Corporate Thrillers on the Criterion Channel

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Corporate Thrillers on the Criterion Channel"

All Of It with Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Date: April 6, 2026
Guest: Clyde Foley, video editor and Criterion Channel curator

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Overview

In this episode, host Alison Stewart dives into the captivating world of “corporate thrillers”—a genre that took Hollywood by storm from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. As the Criterion Channel features a curated series showcasing the best of these melodramas, Alison is joined by film expert Clyde Foley to unpack what makes corporate thrillers so enduring and entertaining. Key films, recurring motifs, cultural impact, and listener favorites are discussed, all with a critical and enthusiastic eye towards the form and legacy of these stylish power plays.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Defines a Corporate Thriller?

• Themes: Money, power, corruption, sex, law, and ambition define the genre’s stakes.
• Motifs: High-stakes deals, intricate conspiracies, legal showdowns, and a dapper male lead (often in suspenders).
• Quote:

  “They're about money, sex and power. And I think that those end up being fairly cinematic themes to explore. So what do you get? You get high stakes dealings, you get intrigue, you get jockeying for power... it’s all very watchable.”
  — Clide Foley [02:39]

2. The Era That Spawned the Classics

• The genre’s heyday aligns with the 1980s economic boom and the rise of Wall Street culture.
• Gordon Gekko as a Symbol: “Wall Street” (1987) synthesized the archetype—greed and moral ambiguity.
• Cultural timing:

  “It’s a movie that comes out in 1987. It comes out right around the time of Black Monday, that huge stock market crash... it just captures this frenetic high speed energy of working in finance at the time.”
  — Clyde Foley [05:17]

3. Spotlight: Wall Street (1987)

• Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko; his “Greed is good” speech is dissected and replayed.
• Quote:

  “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of, of the evolutionary spirit... and greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.”
  — Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko [04:21]

• Visual and auditory style: kinetic camera movements, energetic soundtrack.

4. The Firm (1993) and Tom Cruise’s Star Power

• Cruise plays a newly minted lawyer drawn into a corrupt law firm; based on John Grisham’s novel.
• Why Cruise works: His persona was still malleable and not yet fully defined.
• Quote:

  “He’s maybe a little more malleable in this time period... he kind of is like this hotshot law school grad who’s capable of being put in these situations and being put in these different kinds of movies and working it.”
  — Clyde Foley [08:11]

5. Listener Call-ins: Diverse Perspectives

• The International noted for Naomi Watts and Clive Owen’s performances and its sustained tension.
• Bonfire of the Vanities and The Secret of My Success offer comic takes on corporate culture.
• Playtime (Jacques Tati): One listener suggests viewing the absurdist French film as a satirical corporate “thriller.”
  • Clyde responds:

    “My favorite kind of programming is kind of looking at something from this oblique angle and going, oh, yeah, that actually does work. So shout out to Jacques Tati, corporate thriller filmmaker.”
    — Clyde Foley [11:02]

6. Disclosure (1994): Problematic but Compelling

• Starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore; tackles a reversed sexual harassment scandal.
• Discussed as a “perfect time capsule” of ’90s sexual politics.
• Features a wild VR sequence that adds to its time-capsule charm.
  • Quote:

    “This movie is very strange and very compelling. And it also has, without a doubt, the greatest VR sequence in any movie. It comes out of nowhere. This movie doesn’t need it. But you get it.”
    — Clyde Foley [12:41]

7. Other Mentioned Films

• Working Girl: Many text in, question raised if it qualifies as a “thriller” or is more of a comedic drama.
• Swimming with Sharks, Philadelphia: Listeners suggest other entries they feel fit the genre or capture corporate intensity.

