Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer without a subscription – and fans are loving it
14:35, 23 Oct 2025Updated 14:36, 23 Oct 2025
Martin Scorsese directed the masterpiece(Image: Getty Images for Tribeca Festiva)
Film buffs are in for a treat this week as one of Martin Scorsese’s most acclaimed and talked-about films has just dropped on BBC iPlayer – and it’s absolutely free to watch.
The iconic director, known for timeless classics such as Goodfellas, Taxi Driver and Mean Streets, now has one of his more recent hits available to stream without any subscription.
This film stirred up quite the controversy upon its initial release due to its morally questionable characters, outrageous humour and copious amounts of illicit white powder.
That film is none other than The Wolf of Wall Street, Scorsese’s 2013 semi-biographical drama featuring Leonardo DiCaprio as stockbroker Jordan Belfort.
Set against the backdrop of the money and drug-infused world of 1990s Wall Street, it charts Belfort’s meteoric rise from trading penny stocks to heading one of the largest firms in New York, followed by his precipitous fall as greed and excess take hold, reports the Express.
Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of his most memorable roles(Image: -)
Partially based on a true story, the film is a fan favourite and is considered one of Scorsese’s most popular and one of DiCaprio’s most unforgettable roles.
Clocking in at nearly three hours, it’s certainly not a quick watch but it’s filled with memorable scenes, rapid-fire dialogue and a plot that will keep boredom at bay.
Joining DiCaprio are standout performances from Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie and Matthew McConaughey, contributing to the film’s status as one of the biggest box-office successes of Scorsese’s career, raking in over £300 million in cinemas.
Viewers immediately began singing the film’s praises upon its release, with it becoming one of the most beloved movies on review site Letterboxd whilst earning a “Certified Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays real life stock broker Jordan Belfort(Image: -)
One critic awarded it nine out of 10 and wrote: “Have you ever partied hard and wondered how you would party hard if you had copious amounts of money and a group of just as crazy as you friends?”.
“I think this is it and then some. Forget good taste, forget politically correct and go along for a freight train on steroids of a ride, have a good laugh along the way. Casting is spot on, have seen this over a half a dozen times and not bored yet.”
However, not everyone considers the picture to be a work of genius. One punter, awarding it five out of ten, commented: “I thought it would be a much better movie.
“The acting was okay, the filming was okay, but about halfway through, I began thinking that maybe there was a better use of time than watching this.”
Now that it’s available on BBC iPlayer, anyone holding a TV licence can view it without charge from their sofa. Whether you overlooked it during its initial cinema run or simply fancy another viewing, it’s a convenient method to experience one of the most discussed pictures of recent years.