The Wolf of Wall Street
The brief
Scorsese turns Jordan Belfort's sleazy stockbroker memoir into three hours of cocaine-fueled chaos that somehow never feels long. DiCaprio goes full manic energy as he snorts his way through yacht parties and FBI investigations, while the camera spins around Wall Street debauchery like it's been doing lines too. The tone walks this perfect tightrope between disgusted and fascinated - you'll laugh at the absurdity while feeling slightly gross about it. It's relentlessly paced moral candy, sugar-rushing between scenes of financial fraud and Quaalude breakdowns. Perfect if you loved Goodfellas but wished it had more yacht orgies and Matthew McConaughey chest-thumping.
The verdict
If you love Scorsese's kinetic energy and can handle three hours of morally questionable characters doing very bad things very entertainingly, this is an absolute blast of dark comedy and manic performance. If you're looking for sympathetic protagonists or get uncomfortable watching excessive drug use and sexual content played for laughs, you'll find this exhausting rather than exhilarating.
Watch with
- 👥 Friends who love chaotic energy
- 👤 Solo viewing for full immersion
- ⚠️ Avoid with conservative viewers
Heads up
- Extreme drug use throughout (extreme)
- Frequent sexual content and nudity (frequent)
- Strong language throughout (extreme)
- Brief domestic violence scene (brief)
Credits
- Director
- Martin Scorsese
- Cast
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner
Official synopsis
Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker to his fall involving crime,
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with The Master (2012)
Both Scorsese and Anderson explore charismatic men's psychological manipulation and corruption.
Total runtime: 3h 00m + 2h 17m = 5h 17m