8. The Devil’s Advocate (1997): Over-the-top Fun

• Al Pacino as Satan in a legal thriller opposite Keanu Reeves.
• Noted for Pacino's “unmodulated, at 11” performance, especially in the climactic final monologue.
• Quote:

  “There’s one thing that actors want to do above all else, and that is play Satan. All the big ones get to do it once. This is Pacino’s entry.”
  — Clyde Foley [14:28]
  “The last 20 minutes is really just Al Pacino screaming at Keanu at length. Talk about unmodulated performance at 11.”
  — Clyde Foley [16:25]

9. Dark Waters (2019)

• Suggested by a listener; Todd Haynes' film starring Mark Ruffalo about DuPont’s PFAS water poisoning case.
• Surprising fit for the genre, praised for its courtroom drama and direction.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Suspenders as a fashion and cultural symbol:

  “Wall Street has more suspenders than any other movie I’ve seen.”
  — Clyde Foley [03:10]

• Classic listener interaction:

  “I love Playtime. It’s an all time masterpiece… shout out to Jacques Tati, corporate thriller filmmaker.”
  — Clyde Foley [11:02]

• On Michael Douglas's familiar persona in the genre:

  “…another great entry in the body of work of Michael Douglas being someone who is anguished in dealing with sexuality in the 80s and 90s.”
  — Clyde Foley [12:41]

• Favorite of the series?

  “Wall Street? Absolutely.”
  — Clyde Foley [16:28]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:38: Alison Stewart introduces the topic; what are corporate thrillers?
• 02:39: Clyde Foley explains the appeal and cinematic energy of the genre.
• 03:16: Why the genre peaked from the late ‘80s to early 2000s.
• 04:21: “Greed is good”—Wall Street (clip and analysis).
• 05:17: How Wall Street captures 1980s America.
• 06:34: The Firm—Tom Cruise’s fit for the role.
• 09:24: Listener calls: The International, Bonfire of the Vanities, Playtime.
• 11:24: Disclosure—time capsule of ‘90s politics and its wild VR scene.
• 13:40: Listener suggests The Player; texts on Working Girl.
• 14:10: The Devil’s Advocate—Pacino as Satan and the film’s excess.
• 16:28: Clyde’s pick for favorite corporate thriller.
• 16:36: Listener recommends Dark Waters and its courtroom drama.

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Final Thoughts

This episode weaves nostalgia, critical insight, and listener engagement into a fun, lively exploration of the "corporate thriller"—a genre defined by excess, ambition, and a specific American cultural anxiety. Clyde Foley and Alison Stewart bring warmth, humor, and sharp observation to each film and caller, making the discussion rich for new fans and genre veterans alike.

Listeners are left with plenty of recommendations and cultural context, ready to dive into the Criterion Channel’s curated selection—perhaps with a bowl of popcorn and, yes, a pair of suspenders.

Transcript

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[Alison Stewart]

You're listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Money, Power, Corruption, Sex, lawyers, whistleblowers, Michael Douglas. These are all features of a certain genre of movie that captured Hollywood from the late 80s to the early 2000s, the corporate thriller. These movies might feature a power hungry Wall street broker or a lawyer who might literally be in League the Devil. They have twists and turns usually starring a dapper leading man and they often have a show stopping courtroom scene. You can watch many of these movies now on the Criterion Channel thanks to their April series corporate thrillers featuring 10 different films. Joining me now to discuss some of these films is our friend of the show and of the Criterion Channel. It's Clyde Foley. Hi Clyde.

[Clyde Foley]

Hi Allison. Thanks for having me back.

[Alison Stewart]

So listeners, we want to hear from you. What's your favorite corporate thriller? Our Phone number is 2124-3396-9221-2433 wnyc. What do you like most about corporate thrillers when they're done?

[Clyde Foley]

Well, that's a good question. Look, I think one of the things that is an inherent feature of the corporate thriller is that they're about money, sex and power. And I think that those end up being fairly cinematic themes to explore. So what do you get? You get high stakes dealings, you get intrigue, you get jockeying for power. I don't know. It's all very watchable.

[Alison Stewart]

And it includes suspenders. Men work suspenders.

[Clyde Foley]

Oh, big time. I mean, Wall street has more suspenders than any other movie I've seen.

