25 Best Business Movies to Watch in 2024

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Looking for awesome movies about business?

Even if you’re not an entrepreneur, you most likely have a basic understanding of how challenging it is to run a business.

Whether it’s starting the business, trying to make a profit, taking care of the people who work for your, or making sure the services you offer are in line with the ever-changing preferences of consumers, being an entrepreneur is never easy.

Today’s collection of movies portrays the different aspects of running a business.

Some are based on real events that had a huge impact on the global economy.

Others are based on the life stories of well-known entrepreneurs. There are also films that explore how the characters navigate through a variety of challenging situations in an effort to keep their businesses running.

The core message of these movies is that persistence is one of the key ingredients for success in any venture.

Read on to see what we’ve got in store for you.

Best Movies About Business

1. The Founder (2016)

This movie is based on the true story of how McDonald’s became one of the biggest fast-food empires in the world.

Viewers get to know a traveling businessman named Ray Croc. During one of his trips, he encounters brothers Mac and Dick McDonald, who are running a fast-food eatery. Croc turns the brothers’ eatery into the biggest fast-food empire in the world, but at the cost of his personal integrity.

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2. Boiler Room (2000)

How do you become successful in business without compromising your principles and integrity?

This is the question posed by this movie about young stockbrokers utilizing high-pressure—and even illegal—tactics to make as much money as they can from unsuspecting investors.

The movie provides a warning about the consequences of greed, especially when it is applied in business.

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3. The Big Short (2015)

The rise and collapse of the US housing bubble in 2007–2008 triggered a worldwide economic crisis. However, a group of financial experts discovered the flaw and decided to make a profit off of it.

This movie, based on the book The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine written by Michael Lewis, portrays the lives of that group of individuals who made investments in order to short the US housing market.

The movie has many lessons to share with its viewers, mainly about how greed and pride can cause the collapse of the global economy.

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4. American Hustle (2013)

This crime movie makes our list based on a couple of factors. First, it depicts the consequences of wrong decisions. Second, it shows that, whether a business is legal or illegal, loyalty is important.

In this film, viewers get to known characters who are strongly driven by their desires. They are willing to do anything it takes to get what they want, with disastrous results.

This movie is actually based on the events of an FBI sting operation during the late 1970s and early 1980s called Abscam. The bureau hired a grifter to scam US politicians into taking bribes from someone posing as a Middle Eastern sheik.

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5. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

What are you willing to do to get a job you want or to bring your business to the top?

This movie, set in the offices of one of the highest-rated fashion magazines in the world, reveals the machinations people in the corporate world use to acquire power and prestige.

The movie shows the impact of a toxic work environment caused by an unhealthy leadership style. If you’re an entrepreneur, this movie provides pointers on what to avoid doing as a boss.

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6. The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009)

Many businesses use different marketing tactics to make sales. However, some of them resort to cheap tricks and gimmicks to achieve their goals.

In this movie, a failing car dealership hires a team of car liquidators to encourage sales during the 4th of July holiday.

At first, the leader of the car liquidator team uses cheap tactics to try and reach their goal. However, the tactics backfire and he learns an important lesson about teamwork and about life.

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7. Any Given Sunday (1999)

Football is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Most movies about this sport are inspirational, highlighting how a team overcomes their individual struggles to triumph in a major game.

However, this movie is about the side of professional football that most fans don’t get to see. It covers the business side of the game, including questionable deals, team ownership/coaching problems, power struggles, low morale among team members, and the inevitable end of careers.

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8. The Princess and the Frog (2009)

This animated movie tells the story of how an enchantment transforms two humans into frogs who must find a way to turn back into humans.

It is also the story of a young woman who inherits her father’s dream to own a restaurant.

She saves up every penny she earns so she can buy the property where she plans to open her restaurant, only to be thwarted by the realtors, who imply that she can’t run a restaurant because of her economic “background”.

Now, in addition to finding a way to turn back into a human, she must also find a way to achieve her (and her father’s) dream.

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9. Little (2019)

Jordan runs a tech business and is mean to all her employees, particularly her personal assistant. However, life for Jordan takes an unexpected turn when she is magically transformed into her 13-year-old self.

Now, Jordan needs to rely on her assistant to help her navigate life as a teenager and keep her company afloat.

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10. Lord of War (2005)

In this movie, viewers are introduced to international arms dealer Yuri Orlov, whose list of clients includes all the armies in the world. As Yuri’s business prospers, so does the body count of the innocent people who fall victim to the weapons he sells.

The movie is a reminder that lives are lost when weapons are easily accessible. It doesn’t matter who makes them—as long as there are those willing to buy guns, there will always be somebody willing to sell.

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11. Sunshine Cleaning (2009)

This comedy drama is about two sisters embarking on a cleaning service business. Their specialty is cleaning up gory crime scenes.

The movie is about the challenges the sisters encounter both in their personal lives and in running their newly established business.

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12. Margin Call (2011)

Here’s another movie inspired by the 2007–2008 global financial crisis.

In this movie, hours before the market crash, a financial analyst in a company stumbles across information that could mean the downfall of the financial market (and, subsequently, their company).

The company execs create a plan to save their corporation, but it is at the expense of their unsuspecting clients.

