Wolf of Wall Street or Howl of Unchecked Greed?

Leo DiCaprio does great as Jordan Belfort, but beneath the slick suits and insane parties, there’s a lot more layers to this movie and character.

Martin Scorsese's 'The Wolf of Wall Street' throws you headfirst into the chaotic and morally bankrupt world of Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker who made a fortune by ripping off investors. The film was great but I noticed some things that I do NOT see enough people talking about. Why isn’t the character or Belfort DISLIKED enough? While the film is undeniably a wild ride, fueled by insane parties and Leonardo DiCaprio's charismatic (and let's be real, Oscar-worthy) performance, it's hard to shake the feeling that it spends way too much time making Belfort look like some kind of anti-hero rather than the actual villain he was. The main three things that ticked me off is what we’ll get into today. 

Glorification of Absurd Behavior of Belfort. 

The movie is basically a three-hour flex of Belfort's outrageous lifestyle. You can see it all such as mountains of cash, endless drug use, and parties that would make Caligula blush. Isn’t it weird however how it's meant to be shocking, but the sheer spectacle of it all can feel…almost aspirational? Like, yeah, this dude's a criminal, but look at all the fun he's having! The film often lingers on the thrill of the scam, the rush of the deal, and the sheer audacity of Belfort's actions, making it easy to get caught up in the energy without fully processing the real-world damage he inflicted on countless people. The audience is lead to believe "Wow, he's so bad, he's kinda cool?" which is a seriously problematic takeaway. I hope to God no minor watches this movie.

Glorification of Unprofessional Working Environment

Stratton Oakmont, Belfort's firm, is portrayed as a den of debauchery where anything and EVERYTHING goes on. From rampant drug use in the office to borderline harassment, it's a workplace nightmare. But the movie often frames this as some kind of rebellious, "sticking it to the man" attitude. Sure, the energy is infectious, and the performances from the supporting cast (Jonah Hill as Donnie Azoff is particularly fire) are top-notch, adding to the comedic chaos. However, the film doesn't really hold this toxic environment accountable until the very end. For most of the runtime, it's played for laughs, almost normalizing this wildly unethical and unprofessional behaviour. We see how young and impressionable men continuously are attracted to the company so their drug abuse, excessive money and ‘female company’ is validated and in fact clapped for. 

He wasn’t just a horrible conman, he was also a horrible husband and dad! 

Beyond the financial crimes, the movie paints a pretty bleak picture of Belfort's personal life, though even this gets a bit of a glossy sheen at times. His love-bombing of Teresa, his first wife, quickly devolves into infidelity. The same wife who volunteered to sell her ring so he would not have to suffer financially is the same one he constantly cheats on every single day…and ends up stumbling upon his second wife; Naomi. Similar to Teresa, his relationship with his second wife, Naomi, is built on shaky ground and ultimately destroyed by his addiction and ego.The scene where he hits her is genuinely disturbing, but it feels somewhat isolated amidst the constant partying and scheming.  Like it is not talked about enough how he literally PHYSICALLY ABUSES her because she wishes to protect her daughter and demand custody. I must dare to say, Naomi is the one made to sound ‘crazy’ and ‘unfair’ for the scenes that lead up to the abuse. He proves her right the moment he risks his infant daughter's life during a drug-fueled rage. It is horrifying to watch, yet the movie seems to quickly move past the emotional fallout to get back to the next crazy escapade. It's like, “yeah, hes a bad guy whose wife is leaving him during a hard time so I can understand why he would do that!” 

Ultimately, 'The Wolf of Wall Street' is a technically brilliant film with incredible performances across the board. DiCaprio absolutely crushes it, and Scorsese's direction is as sharp as ever. But Gen Z viewers should probably watch it with a critical eye. While it's entertaining, the movie definitely flirts with glorifying some seriously messed-up behavior and a deeply flawed character. It's a cautionary tale, for sure, but it spends a lot of time making the wolf look way more captivating than he deserves.