[Alison Stewart]

A lot of these films are from the late 80s to the early 2000s. Why do you think that particular time period produced so many of these kinds of movies?

[Clyde Foley]

Well, the Wall street figure really becomes like a bigger, larger than life figure in the 1980s. And I think that. Sorry, I got jumbled with my thoughts for a second. I think that with the premiere of Wall street in the 80s, it really synthesizes this kind of figure. And then it just, it translates into, wow, I've completely lost my train of thought.

[Alison Stewart]

You know what we're gonna play from Wall Street? Cause this was the big movie. This was that started it all with Michael Douglas playing Gordon Gekko. He won an Oscar.

[Clyde Foley]

He did. Michael Douglas is great in this movie. And also this is the beginning of the Michael Douglas performance. The Michael Douglas character, if you will.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's listen. This is his famous speech. Greed is good from the movie Wall Street.

[Michael Douglas (Wall Street Clip)]

I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them. The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of, of the evolutionary spirit. Greed in all of its forms, greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the usa. Thank you very much.

[Alison Stewart]

He almost had me there. What do you think this captured about America in the 1980s?

[Clyde Foley]

Okay, well, here's the funny thing about Wall street is that it's a movie that comes out in 1987. It comes out right around the time of Black Monday, that huge stock market crash. And it comes out around the time when a lot of people on Wall street started getting busted for insider trading. So it's one of these things where this movie happened to be about a lot of these things. And to the point where when Wall street comes out in 1987, they realize they needed to put a card at the beginning of the movie that said 1985. Because at this point A lot of people were not doing the things that were being done in this movie out of fear of going to jail. So it captures that. It also just captures this frenetic high speed energy of working in finance at the time. And also, like this movie never stops moving. That camera is constantly moving. It's got that great Stuart Copeland soundtrack and also all those songs from David Byrne and Brian Eno's My Life in the Bush of Ghost. So it's just a very high energy, propulsive film.

[Alison Stewart]

The next movie in the series, The Firm, from 1993. It's directed by Sidney Pollack. It stars Tom Cruise. It's adapted from a John Grisham novel. For those who might not remember what the Firm's about, can you give us the logline?

[Clyde Foley]

The Firm is about hotshot Harvard Law School graduate Tom Cruise basically being recruited by this elite law firm in Memphis. And he's brought in the promise of money and power. And then he starts realizing that this firm is not all that it's cracked up to be. And in fact, it could be a front for the mobile.

[Alison Stewart]

Here's a clip from the movie the Firm. When an FBI agent explains to Mitch, played by Tom Cruise, exactly who he's working for.

[FBI Agent (The Firm Clip)]

Your law firm is the sole legal representative of the Moraldo crime family in Chicago. Known as the Mafia, the Mob.

[Michael Douglas (Wall Street Clip)]

I don't believe it.

[FBI Agent (The Firm Clip)]

They set up legitimate businesses with dirty money from drugs, gambling, prostitution. All cash all moved offshore. You believe it. That's why you talk to Thomas A. Banks and the Caymans. That's why you got this private investigator asking questions that got him killed. Maybe 30% of their clients are legitimate. They bring in a new rookie, throw money at him, buy the car, the house. After a couple of years, and your kids are in private schools, they're used to the good life. They tell you the truth.

[Alison Stewart]

That's from the Firm. What makes Tom Cruise perfect for this movie?

[Clyde Foley]

You know, this is sort of early in Tom Cruise's career. It's not the very beginning, but I don't think the Tom Cruise Persona was fully locked in at this point.

[Alison Stewart]

Interesting.

[Clyde Foley]

Where if you watch movies like Risky Business, especially Color of Money, where he's definitely doing the Tom Cruise thing, but he's playing it at 11, like it's so unmodulated, but very fun to watch. And I think that as an actor he's maybe a little more malleable in this time period. I mean, keep in mind that Tom Cruise, who may in fact be the last movie star working today, but also has so much control over the projects that he's doing. He's a producer. He hasn't worked with an especially difficult director in a long time. So I think that he, at this point, his career, he kind of is like this hotshot law school grad who's capable of being put in these situations and being put in these different kinds of movies and working it.

