10 movies to watch if you love ‘Succession’
HBO is undoubtedly one of the most consistent production companies in contemporary media, being responsible for some of the greatest TV series of all time, including The Wire, The Sopranos and Game of Thrones. Whilst each of these aforementioned shows may have long since ended, the company still thrives thanks to brand new properties like Succession leading the market.
A business drama sprinkled with satirical comedy and latherings of Shakespearian backstabbing, Succession is the perfect show to grace contemporary America, demonstrating the bitter chalice that comes with the pursuit of wealth, fame and public admiration. Watchable as an immersive business show or as an engrossing comedy crammed with quality characters, the series, created by British writer Jesse Armstrong, is beloved by fans and critics alike.
The true heart of its success is two-fold, with Armstrong providing a pin-point accurate screenplay that provides the basis of the story, whilst a bafflingly talented ensemble cast brings his words to life. Alongside prized icons of the industry like Brian Cox, Alan Ruck and Adrien Brody, the show has introduced and elevated a number of other up-and-coming stars like Matthew Macfadyen, Sarah Snook and Nicholas Braun.
If you’re a lover of Succession but aren’t looking forward to the series coming to an end after the fourth season, take a look at our list of the ten movies we think you’ll love below.
10 movies to watch if you love Succession:
The Big Short (Adam McKay, 2015)
Nominated for ‘Best Picture’ in 2016 whilst winning the Oscar for ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’ in the same year, Adam McKay’s The Big Short is a business-related drama that follows a group of investors who bet against the United States mortgage market shortly before the financial crisis of 2007-2008. Though it sounds like heavy material, McKay and co-writers Charles Randolph and Michael Lewis have some clever ways of making the information consumable.
Starring a number of big Hollywood names, including Brad Pitt, Steve Carrell, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale and Succession’s Jeremy Strong, The Big Short is a near-perfect comedy-drama.
Broadcast News (James L. Brooks, 1987)
As well as being one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time, James L. Brooks’ Broadcast News is also a gripping watch that Succession fans can get a lot out of. Starring the likes of William Hurt, Albert Brooks and Holly Hunter, the film follows two rival television reporters and the woman who dazzles them both, with drama and comedy hijinks following as they tussle for power and admiration.
Taking viewers behind the scenes of the chaos that exists in television news production, the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards in 1988, including ‘Best Picture’, and has since become a truly underrated rom-com classic.
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (Peter Greenaway, 1989)
One of the greatest anti-capitalist movies ever made, Peter Greenaway’s The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover deconstructs contemporary politics with drama, a laugh and a banquet of interesting-looking food. A pitch-perfect satire, the film takes place at Le Hollandais gourmet restaurant and tells the story of three titular lead characters who bring chaos to the rather sophisticated dining experience.
Taking the ‘Eat the Rich’ slogan a little too seriously, Greenaway’s movie is an excellent breakdown of class politics that is often comically explored in HBO’s Succession.
The Celebration (Thomas Vinterberg, 1998)
The very first Dogme 95 film, The Celebration, directed by Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg, also happened to be the very best of the artistic movement co-created by Lars von Trier. Emphasising simplicity and analogue means of production in order to focus almost entirely on performance and plot, The Celebration tells the story of a 60th birthday party where some uncomfortable family truths are revealed.
Adhering to the manifesto set out by von Trier and Vinterberg, The Celebration is a skin-crawlingly uncomfortable drama that features a family that reminds us of a darker version of Succession’s Roys.
Glengarry Glen Ross (James Foley, 1992)
Even though the Oscar-nominated crime drama Glengarry Glen Ross was appreciated at the time, we think the highly enjoyable real estate flick is truly underrated. With a wicked cast that includes the likes of Alec Baldwin, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, Al Pacino, Jonathan Pryce, Ed Harris and Kevin Spacey, the story explores the mechanics of a real estate office where workers abuse the tricks of the trade.
With backstabbing and moments of satirical comedy and a cut-throat approach to its subject matter, Glengarry Glen Ross reminds us a lot of Succession, thanks to its terrific characters and script by David Mamet.
In the Loop (Armando Iannucci, 2009)
When it comes to British satire, few filmmakers and writers do it better than Armando Iannucci, with his 2009 film In the Loop, based on his own political TV comedy The Thick of It, being something of a modern classic. Revealing the incompetence behind the scenes of modern politics, In the Loop is a political satire about American British operatives attempting to prevent war from breaking out.
Satirising the politics behind the invasion of Iraq in particular, we could see Succession’s Greg and Tom being able to slip effortlessly into this film that focuses on a number of incompetent workers who treat their job as if it’s a futile game.
The Queen of Versailles (Lauren Greenfield, 2012)
The meaning behind the contemporary American dream is explored in Lauren Greenfield’s excellent 2012 documentary The Queen of Versailles, which follows a billionaire couple as they begin construction on a mega-mansion inspired by the Palace of Versailles in France. Whilst building their dream house, however, the bubble bursts and the financial crash means they have to scale back dramatically.
With a number of larger-than-life characters who lack self-awareness and a central story that eloquently breaks down the dream of contemporary America, The Queen of Versailles is the perfect pudding once you’re done with Succession.
The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson, 2001)
So, the whimsical style of Wes Anderson may be a little different from the documentary shooting style of Succession, but we thought the filmmaker’s 2001 story The Royal Tenenbaums had enough shades of the HBO show to make it a solid, eccentric recommendation. Also telling the story of a dysfunctional family who struggles to navigate around a domineering father figure, Anderson’s film extracts comedy and some touching emotional moments from its characters.
With a stellar cast that includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, Bill Murray, Danny Glover, and Anjelica Huston, The Royal Tenenbaums is an effortless watch that features a family boss, played by Gene Hackman, who could give Logan Roy a run for his money.
The Social Network (David Fincher, 2010)
There might not be a better movie out there about the state of modern business and life in the age of the internet than David Fincher’s The Social Network. Thanks to an absurdly well-written screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, Fincher’s movie flows from scene to scene, telling the story of the real-life Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg who creates a social networking site that would later become known as Facebook.
With well-rounded performances from the likes of Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Rooney Mara, The Social Network is something of a Greek tragedy, not unlike Succession, that tells the story of a king who gets everything he’s ever wanted, only to be left unhappy.
Wall Street (Oliver Stone, 1987)
The final film to grace our list of ten movies you should watch if you love Succession is the Oliver Stone business-focused movie Wall Street. Starring the likes of Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas, who would pick up an Academy Award for his leading performance, Wall Street tells the story of a young stockbroker who is willing to break the law to get to the top of his game, backstabbing his rivals whilst being entirety ruthless in his charge.
Though it might lack the satire and moments of levity present in Succession, Wall Street is still very much worth the watch, especially if you enjoy the more serious side of HBO’s business-related show.
