James Garner plays F. Ross Johnson, the CEO who tries to buy the company he runs, only to be outbid by his own bankers. The famous line— "We have a buyout, we've got a bond offering, and... Larry, are you smoking a cigarette?" —sums up the era. It is a movie where boardroom battles are fought over the size of the corporate jet (nicknamed the "Piedmont Pacer").

In the pantheon of Wall Street cinema, few films capture the raw, coked-up avarice of the 1980s quite like Barbarians at the Gate . Based on Bryan Burrough and John Helyar’s bestselling book, this 1993 HBO film dramatizes the true story of the $25 billion leveraged buyout (LBO) of RJR Nabisco. It is a razor-sharp satire of corporate greed, featuring James Garner as the doomed F. Ross Johnson and Jonathan Pryce in an unforgettable, golden-haired performance as Henry Kravis.

Meanwhile, the RJR Nabisco executives are caught in the middle, trying to navigate the chaos and protect their interests. The film's director, Brian De Palma, masterfully weaves together the complex world of high finance, revealing the inner workings of corporate America.

"Barbarians at the Gate" explores several themes that are still relevant today, including:

Here is the reality check: Barbarians at the Gate is available for rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube Movies for or less. The average person spends more than $4 on a latte that is forgotten in an hour. The film is 107 minutes long.