Money, ambition and the hustle have always made for electric cinema. At their sharpest, these stories aren't just about getting rich — they're about what people are willing to sacrifice, exploit or ignore to get there, and the reckoning that so often follows.

Whether you're drawn to real-world scandal or fictional schemes, these six films are among the best the genre has to offer for a weekend watch.

The Wolf of Wall Street

A young stockbroker builds a fortune through fraud and manipulation on Long Island, fueling a lifestyle of excess, addiction and corruption that spirals further out of control with every deal.

Directed by Martin Scorsese, the 2013 film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Margot Robbie. Based on Jordan Belfort's memoir of the same name, it earned five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for DiCaprio.

Moneyball

The general manager of a small-market baseball team, facing a shrinking budget and skeptical scouts, partners with a young economics graduate to build a competitive roster using unconventional statistical analysis.

Directed by Bennett Miller, the 2011 film stars Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Adapted from Michael Lewis's 2003 book, it received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

War Dogs

Two young men in Miami land a lucrative Pentagon contract to supply weapons to the U.S. military in Afghanistan, only to find themselves navigating a murky, dangerous world of international arms dealing.

Directed by Todd Phillips, the 2016 film stars Miles Teller and Jonah Hill. Loosely based on a 2011 Rolling Stone article, it earned a Golden Globe nomination for Hill's supporting performance.

The Big Short

As the U.S. housing market teeters on collapse in the mid-2000s, a handful of contrarian investors recognize the coming crisis before anyone else and bet against the system, profiting from the very disaster that will devastate millions.

Directed by Adam McKay, the 2015 film stars Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt. Adapted from Michael Lewis's 2010 book, it won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for Best Picture.

Catch Me If You Can

A brilliant teenage con artist forges millions of dollars through elaborate check fraud while impersonating a pilot, doctor and lawyer, all while staying one step ahead of the dogged FBI agent hunting him down.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, the 2002 film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks and Christopher Walken. Based on Frank Abagnale's disputed memoir, it earned praise for its stylish tone and John Williams's Golden Globe-nominated score.

Boiler Room

A college dropout running an illegal casino out of his apartment is recruited into a suburban brokerage firm, where fast money and slick sales tactics mask a ruthless stock fraud operation preying on unsuspecting investors.

Written and directed by Ben Younger in his feature debut, the 2000 film stars Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel and Ben Affleck. Often cited as a spiritual predecessor to The Wolf of Wall Street, it's since become a cult favorite for its unflinching look at boiler-room brokerage culture.