10 great movies that satirize the rich | Pretty Reel

Triangle Of Sadness and Don’t Worry Darling are currently in cinemas around the world: two distinctive films that share the common goal of satirizing lavish lifestyles and bourgeois urges. The former is this year’s Palme D’Or winner and features a chaotic cruise ship as the setting, and the latter follows a couple living in a luxurious utopian community that harbors disturbing secrets.

While one leans more on the comedic side and the other tries to weave its social commentary into gripping mystery, both were clearly inspired by other bestselling satires that masterfully poked fun at the wealthy.

The Square (2017)

Stream on Hulu

Ruben Ötlund practically turned mocking the rich at the Cannes Film Festival into a tradition, winning the Palme d’Or this year with his sharp satire. Five years earlier, his controversial The Square had also caused a lot of talk, criticizing and mocking the artistic elite with a series of terribly embarrassing situations.

The main story of The Square follows a prestigious art curator who tries to reconcile his personal and professional life as he tries to set up a controversial new exhibition. Bringing a pertinent discussion of what art has become and how the wealthy manipulate its meaning on their own terms, The Square is definitely a must-watch.

American Psycho (2000)

Stream on HBO Max

One of the best period films set in the 80s, American Psycho is arguably one of the most misunderstood films of the century to date. A chaotic look at the life of a psychopathic businessman on the surface, the film actually undertakes to question and satirize the toxic lifestyle that men led at the time and the overly materialistic compulsion successful adults.

To engineer this, American Psycho delivers an over-the-top gory mess that never fails to make viewers laugh, while making them look away from the screen. While it’s not an easy watch and certainly not for everyone, it’s a film that has aged well and continues to impress with both its clever social criticism and its memes.

Body Body Body (2022)

Available for rent on Vudu

Bodies Bodies Bodies takes is the kind of film no one can trust, delivering a gripping modern mystery story as a group of wealthy, superficial friends engage in a board game that escalates into a real body count.

The murder mystery ends up being just a clever vehicle to tie together the film’s horror elements with clever satire of spoiled Gen Z young adults. There are relevant topics inserted into the often hilarious thriller, from class discrimination to fame seekers, and it all comes down to the greed of the rich to get the better of everyone else.

Bacura (2019)

Stream on Showtime

In Bacurau, the residents of a small Brazilian town begin to witness strange happenings and murders after their town disappears from most maps. Suspecting something nasty is afoot, they join forces to protect their roots and values.

Bacurau rejects any type of genre and instead floats comfortably through horror, drama, thriller and even flirts with science fiction at times. More importantly, it delivers an important social commentary on modern imperialism and how Third World countries suffer from the constant threat of losing their cultural values. With a large number of violent and intense sequences, the film shows what happens when a community goes all-in against the rich and powerful forces that oppress it, never failing to amuse with welcoming dark humor.

The Bling Ring (2013)

Stream on Showtime

One of the best films about generational change between the 2000s and 2010s, at the height of crucial technological advances and notable shifts in fashion and status, The Bling Ring stands out as a funny, over-the-top satire on jealousy. and the American dream from above. -class point of view.

In the film, based on true events, a group of teenagers obsessed with fame and luxury use the internet to stalk celebrities and rob their homes when they’re not around. The Bling Ring offers plenty of highlights, and Emma Watson’s captivating and often funny performance is one of them.

Weekend (1967)

Stream on HBO Max

Arguably the most essential French director of the New Wave, Godard devoted his entire career to experimenting with and developing revolutionary new cinematic techniques, and most importantly applying what he learned to criticize the bourgeoisie.

Weekend sits halfway between its new wave and outright political style, following a somewhat conventional storyline while reaching a high level of satire with the absurd and the grotesque. In the film, a supposedly perfect road trip illustrates the collapse of French society through a succession of bizarre events, from an endless traffic jam to the rise of a cannibalistic tribe.

Sorry to Bother You (2018)

Stream on Netflix

Sorry to Bother You takes its relevant social commentary to unimaginable extremes, and the final 30 minutes feel like a movie far removed from what was established in the first hour. Starring Lakeith Stanfield in one of his most iconic roles, he plays a telemarketer who discovers the magic key to success, getting drawn into the macabre world of the rich and successful businessmen who rule the world.

The film works so well because it never takes itself too seriously, but the satire is cleverly constructed and leads to a shocking downfall. Addressing the fact that so few people call the shots at just about everything around, it needles a lot of society.

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)

Available for rent on Amazon

10 years after putting wealthy guests in the agonizing position of not being able to leave a party for non-existent reasons, Luis Buñuel assembles an upper-class sextet who meet for dinner but never eat, thwarted by a series of unconventional events both real and imagined.

Brilliantly self-aware and constantly toying with the audience, the film’s characters feel like mere puppets as Buñuel pulls the strings through painfully hilarious situations. The clever satire against the rich is obvious but gripping and leans on the ridiculous in a relevant way. Certainly a crucial precursor to films that aim to satirize the bourgeoisie and its greedy instincts.

Saló, or the 120 days of Sodom (1975)

Not currently available to stream

Saló is often remembered as just a cruel and aimless torture porn film featuring some of the most gruesome human atrocities ever to appear on screen, but the truth is that the film intends to make a shocking and powerful political statement against the fantasies of the bourgeoisie and the rise of fascist tendencies in Italy. In the case of Saló, the film is as dark and disturbing as a satire can be.

To do this, Pier Paolo Pasolini explores the depths of human depravity when wealthy and famous men have the power to do what they want against their people. The film pissed off many viewers and depicts all the atrocities committed by four corrupt fascists as they round up nine teenage girls and boys and subject them to the most unimaginable deeds.

Triangle of Sadness (2022)

Currently in theaters

Triangle Of Sadness was to become one of the most controversial films of the year even since winning the prestigious Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Now that the film is finally hitting theaters around the world, audiences are once again going wild over its sharp satirical style and the countless outrageously hilarious situations the wealthy are forced to engage in.

In the film, two models are invited on a luxurious cruise filled with wealthy and terribly snobbish passengers. Everything is meticulously designed to look fabulous, but when the passengers soon find themselves trapped on a deserted island, things quickly spiral out of control.