One of the best television shows of the past five years has been HBO’s tragicomedy Succession, in which three siblings (played by Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, and Sarah Snook) compete to win the love of their billionaire father (Brian Cox) and inherit his global media empire. Unfortunately, the Emmy-winning series will air its finale this week. But if you’re looking for more savagely satirical stories about wealthy & powerful scoundrels, here are some movies & TV series you can check out with your Livingston Library card…
(Descriptions are taken from the publishers)
In The Loop directed by Armando Ianucci (film, 2010)
The run-up to war makes for curious rivalries and uneasy alliances in this political satire from Armando Iannucci and Succession creator Jesse Armstrong. Simon Foster (Tom Hollander) is a minor minister of international development with the British government who, in the midst of a radio interview, casually tells a reporter “war is unforeseeable.” However, the prime minister is being pressured to commit British troops to support American forces in the Middle East, and communications director Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) goes into a tirade when the press turns Foster’s passing comment into a major news story.
Veep created by Armando Ianucci (series, 2012-2019)
Former Senator Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) was a charismatic leader and a rising star in her party with her eye on the White House. Then she became vice president. Veep follows the whirlwind day-to day existence of Vice President Meyer as she puts out political fires, juggles a busy public schedule and demanding private life, and defends the president’s interests, even as she tries to improve her dysfunctional relationship with the Chief Executive.
The Big Short directed by Adam McKay (film, 2016)
The financial meltdown from the perspective of a number of players: Michael Burry (Christian Bale), a bizarre autistic-like stock-picking genius, and the first to realize that the market’s housing boom is based on a “house of cards” sham; Mark Baum (Steve Carell), self-loathing fictional character whose firm picks up insider trading information from a wrong number phone call; Jarred Vennet (Ryan Gosling), a smart-aleck broker who confirms the ominous suspicion; and Charles Gellar and James Shipley, small-time players who hit it big.
Billions created by Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Andrew Ross Sorkin (series, 2016 – present)
U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti) is tipped to a case of insider trading with links to billionaire hedge fund king Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Damien Lewis), setting off a cat and mouse game where the stakes are high and intensely personal.
The Wolf of Wall Street directed by Martin Scorsese (film, 2013)
Martin Scorsese directs the story of New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio). From the American dream to corporate greed, Belfort goes from penny stocks and righteousness to IPOs and a life of corruption in the late ’80s. Excess success and affluence in his early twenties as founder of the brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont warranted Belfort the title “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
Arrested Development created by Mitchell Hurwitz (series, 2003 – 2019)
Level-headed son Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) takes over family affairs after his father (Jeffrey Tambor) is imprisoned. But the rest of his spoiled, dysfunctional family are making his job unbearable.
The Righteous Gemstones created by Danny McBride (series, 2019 – present)
The story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed and charitable work, who are threatened by outsiders from both the past and present who wish to destroy their empire.
—Joe, Adult Services & Acquisitions Librarian