Even Money (2006) is not a great movie, but it tells a story that is true and that needs to be told so that each generation hears it. It’s a simple story, and a particularly strong cast (Kim Basinger, Kelsey Grammer, Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta, Tim Roth, Danny DeVito) makes the story plausible.

The story of Even Money is this: make money—or the fame or security it promises to provide—the central thing in your life, and you will unleash forces that can kill you and destroy all you hold most dear. Seemingly small choices have unexpected consequences, and soon lies, corruption, injustice, even death follow the avalanche of self-deception and deceit that is required to maintain the addiction the idol spawns.

“Sometimes you go looking for more,” the narrator says, “and you end up with less.” Indeed.