not too many white-collar crime films as goofy and funny as The Other Guys. The film is a hilarious buddy-cop story starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as two unlikely partners who are forced to team up to break a major case.

While most buddy cop films deal with drug lords or arms dealers, The Other Guys focuses on bad guys who are trying to make their ill-gotten gains by defrauding the NYPD pension plan. Somehow, it still makes for a funny adventure.

9 Wall Street (78%)

Oliver Stone’s Wall Street is probably the film most people think of when they think of corporate corruption. The film stars Charlie Sheen as a young broker introduced to the wild world of Wall Street. Soon he is taken under the wing of a ruthless businessman, Gordon Gekko.

The movie was an ugly look at the money-obsessed mentality that came about in the 1980s. Gekko’s famous speech about “Greed is good” hints that he is not a man who feels the need to play by the rules to get what he wants.

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8 The Wolf Of Wall Street (79%)

Frequent collaborators Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese reteamed again for their most outrageous movie together with The Wolf of Wall Street. Based on a true story, DiCaprio plays Jordan Belfort, who made a massive fortune from his early beginnings as a stockbroker.

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As Belfort’s life gets more extravagant and depraved, the authorities begin sniffing around and find that he is responsible for scamming millions of dollars over his career. As the weight of his corruption crashes down on him, he spirals out of control.

7 The Big Short (88%)

The housing market failure in the United States exposed so much corruption and ruined the lives of countless hardworking people. The Big Short focuses on those smart outsiders who saw it all coming and made millions.

Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, and Steve Carrell are among the stars of this Adam McKay-directed comedy based on a true story. As the financial world was on the brink of a disaster, these individuals bet against the odds and won huge.

6 Michael Clayton (91%)

George Clooney stars as the titular character in the riveting thriller Michael Clayton. In the corporate world, Michael Clayton is a fixer who helps those big corporations solve the problems that no one else can.

After a corporate lawyer has a breakdown that could expose damaging secrets, steps are taken to hide the truth. Soon, Michael finds himself a target in a world where ordinary people will take drastic actions to protect their money.

5 American Hustle (92%)

Christian Bale appears in another white-collar crime story also based on true events. David O. Russell directed this ambitious star-studded film which stars Bale as a con artist who is arrested by the FBI and used to expose corrupt politicians.

The film is loosely based on the real-life Abscam operation by the FBI in the 1970s. It shows the seductive world of con artists and how one can be pulled into it so easily. It is also a fun story about how in this world of liars, it’s unclear who is conning who at any time.

4 Bad Education (94%)

HBO Films’ recent release Bad Education is the completely riveting dark comedy-drama about the biggest school embezzlement case in American history. Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney play two school district officials who use school funds to pay for their extravagant lives.

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Both Jackman and Janney are outstanding in the film and the story is so well told. It is an interesting look at how someone can be so dedicated to their job yet so corrupt.

3 The Insider (96%)

Michael Mann directed this amazing thriller set in the world of modern journalism. The Insider stars Al Pacino as a producer at the famous news program 60 Minutes who is contacted by a researcher (Russell Crowe) at a tobacco company who wants to share the truth that Big Tobacco is not sharing with the public.

The movie is a fascinating look at the complexities of corporate whistleblowing and how one man’s determination to get the truth out there cost him so much.

2 Catch Me If You Can (96%)

Steve Spielberg teamed with Leonardo DiCaprio for another incredible true story. Catch Me if You Can is the story of Frank Abagnale (DiCaprio), who ran away from home and began forging cheques while still a teenager. By the time he was caught, he was one of the most prolific forgers in American history.

The film has a real fun energy to it as it follows Frank on his exotic life of crime. He poses as a pilot, a lawyer, and a doctor all while evading the FBI who are hot on his trail.

1 Can You Ever Forgive Me? (98%)

Melissa McCarthy gives one of her best performances in the Oscar-nominated film Can You Ever Forgive Me?. McCarthy plays Lee Israel, a struggling author who begins forging documents and selling them off as newly discovered writings from notable figures.

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The film makes this unique crime so fascinating while also having a lot of fun with the main relationship between Israel and her partner in crime, Jack Hook (Richard E. Grant). They are a pair of outsiders who find purpose with each other.

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About The Author


Colin McCormick
(2030 Articles Published)

Colin McCormick is a Senior Writer with Screen Rant and has been a proud member of the team since 2019. In addition to his work as Screen Rant, Colin is also a writer of News, Feature and Review pieces at Game Rant. Colin has had a long passion and obsession with movies going back to the first time he saw The Lion King in theaters. Along with movies, Colin stays up-to-date on the latest must-see TV shows. While he loves to find interesting projects in any kind of genre, he has a special movie of crime stories that are infused with a little dark humor much like the work of his favorite author, Elmore Leonard.

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