This movie shows how greed can drive businesspeople to resort to dishonest acts to ensure their own survival.

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13. The Bookshop (2017)

This movie is set in a remote town in Suffolk during the 1950s. In this town, a young widow opens a bookshop.

As her business becomes successful, she finds herself the target of envy from one of the influential town residents, who rallies some of the townspeople to get the widow evicted.

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14. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

During the early 1990s, a young man named Jordan Belfort, along with some of his friends, established a firm called Stratton Oakmont. This movie chronicles how Belfort went from being a stellar stockbroker to a felon engaged in fraud and corruption, which ultimately led to his arrest by the FBI.

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15. Joy (2015)

In this movie, we get to know Joy, a single mother who invents a cleaning gadget but faces obstacles in building her business empire.

This film has a number of lessons, including how to promote your business or product to prospective investors, the importance of being persistent, and the value of believing in yourself, even if others are closing their doors on you.

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16. Emily the Criminal (2022)

In this movie, we witness how a person is cornered into making poor decisions when they’re strapped for cash.

Emily is a young woman struggling to pay off debts. She has a felony charge preventing her from getting a decent-paying job.

Emily gets recruited to a credit card fraud ring, and it’s one bad decision after another once she’s in. Will she ever find her way out and lead an honest life?

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17. Inside Job (2010)

This film won the Best Documentary Feature award in the 2010 Academy Awards. It documents the cause of the 2008 global financial crisis.

In this movie, several academics, financial analysts, authors, and politicians give their analyses about the catastrophic collapse of the global economy at that time.

This movie sheds light on what corporations are willing to do to save themselves, even if it was at the expense of ordinary people who entrusted them with their life savings.

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18. Walt Before Mickey (2015)

This is a biographical film about Walt Disney before the studio he founded became a vast entertainment empire.

In the movie, we witness Walt Disney struggling to find his niche in the world of business. He establishes the Laugh-o-Gram Studio and other ventures. We get to watch as Walt Disney navigates through business opportunities, negotiating deals, and learning to master the business of animation.

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19. Wall Street (1987)

This movie is about a young, ambitious stockbroker named Bud Fox. To further his ambitions, he seeks mentorship from shady corporate raider Gordon Gekko.

Fox becomes enmeshed in shady deals, dazzled by the prospect of wealth. However, he is ultimately forced to reflect on his actions.

This movie shows us some of the possible consequences if material wealth and profit is our only goal in business.

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20. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

This film gives us a glimpse of the goings-on in a real estate firm. In it, we witness how an employer uses intimidation, manipulation, and lies to keep their employees on their toes. An unhealthy competition develops as the work superior threatens to fire subordinates who underperform.

This movie shows what happens when businesses operate for the sole purpose of making money. A work environment like this tramples the human spirit and brings out the worst in people.

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21. Baby Boom (1987)

In this romantic comedy, a successful businesswoman finds herself bequeathed with an orphaned little girl. She is forced to choose between raising the girl and keeping her high-profile job.

This movie is a reminder of the importance of work-life balance and being true to yourself and your needs when it comes to choosing your source of livelihood.

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22. Chef (2014)

In this movie, we get to know a chef in a creative rut. An influential food critic’s review propels the chef to do some self-searching. This reignites his passion for cooking good food and allows him to discover a potential new business within the food industry.

If you need a dose of inspiration, this movie teaches you that doing something you love can open up the doors of opportunity. (Check out this 12-step process to find your purpose in life.)

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23. Sing (2016)

Another animated movie makes it onto our list, ad this time it’s about a koala named Buster Moon. He is struggling to keep his theater open and is willing to do anything to stall its foreclosure.

He needs a show that will attract potential investors. Moon decides to host a singing competition. Is it the show that will save his theater and his dreams?

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24. Moneyball (2011)

Companies that are just starting out often have to compete with established businesses that are usually wealthier and more influential.

This movie shows how someone who has fewer resources and less influence in the business world can still succeed by being creative and resourceful.

In the film, a general manager of an almost-bankrupt baseball team succeeds in assembling a winning team, despite having a tight budget. He utilizes an innovative computer analysis program to gather his team and achieve victory over their wealthier and more established rivals.

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25. The Aviator (2004)

This movie chronicles the life of pilot, business magnate, and filmmaker Howard Hughes between the 1920s and 1940s. It shows how Hughes struggles in his private life, despite his success. His depression and phobias influence his decision making.

This movie gives you an opportunity to reflect on the decisions you’ve made in relation to your business. It forces you to consider the consequences of future decisions and whether they will lead to success or failure.

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Final Thoughts on Movies About Business

Hopefully you found a favorite among the movies about business featured in today’s article.

Being an entrepreneur is never easy, but many of the movies in this collection provide guidance for how to become a successful business owner, as well as reminders of things to avoid that will prevent your business from going under.

We hope you enjoyed this collection.

For more inspiring movies, you can also check out 11 Best Inspirational Entrepreneur Movies of All Time. Or, if you feel it’s time to change jobs, here are 11 Movies About Getting a Job or Finding a Career.

See some of these other movie choice options:

Finally, if you want to take your goal-setting efforts to the next level, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals.

movies about business | entrepreneurship movies | corporate world movies