Being an up-and-coming businessman with humble beginnings can be a tedious experience if you’re caught short on experience. After all, knowing what your associates like to hear is essential if you aim to either grease their palm or shake it, and knowing a few dirty secrets only helps cement that.
Nevertheless, climbing the corporate ladder on your own can be daunting, and knowing your way around a deal requires experience that only a veteran could have. Now, Hollywood is hardly the best purveyor of reality when it comes to people and their emotions, but some flicks just capture the essence of being a prospective tycoon perfectly, whilst others provide a brutally honest view of the world.
Successful businessmen aren’t perfect individuals, most usually otherwise, but knowing what obstacles they overcame on their journey helps. That, and the fact that some of these movies have great acting performances, is reason enough to watch them, and we might have just the thing to help you on your way. More on how to watch these films further down.
Where to Watch?
Whether you’re looking to catch a documentary of the trials and tribulations of the business world, or you’re just in it to nitpick the details and the accuracies, here’s a collection of business-related movies for your entrepreneurial needs.
Whereas all these flicks are perfectly serviceable business movies that provide insight into the mysterious world of corporate affairs, watching them all in one place may prove hard. Current day streaming rights and content paywalls mean that if you want access to a wide range of movies to stream, you need multiple subscriptions.
Normally, this would be alright, but if your expenses and your revenues aren’t quite matching up, the last thing you need is another subscription. To help you iron out the balance sheets, you need free streaming. And with this list of websites that offer free movie streaming, we’ve got your back.
Whether you’re looking to watch these amazing corporate flicks, or just want to find something casual to binge on, these free streaming websites offer the best ROI for your two clicks. So head on over to the link above, pick a streaming website and get to watching. Legality was never the most common aspect of a businessman’s conscience, so why even worry.
1. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Featuring the turbulent tale of broker Jordan Belfort, this Scorsese film has it all. From morally bankrupt dealings to the indulgences of high living, this rollercoaster looks into how one ambitious stockbroker rides the fine line of fraudulence and legitimacy. Starring an exceptional performance from Leonardo DiCaprio worthy of an Academy Award, this film straddles the line between crazy and grounded.
An ultimate lesson in achieving a balance between temptation and discipline, this masterpiece was nominated 82 times and won 22 awards worldwide.
2. Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)
A classic featuring the trials and tribulations of tech giants Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, this film usually finds itself flying under the radar. Highlighting the triumphs of two young entrepreneurs in the face of a titan like IBM, this flick takes us through their rivalry and outlines how they built their empires.
Teaching the lesson of the importance of originality (or lack thereof), this film reminds us to dream big and never falter.
3. The Social Network (2010)
Following the troubled origins of Facebook, this David Fincher masterpiece takes us through the winding, narrow trek of success of Mark Zuckerberg. Weaving through his professional and (no matter how little of it he had) personal life, this gritty number reminds us that on the path to glory, not all are roses.
Harsh realities of life aside, this movie features some incredible acting performances from Eisenberg and Garfield, brilliant story-telling, and an absolute treat of an OST. An adaptation of the book ‘The Accidental Billionaires’ by Ben Mezrich, this film also won an Academy Award, for Best Writing.
4. Boiler Room (2000)
Before Vin Diesel found a career fielding a wide range of performances from action hero with a gun to action hero in a car, he was a stockbroker. That’s right, this flick not only stars Ben Affleck, but also everyone’s favorite family-loving action star, as they play support to a college drop-out turned broker.
Telling the tale of this young broker’s internal struggle with his morals in the face of the prospective fishiness of his firm, this film provides an important lesson in the struggle between right and wrong.
5. Office Space (1999)
For the beaten, bruised and burnt out 9-to-5 worker in you, this film revolves around an office worker who decides he’s had enough. Giving up the keyboard and cubicle lifestyle is no easy feat, and this hilarious take on it will certainly leave you wishing you’d take that step.
Featuring some brilliant situational humor, this Mike Judge film is for the average Joe who’s tired of the monotony of corporate work-life and is edging to rebel against the system. Escape is a luxury not many can afford, but it sure is sweeter when you add a bit of sabotage.