Focussing on three of India’s biggest money scandals, Bad Boy Billionaires stands out for its depiction of the heights of denial that corruption can inspire in those who fall under its poisonous influence.
The central characters in each hour-long episode – an airline magnate, a jeweller and an investor for the poor – start their stories off on ostensibly honourable footing.
However, as shiny facades crumble, ever more distasteful truths come to light. As more serious accusations prompt investigations, the guilty parties respond not with contrition but by railing ever louder, making even more extraordinary heights and pushing the increasingly incredible agenda of their innocence.
Each episode is a morbidly fascinating study in how far detached from reality the perpetrators become as their fabricated empires come crashing down.
Duration: 1 season, 4 episodes
Genre: Documentary
One-line synopsis: How to create your own reality, all the way to the White House.
Thankfully, Biden and the Democrats have finally managed to put Trump away (for now) but you can bet your bottom dollar this won’t be the last we’ll see of him.
If you’re wondering how Trump came to be in control of the probably the world’s largest collection of nuclear weapons for four sweat-inducing years, this investigative documentary (and supervillain origin story) will help you understand the power of the Trump brand.
Like most villains, he wasn’t always like this. Young Donald Trump was seen to be deeply strategic, likeable and intelligent, but after seeing his name in the bright lights of Trump Tower, the once brilliant businessman took an unexplained turn that darkened his reputation and solidified his worst characteristics.
Somehow hitting upon a terrible mastery of the illusion of power and wealth, Trump continued to wield his malign influence culminating in the chilling revelation that he had always been aiming for the White House.
How it’ll change your views about money: Trump, An American Dream proves acting like you have money will get you further than actually having more money.
Bling Empire
Image source: Netflix
Duration: 1 season, 8 episodes
Genre: Reality TV
One-line synopsis: Crazy Rich Asians have problems too, you know?
A fly-on-the-wall look at the lives of wealthy Asians in Los Angeles, Bling Empire is an unexpectedly addictive series you’ll want to binge-watch at one go.
The cast of characters are as diverse as they are memorable. There’s the half-Japanese, half-Russian billionaire heiress Anna Shay; high-cheekboned former star of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Christine Chiu and her husband Gabe – a direct descendant of the Song Dynasty; former equestrian and upcoming fashion influencer Jaime Xie; curvaceous and feisty Kim Lee, pipped to be EDM’s next biggest superstar; Cherie Chan, a denim empire heiress and former rising Japanese pop star; Kelly Mi Li, an influencer and Hollywood producer; and even Singapore’s very own Kane Lim, a self-made multi-millionaire, real estate developer, investor and philanthropist.
Fitness model Kevin Kreider is their not-rich close friend, whose sometimes endearingly clueless but relatable questions about “rich people culture” makes him an effective audience surrogate.
The eye-popping lifestyle of the ultra-rich is put on full, unfettered display here. The cast take turns booking out entire high-end shops, clubs and restaurants, even the iconic Rodeo Drive, just so that they and their friends can party in private.
But it’s the interweaving storylines and scene-stealing cameos that will keep you glued to the screen, which includes:
- The tit-for-tat cattiness of Anna and Christine’s social warfare
- Kim and Kevin’s heartstrings-tugging search for closure
- Christine’s sacrifice against the suffocating weight of long-outdated Chinese values
- Kelly’s see-sawing and potentially destructive love life
- Cherie’s slightly kooky if understandable beliefs about her dead mother
With all that, there’s plenty to keep you mashing the ‘Next Episode’ button.
With such a gaudy backdrop, you’d expect Bling Empire to be nothing more than a gauche display of privilege and wealth. A lesser production crew would have set up the cast to fulfil classic TV tropes like scheming villain, righteous hero, long-suffering spouse, naive man-child – the characters are certainly ripe for the taking.
On the contrary, every character is given the time and space to tell their own stories. This results in fully fleshed, at times voyeuristic, portraits of people struggling with universal issues like acceptance, identity and love.
How it’ll change your views about money: Bling Empire proves that money doesn’t solve all problems. But we bet sobbing into thousand-dollar bedsheets in a million-dollar mansion is still going to be much more comfortable.