[Alison Stewart]

We're talking about Corporate Thrillers, a series of 10 movies available to stream during the month of April on the Criterion Channel. My guest is video editor and curator Clyde Foley. And listeners, we're taking your calls. What's your favorite corporate thriller? Give us a call at 2124-3396-9221-2433. WNYC. Let's talk to Steve and a. Hey, Steve, thanks for calling in.

[Caller Steve/Cameron]

Allison, thank you for taking the call. How about a movie called the International?

[Alison Stewart]

How about it?

[Caller Steve/Cameron]

Okay, well, Naomi Watts, Clive Owen, and it just is from start to finish. It's just, it's, it's, it's incredible. And I didn't see it when it was in the theater. I saw it on cable and I watched it multiple times. And I'm wondering if it made the list.

[Clyde Foley]

It did. It's there.

[Alison Stewart]

All right.

[Clyde Foley]

Watch it on the Criterion channel right now.

[Alison Stewart]

Great. Thanks for calling in. This said, I don't believe it did as well as a film, but there was a time when nearly everybody on every subway car was reading Bonfire of the Vanities. Oh, yeah, this one says the Secret of My Success by Michael J. Fox. That is from Rusty in Brooklyn. Calling it in. Let's talk to Katie, who's also calling in from Brooklyn. Hi, Katie, thanks for calling all of it.

[Caller Katie/Robin]

Hi, thanks so much for taking my call. I just wanted to bring up a film that I think is a Criterion favorite. Maybe a bit of a stretch, but the first thing that came to mind when you described the elements of the corporate thriller, which are money, sex and power, was actually Jacques Tati's Playtime insofar that it sets up all of those elements in a corporate setting, for one, and completely neutralizes all of them throughout its runtime through absurdity and humor. So I don't know, I see a kernel there and I wanted to posit it to you.

[Clyde Foley]

I love Playtime. It's an all time masterpiece. And I think it's very funny. The idea of sliding that into corporate thrillers because it's absolutely not a thriller and you know this. But also, I don't know, that's my favorite kind of programming is kind of looking at something from this oblique angle and going, oh, yeah, that actually does work. So shout out to Jacques Tati, corporate thriller filmmaker.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's move on to disclosure from 1994, directed by Barry Levinson, also starring Michael Douglas alongside Demi Moore. And it's thorny territory for 2026, a fake sexual harassment claim. How do you think this movie holds up?

[Clyde Foley]

I think Disclosure holds up great as

[Alison Stewart]

he crosses his arms in front of him.

[Clyde Foley]

Well, it's.

[Alison Stewart]

This is body language. Body language, Clyde.

[Clyde Foley]

Such. I don't know. I don't want to say this is an indefensible position, but, you know, let me stake out my claim on this hill and die on it. Let's step back for a second. What is Disclosure? Disclosure is a 1994 thriller starring my man, Michael Douglas, Demi Moore, Donald Sutherland, directed by Barry Levinson and adapted from a Michael Crichton novel. Here's some context on Disclosure. It is the year after Jurassic park, the movie comes out, which is one of the biggest hits of all time. And I can't say for certain what decisions were being made behind the scenes, but my impression is that basically after the success of Jurassic Park, Hollywood said we have to adapt every single Michael Crichton novel right now. Get them out there. What do we have here? Oh, this film in this book in which a man is sexually harassed by his female boss. Okay, great. Get into production. I think in a way, this film is the perfect time capsule for just describing what the sexual politics of the 1990s were. And I think it is another great entry in the body of work of Michael Douglas being someone who is anguished in dealing with sexuality in the 80s and 90s. I don't know. I think that this movie is very strange and very compelling. And it also has, without a doubt, the greatest VR sequence in any movie. It comes out of nowhere. This movie doesn't need it. But you get it.

[Alison Stewart]

But you get it. Anyway, let's talk to Robin in Long Island City. Hi, Robin. Thanks for calling, all of it.

