20 movies and TV shows about horrible rich people

With two seasons so far set in Hawaii and Sicily, The White Lotus follows an ensemble of wealthy guests during their stay at the luxurious titular resort. Focusing on the guests and their exploits and the staff forced to deal with their privileged dysfunctions, the series is a darkly comedic satire that delves into the twisted impulses of its seemingly perfect and secure vacationers. A new cast is also set to check in for a third season in Thailand.

This satirical horror-comedy follows a young couple who travel to a remote island to dine at an exclusive restaurant. Much to the shock of his wealthy guests, the head chef’s offerings take a disturbing turn. Using an outrageous storyline to poke fun at the snobbery and pretentiousness displayed by the wealthy in the culinary world, the film is a satisfying treat where no guest is safe from being skewered — figuratively and literally.

As one of TV’s best dramas, Succession is the crème de la crème of shows about horrible rich people. The series follows the Roy family, who own the world's biggest media and entertainment company. As aging patriarch and CEO Logan Roy’s health declines, his children fight between themselves and others for control of the company, letting nothing stand in their way. With most of the show's characters lacking morals, it’s wicked good fun.

Winner of multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Parasite follows the Kims, a struggling family who deceptively become employed by the wealthy Park family. The Parks are extremely ignorant and out of touch with reality, unaware of the true backgrounds of their employees. Whether it’s pointing out the bad smell around the lower class or being thankful for the rain that is actually flooding the Kims' underground home, their obliviousness is forefront and center.

In the long-running drama series Billions, U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades is on the trail of corrupt hedge fund manager Bobby Axelrod, determined to take him down. Bobby is highly ambitious and isn’t afraid to break the law to ensure that he and his clients receive high returns. As both men try to outplay each other, Bobby constantly manages to slip from Chuck’s grasp, getting away with his crimes and earning even more "billions."

Triangle of Sadness is an outrageous dark comedy that doesn't hold back in ridiculing the rich. The film is set on a cruise for the uber-wealthy, which sinks and leaves its survivors stranded on a desert island. The social hierarchy quickly changes with its upper-class guests lacking any resources or knowledge of how to survive. From influencers looking for their next photo opportunity to greedy Russian billionaires, no one is spared from being the butt of the joke.

The starry whodunnit Knives Out follows detective Benoit Blanc, who investigates the murder of the patriarch of the wealthy and dysfunctional Thrombey family. The Thrombeys are greedy and backstabbing, more concerned with the contents of their patriarch's will than his actual passing. They are also particularly racist and elitist, pinning down working-class nurse Marta (when they can’t even name what country she’s from) as a suspect and easy target, even threatening to detain her mother. 

Just like its predecessor, Glass Onion follows detective Benoit Blanc as he solves a murder involving the rich, this time tech billionaire Miles Brown. As Blanc gets to know Miles’ wealthy circle of friends, including a canceled fashion designer, a YouTuber, and a governor, it becomes apparent that they all owe their success to him and are therefore covering for his seedy and unethical deeds. They are okay with doing the wrong thing as long as it helps them get ahead.

Gossip Girl follows a group of privileged teens who attend private school and live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Living opulent and indulgent lifestyles, there is plenty of scandal, betrayal, backstabbing, and fashion, of course, to go around. These teens have extremely superficial values, particularly the arrogant and power-hungry Chuck Bass. It’s all about excess as these young socialites meddle in their fortunes, which they were born into. 

Set in the dystopian country of Panem, The Hunger Games sees twelve young tributes selected from war-torn districts to fight to the death on live TV. The citizens of the wealthy Capitol do not participate but instead watch from the comfort of their mansions as they bet on victors and watch children murder each other for entertainment. They glamorously parade around their tributes like trophies in the big lead-up to the games before sending them out to be slaughtered. 

In the hit comedy series Arrested Development, the formerly wealthy Bluth family lose their fortune when patriarch George Bluth Sr. is convicted of fraud. However, the selfish family refuses to accept their new circumstances and does not intend to give up their luxurious and excessive lives, despite the lack of money. Son Michael is the only one who understands their new reality and tries to get his family to live more modest lifestyles.

Ready or Not follows Grace, a young woman who marries into a wealthy family dynasty. Keen to impress her in-laws on her wedding night, she agrees to participate in a seemingly innocent game of hide-and-seek but learns the family intends to hunt down and sacrifice her if caught. With its extreme concept, the film is an exaggerated take on the delusion and entitlement of the rich, to the point of hunting the common folk like animals.

Veep is a political satire that sees some of the very worst people hold high positions of power in the United States government (nowadays, it’s not so much of a satire but instead mirrors reality). Many of the top political players, including Vice President Selina Meyer, are entitled and power-hungry, with very little empathy. They are mostly concerned with climbing the political ladder and don’t care who they must step on to do so.

Joker is an origin story where the villain really isn’t Joker himself, but rather the wealthy citizens of Gotham. Characters like Thomas Wayne disregard and look down upon people like Arthur, of a lower social class, have mental health issues, and are marginalized by society. From the Gotham government ceasing mental illness support and facilities to Wall Street workers harassing women on the subway, the rich are not the good guys here.

In the extravagant and soapy series Empire, hip-hop music mogul Lucious Jackson is diagnosed with ALS and must choose one of his three sons to take over his record label. As multiple characters battle for control of the company, including Lucious’s fresh out-of-prison ex-wife Cookie, there is a set-off of family drama, betrayals, and plenty of opulence. Similar in set-up to Succession, it is ultimately a show about how power comes before family.

In the thriller You’re Next, wealthy couple Aubrey and Paul invite their family to their country mansion to celebrate their wedding anniversary when the home comes under attack by masked assailants. As the film goes on and more blood spills, viewers learn that family members hired the killers to claim inheritance. Money is most important to them rather than human life, even if it is their own family who has to pay the price.

A reboot of the 1980s soap opera, Dynasty follows the two richest families in America as they compete over control of fortune and their own children. Featuring highly entertaining catfights, glamorous guilty pleasures, and plenty of playing dirty, it is highly indulgent and addictive. These characters are so ridiculously rich they don’t realize when someone snatches several hundred dollar bills from their pocket. You hate them, but you also wouldn’t mind being them.

Bodies Bodies Bodies is a slasher take on spoiled and bratty rich kids in the Gen-Z era. A wealthy group of friends in their early twenties plan a party at a remote mansion when a dead body appears. The characters are already vain and insufferable, but their self-righteousness is taken to the next level when the group starts turning on each other to discover the killer's identity. They think of themselves as progressive and worldly when they’re really the opposite. 

Squid Game is the South Korean Netflix phenomenon that took the world by storm. The show sees desperate cash-strapped players compete in a series of children’s games, where the winner receives a huge cash prize, and the losers are killed. Wealthy VIP guests wearing golden animal masks are invited to observe the games and place bets. They drink and dine in luxury, lounging in robes as they speculate about the fate of the hapless players.

Based on the outrageous true story, The Wolf of Wall Street follows the rise and fall of stockbroker Jordan Belfort and the excessive and corrupt lifestyle he leads. Belfort cheats his way to the top by committing plenty of fraud and other illegal activities. He throws ludicrously over-the-top parties full of substance abuse, sex, and dwarf-tossing. Belfort just wants more and more of everything and can’t take no for an answer.