Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened is a gripping documentary that delves into the disastrous Fyre Festival, a luxury music festival that turned into a chaotic nightmare. If you enjoyed this genre, you’ll likely appreciate these 13 movies that explore similar themes of deception, ambition, and the unexpected.
1. The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley
This documentary tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes and her company Theranos, which promised to revolutionize blood testing but ended up being one of the biggest frauds in Silicon Valley. Featuring interviews and archival footage, it stars Elizabeth Holmes herself and various industry experts.
2. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
This film explores the rise and fall of Enron, once one of America’s largest corporations, and the scandal that led to its bankruptcy. The documentary includes interviews with former employees and journalists who covered the story, providing a deep dive into corporate greed and corruption.
3. The Social Network
Directed by David Fincher, this biographical drama chronicles the founding of Facebook and the legal battles that followed. Starring Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake, it provides a compelling look at ambition and betrayal in the tech world.
4. American Hustle
This crime drama, directed by David O. Russell, is based on the true story of the Abscam scandal of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, and Jennifer Lawrence, the film explores themes of deception, greed, and ambition.
5. The Wolf of Wall Street
Directed by Martin Scorsese, this biographical black comedy follows the rise and fall of stockbroker Jordan Belfort. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Margot Robbie, it offers a wild ride through the excesses and corruption of Wall Street.
6. Catch Me If You Can
Directed by Steven Spielberg, this film is based on the life of Frank Abagnale, who successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars before his 19th birthday. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, it’s a thrilling tale of deception and pursuit.
7. The Big Short
This film, directed by Adam McKay, tells the story of the 2008 financial crisis through the eyes of a few savvy investors who predicted the collapse. Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, and Brad Pitt, it provides a fascinating look at financial fraud and economic collapse.
8. Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.
This docuseries follows the story of Sarma Melngailis, a celebrity restaurateur who becomes involved in a scandal involving fraud and deception. Featuring interviews with those involved, it uncovers the dark side of the wellness industry.
9. Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal
This documentary uses reenactments and interviews to explore the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal. It highlights how wealthy families, including celebrities, manipulated the admissions process to get their children into elite universities.
10. Dirty Money
This investigative series exposes cases of corporate greed and corruption, from the Volkswagen emissions scandal to payday loans. Each episode features interviews with key players and victims, offering a deep dive into the dark side of capitalism.
11. McMillions
This docuseries chronicles the McDonald’s Monopoly game scam, where a group of people rigged the popular contest to win millions. Featuring interviews with the FBI agents who cracked the case, it’s a fascinating look at one of the biggest scams in fast-food history.
12. The Great Hack
This documentary examines the Cambridge Analytica scandal and how personal data was used to influence elections. Featuring interviews with whistleblowers and journalists, it provides a sobering look at data privacy and political manipulation.
13. Icarus
Directed by Bryan Fogel, this documentary starts as an exploration of doping in sports and evolves into a geopolitical thriller involving Russia’s state-sponsored doping program. It features interviews with whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov and offers a gripping look at deception in sports.