Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)

In a breathtaking unraveling of corporate deceit, "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" delves into the rapid rise and catastrophic fall of Houston-based Enron Corporation. Once a titan with $65 billion in assets, Enron disintegrated into bankruptcy in less than a year, a chilling chronicle of pride, arrogance, and greed. This narrative not only uncovers the smoke and mirrors tactics used by those who built this house of cards but also the destructive impact on the working class who believed in its stability. The film primarily shadows two figures who orchestrated the corporate culture descending into the abyss: Kenneth Lay, the Chair and CEO, and Jeff Skilling, the COO. Both men, along with top executives, managed to liquidate their shares before the cataclysm, leaving the general investors and employees, who invested their life savings into the company, to bear the brunt of the crash. The far-reaching effects of their actions also reverberated in the lives of California utility users and payers, who were negatively impacted along the way. The narrative also delves into the dark underbelly of the Enron saga, exposing the complicity of entities such as Arthur Andersen, Enron's auditor, and various banks. Whether motivated by greed, ignorance, or fear of crossing the mighty Enron, their contributions to the catastrophe are laid bare. The film weaves together a narrative rich in human drama, from heart-wrenching suicides to 20,000 job losses. It paints vivid portraits of key players such as Lou Pai, who escaped with $250 million, and Andy Fastow, the dark prince of the saga. We witness Enron exploiting California's deregulated electricity market, receiving a free pass from Arthur Andersen despite dubious accounting practices, and manipulating banks and brokerages with its insatiable greed. "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" is a cautionary tale of unchecked ambition and corporate recklessness. As the legal fates of Lay and Skilling still hang in the balance, this film serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of hubris and deceit in the world of business.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is a documentary movie featuring Peter Coyote.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Crackle, Kanopy, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Tubi TV and VUDU Free and it's also available on Amazon Prime Video, Hoopla, Hulu, Magnolia Selects and fuboTV.

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