[Caller Katie/Robin]

Hi. I thought of the Player with Tim Robbins. Anything with Tim Robbins is great.

[Alison Stewart]

Thanks so much for calling in. Many texters are texting in Working Girl starring Melanie Griffith.

[Clyde Foley]

Oh, yeah, sure. But is that a thriller?

[Al Pacino (The Devil's Advocate Clip)]

I don't know.

[Clyde Foley]

Corporate comedy?

[Alison Stewart]

More corporate swimming with sharks. This one says Philadelphia. The stakes for Tom Hanks character are so high.

[Clyde Foley]

Oh, why isn't Philadelphia in this series? That's a great question.

[Alison Stewart]

There you go. Maybe let's talk about a movie that I secretly love, the devil's advocate from 1997.

[Clyde Foley]

Alison, let's go. We're ready.

[Alison Stewart]

A young Keanu Reeves, an Al Pacino, directed by Taylor Hackford. What else could you want? You got Pacino going for it in this film.

[Clyde Foley]

Look, there's one thing that actors want to do above all else, and that is play Satan. All the big ones get to do it once. This is Pacino's entry. I don't know. When was the last time you watched the Devil's Advocate?

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, gosh, I don't know. But I do remember. I just. I loved it. I don't remember when, but it has stuck with me. Let's listen to this particular rant from Al Pacino going on a rant about God.

[Al Pacino (The Devil's Advocate Clip)]

He's an absentee landlord. Worship that. Never.

[Clyde Foley]

Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven, is that it? Why not?

[Al Pacino (The Devil's Advocate Clip)]

I'm here on the ground with my nose in it since the whole thing began. I've nurtured every sensation man has been inspired to have. I cared about what he wanted and I never judged him. Why? Because I never rejected him in spite of all his imperfections. I'm a phantom man. I'm a humanist. Maybe the last humanist. Who, in their right mind, Kevin, could possibly deny the 20th century was entirely mine? All of it. Kevin.

[Alison Stewart]

You gotta love that. Come on.

[Clyde Foley]

Okay, so I hadn't seen Devil's Advocate since it came out in, like, 1997. Now, mind you, I was 11 years old when this came out. Shout out to my father, Gary Foley, for telling me to watch the Devil's Advocate. And. And I rewatched it this weekend in preparation for coming on here. And a couple things. One, I forgot how long it is. This thing is pushing two and a half hours. And this scene that was just clipped is basically the last 20 minutes of the movie. I forgot. The last 20 minutes is really just Al Pacino screaming at Keanu at length. Talk about unmodulated performance at 11.

[Alison Stewart]

Your favorite movie of the 10. What do you think?

[Clyde Foley]

Wall Street? Absolutely.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Cameron. Cameron, I think it is in the Bronx. Hey, Cameron.

[Caller Steve/Cameron]

Hi.

[Alison Stewart]

Hi.

[Clyde Foley]

What do you want?

[Alison Stewart]

What movie do you like?

[Caller Steve/Cameron]

Oh, so it's Dark Waters by Todd Haynes starring Mark Ruffalo.

[Alison Stewart]

And it's about.

[Caller Steve/Cameron]

Oh, it's about the dupont poisoning of West Virginia. Town of the Pifas that leads you to the water is based on a true story.

[Alison Stewart]

Thank you for calling in.

[Clyde Foley]

I like that movie a lot, too. It took me a few years to catch up with it. Just because, you know, like, I'll be honest, like a lot of courtroom dramas. It takes me a little bit of time to muster up the enthusiasm to watch them sometimes because there are so many, there's so many bland ones. And I remember just hearing this one was good and it's just like, wow, Todd Haynes really knows how to make a courtroom thriller. You wouldn't expect it from him.

[Alison Stewart]

We've been talking about Corporate Thrillers, a series of 10 movies available to stream now during the month of April on the Criterion Channel. My guest has been curator Clyde Foley. Thank you so much for joining us, Clyde.

[Clyde Foley]

Thanks for having me.

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