The best TV shows on Netflix about money

One thing that most people would like to have more of is money! That’s why there’s a fascination with people who make money, the system that controls money and those who fall from grace in the pursuit of money that has been in the television industry for a very long time. But what are the best shows on Netflix about money, I hear you ask? Well, the answer is there are a lot to choose from; from dramas to documentaries, there are many different shows in different and similar styles that talk about making and losing cash on the streaming service.

Whether you want to get inside the head of one of the richest men in the world in the case of Bill Gates, or understand more about the systems that we live in as owners and traders of money, property and goods – there is a TV show for everyone in this list of programmes about cash.

So stop checking your bank balance for a minute, sit back, relax and enjoy a journey into some of the most fascinating shows about money available to watch and stream on Netflix right now…

Money, Explained

This is a show that gets under the skin of money and breaks many of the traditional taboos associated with spending and borrowing. Lots of people are nervous about money, they don’t like to talk about it and they certainly are too afraid to ask questions about what they are doing in relation to it. This show breaks down those barriers and takes a warts and all look at the financial system that surrounds us. How does a credit card work for you? Are we really saving enough money for our retirement? Are we getting tricked into making poor financial decisions by systems that we don’t really understand? This is a show that is essential viewing for anyone interested in money and looking to find ways to make (and keep) more of their own in their wallet.

Dirty Money

Dirty Money

A critically acclaimed investigative documentary series, this show is an eye-opening look at the world of finance, scandal, corruption and the darker sides of the business world. Made by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions this show looks at the world of real estate, banking and financial crises that have gone on to affect the lives of so many. An excellent series which asks many questions about the conduct of the people in charge of money and the systems that they surround themselves with – this is a fascinating look at another world.

Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates

Although this show isn’t directly about money, it is about a man who through his business ventures has gone on to become one of the richest men on the planet. Made by Academy Award-winning director Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, He Named Me Malala) this three-part documentary series takes a deep dive into the life and the thinking of Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and one of the people who created the home computer revolution. A visionary and a thought leader in technology, this documentary has unprecedented access to the entrepreneur and seeks to understand how he thinks and looks at the myriad problems that he is trying to solve as part of his foundation.

Squid Game

Squid Game

Quite a departure from documentaries about money and the people that have made a lot of it, this Korean drama series recently became one of the most watched shows in the history of the streaming platform. It tells the story of a group of down-on-their-luck people in Korea who are invited to play a series of children’s games in order to win a truly life-changing amount of money that will get them out of debt. However, there is a twist that they don’t know about… if they lose, they die. An exploration of money, corruption and an abuse of power this is a show that will have you gripped, and asking yourself many questions about what people are prepared to do for cash.

Money Heist

A Spanish drama that has become one of the biggest non-Englsih language shows on Netflix, Money Heist (as you may be able to tell from the clue in the title) is about a group of people stealing money, namely from the Spanish Royal Mint. A captivating show that really stands out for its visual style and direction as well as its excellent storytelling, this is a drama that has the pursuit of money running through it from beginning to end. So if that’s the sort of thing you like, you’ll love this show.

TAMARA ARRANZ/NETFLIX © 2020

Ozark

Another drama, but one of the very best ever to have been made by Netflix. Ozark is the story of Marty Byrde, a man who is money laundering for a drug cartel. When things go wrong he is forced to move to the Ozarks with his family in order to launder even more money to keep himself and his family alive. However, the Ozarks have their own criminal enterprises and local people on the take, and quickly he and his family get drawn into a deadly world of crime, money and power struggles. This has everything a fan of money-related shows wants, plus a lot, lot more. Ozark stars Jason Bateman, Laura Linney and Julia Garner.

Breaking Bad

One of the best TV dramas of the modern era, Breaking Bad tells the story of a high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with terminal cancer, and his desire to make money to look after his family when he is gone. He decides to start cooking crystal meth alongside a former pupil of his, and before long he becomes one of the biggest drug kingpins in the southwest of America. There is a lot of money floating around in this show, sometimes more than they know what to do with it. So if looking at vast amounts of cash takes you to a happy place with your gripping dramas, Breaking bad is certainly a decent choice for you.