The Best Corporate Movies of All Time

The world of cubicles has offered us much in the forms of entertainment, from Dilbert in our comic strips to Michael Scott to countless blogs bemoaning the corporate lifestyle. Films that truly capture how the stresses of the modern office shape our culture emerge every once in a while to deliver film making at its best. Get out the popcorn, turn on the Netflix, and get ready to bring your work home with you, because these are the best corporate movies of all time.

5.) The Corporation, Documentary, 2003: I bet you thought every film on this list would be ones where characters opined about business intelligence applications or something. Not only is it required viewing in the genre of corporate film, but it should be required viewing for anyone studying business – for better or for worse. This examination of how slowly but surely over the past 150 years the corporation has become equivalent to a living, breathing human being under US law will not only make you question the validity of the claims the corporation makes, but will make you wonder if the corporation is supposed to have the rights of a human being, then how come is it treated as superior to human beings? If nothing else, it will certainly make you realize how ridiculous people responded when they attacked Mitt Romney for saying recently that “Corporations are people too, my friend”. Because, as this all-too-creepy documentary shows you, they really are.

4.) Wall Street, Drama, 1987: Nominated for Best Picture, and picking up an Oscar for Michael Douglas, this Oliver Stone pic about insider-trading in the fast-paced world of the Yuppie-infested 1980s has it all – suspense, technology (albeit it seems archaic now, business intelligence platform technology makes one of its earliest on-screen appearances here) betrayal, romance and a tragic fall the Greeks would be proud of, all while reflecting the stresses of the workers trying to make it big who never will. Its major flaw, of course is that you just don’t see Wall Street types coming clean, telling the truth, or putting the needs of actual people in front of desire for profit. Sharp and well-made, it’s worth the watch.

3.) Inside Job, Documentary, 2010: This Oscar-winning documentary explains in layman’s terms the financial crisis, what led to it, who created it, and how the people who created it are still filthy rich and treated like kings. It will make you feel angry, empowered and powerless all at the same time.

2.) Primer, Drama, 2004: While not emblematic of the corporate lifestyle, the undertones of the sand trap of middle-management are on display in this wildly imaginative film. The thinking man’s science-fiction film that pushes you to think it is potentially science fact, it was shot on the cheap yet pulls no cinematic punches. Austere yet severe, it is definitely worth the watch.

1.) Office Space, Comedy, 1999: Come on – it’s the ultimate corporate movie, and one of the best of all time, period. “PC Load Letter – what the f### does that mean!?” and countless other quotes, the two “Bobs”, and not to mention the countless TV shows and films it inspired in its wake, Office Space is one of the funniest movies of all time. Never have the adventures of reporting software nerds been so interesting – or so funny.