We have done the work of going through all and we think these are 15 movies every entrepreneur should watch!
You know the feeling you have when you just walked out of the cinema after watching an inspiring movie. That feeling of being different from the person that walked in. I tell you it’s the best feeling if you’re a budding businessman – or consider yourself to be a future entrepreneur.
There are tonnes of timeless films as such that will inspire you – or warn you about taking the wrong step or making the wrong choices.
1. MARGIN CALL (2011)
Fantastic film about the financial crisis, Margin Call is set over 24 hours as a bank releases all of its worthless bonds onto the market. The insight from this movie can’t just be quantified especially as we have been facing quite a lot of financial crises in recent time.It has an ensemble cast that includes; Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore, Simon Baker, Stanley Tucci, Paul Bettany and Zachary Quinto.
2. Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)
This is a classic film that shows the beginnings of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates as they built their technology empires in the 1980s. It highlights their rivalry, trials and triumphs, and the different ways the tech founding fathers operated. You will see how a 20-year-old took on a huge corporation like IBM. You’ll also learn the value of believing in your dream and following through with it no matter what. It doesn’t matter if someone copies your idea. What matters is the execution and how well you do it. Nobody can copy that. Always stay focused on the goal. A little competition never hurts anyone when you’re just starting out.. Always stay focused on the goal. Only then, can you make a difference.
3. CITIZEN KANE (1941)
One of the greatest films of all time! Citizen Kane should be watched if you’re an entrepreneur – or even if you’re not. The movie chronicles the life of Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles), following the megalomaniacal newspaper publisher through his romances and his business dealings. This classic is an eye-opener!
4. Boiler Room (2000)
Every entrepreneur in business faces moral dilemmas at some point in their career. This movie is about a 19 year old college dropout, Seth Davis, who is faced with a dire moral issue. Seth rises to become one of the top brokers at brokerage firm J.T. Marlin, but something at the firm seems suspicious. What does he do when faced with the dilemma of money and greed versus morals and legality? What would you do? This movie will sensitize you to the very real struggle between right and wrong, money and greed and morality and legality in business.
5. TOO BIG TO FAIL (2011)
The seminal drama on the financial crisis of 2008, Too Big to Fail explains how the entire financial system was almost destroyed by the greed and incompetence of big banks such as the Lehman Brothers.
6. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
This is an inspiring story of a struggling salesman, Chris Gardner (Will Smith), who losses everything, including his wife, house and money. Instead of wallowing in self-pity and defeat, Chris picks himself up, works harder and smarter than the competition to make life better for himself and his son. It’s a powerful motivational movie based on a true story that will give you goosebumps and help you see the value of having a good attitude and strong work ethic in the pursuit of happiness and a better life.
7. ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM (2005)
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room is one of many business films which warn of the dangers of corporate greed and avarice. The documentary film chronicles the decline and collapse of the Enron Corporation and the scandal that followed in 2001.
8. Flash of Genius (2008)
Anyone who’s an entrepreneur must watch this movie to understand why it’s important to protect your ideas from being stolen. Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear), a college professor, invents the windshield wiper that is embraced by all the auto giants of the 1960s, becoming a standard device on all cars. However, the automakers do not give Kearns the credit he is due. It might be heartbreaking to watch as Kearns fights powerful corporations for his credit, but therein lies an important lesson for all entrepreneurs to learn.
9. ARBITRAGE (2012)
This phenomenal financial thriller is a brilliant and tense film about a man at his peak whose life begins to fall apart after being involved in a car crash with his mistress.
10. Limitless (2011)
This thrilling film about a struggling writer, Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) will teach you something about taking shortcuts, quick fixes and the easy path to success. Eddie is sure he has no future as he is faced with unemployment and his girlfriend’s rejection. However, that all changes when an old friend gives him a mysterious pill that allows him to access 100% of his brain abilities. Stoked on the untested drug, Eddie rises to the top of the financial world, but terrible side-effects and a dwindling supply threatens to collapse his house of cards. Quick and easy fixes aren’t so easy after all, or are they?
11. THE AVIATOR (2004)
The Aviator showed how a man could overcome his inhibitions and weaknesses through sheer willpower and Scorsese’s award winning film is a simply inspirational piece of work.
12. WALL STREET (1987)
This is arguably one of the best entrepreneurial movies of all time. A classic of 1980’s cinema, Wall Street is a film about greed pure and simple.It follows an ambitious young stockbroker, Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), who will do just about anything it takes to succeed as he is guided by the nebulous motto “Greed is good.” Suddenly, everything comes to a head when Fox is asked to help do something not only illegal, but morally reprehensible. The movie will teach you not to sell yourself out for the sake of money. Being an entrepreneur isn’t just about being rich and famous. The Oliver Stone directed movie has gone on to be regarded as a great portrayal of 1980’s excess.
13. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010)
This is another great movie that every entrepreneur should watch. It shows the meteoric rise of the world’s youngest billionaire and his Harvard dorm-room startup – Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg took a simple idea and turned it into one of the most profitable businesses to date. You’ll see how he did it and the challenges he faced along the way, including rifts with his co-founders. Apart from learning from Zuckerberg’s experience, you’ll also enjoy some deft storytelling and brilliant background score. Whatever you think of the film or indeed Facebook, it cannot be denied that it is a brilliant – and sinister – portrayal of the minds of young, ambitious entrepreneurs.
14. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
This controversial movie sure can teach you valuable lessons about success, fame, fortune, greed and respect for law. As Belfort says, “The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.” However, with achieved goals, money, power, fame, women and drugs comes many temptations that can jeopardize your success. Discipline and awareness is critical to retain any success you achieve.
15. Office Space (1999)
This hilarious film is for anyone who hates their 9-to-5 office job and is itching to plunge into entrepreneurship. It revolves around Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston). He discovers how much he hates sitting inside a cubicle every weekday, taking orders from his creepy boss. If there’s ever a film that will make you laugh, give you a refreshing new outlook on life, motivate you to get out of a desk job you hate and fire you up to pursue a venture that you truly love, then this is it!
