Looking for some inspirational movies? Here’s a list of the best movies for entrepreneurs. All these business-related movies offer new learning. Read now!
Are you an aspiring entrepreneur trying to add colors to your dreams? Do you have an idea that can create a massive impact on society? Awesome! However, the journey from a raw idea to a successful business is a roller coaster ride. The tag of the “Founder” comes with its own challenges. There are a thousand obstacles every day. Though every day is a new learning opportunity, it requires immense determination and problem-solving abilities.
It is often said that you learn many things by observing and watching. You get a whole new perspective of the world and different ways of problem-solving. No one understands this better than an entrepreneur. This article highlights some inspiring business-related movies for entrepreneurs. Like most people, entrepreneurs need some break from their hectic routine. What better way to unwind and gain some inspiration than to watch business-related movies?
From go-to hacks for profitable sales to ideas to scale your business, these movies give you a new perspective on entrepreneurship. Moreover, these movies inspire you to never give up and stay persistent in your efforts.
25 Inspiring Movies for Entrepreneurs
1) The Founder
Genre: Biography, Drama
Release year: 2017
Director: John Lee Hancock
Star Cast: Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, and John Caroll Lynch.
IMDB Rating: 7.2 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
We might have eaten from McDonald’s, but how many of us know their secrets?
The Founder is based on the life of Ray Kroc, a magnificent salesman responsible for creating one of the largest restaurant chains in the world.
In 1950, Ray Kroc, a middle-aged yet ambitious salesman, came across a McDonald’s restaurant run by two brothers in San Bernardino, California. The idea of McDonald’s selling perfectly cooked beef burgers in 30 seconds intrigues him to the core. But, How will he persuade the owners and build the world’s largest restaurant chain? Watch The Founder know more!
This inspirational movie explores the ambition, struggles, and perseverance of Ray Kroc in a quirky manner. His story is awe-inspiring and motivates all entrepreneurs to stay hungry and stay foolish.
Inspired by McDonald’s business model? You too can start a business similar to it using our food delivery app development services. Get in touch with our team to know more.
2) The Billionaire
Genre: Biography, Drama
Release year: 2011
Director: Songyos Sugmakanan
Star Cast: Pachara Chirathivat, Walanlak Kumsuwan, and Somboonsuk Niyomsiri.
IMDB Rating: 7.8 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
The billionaire is the biography of Itthipat Chirathivat, a Thai (baht) billionaire. Itthipat during his early teenage years was doomed towards online games. Later, after facing a major financial crisis his life takes a major shift. The story covers how he went from a university dropout to creating a prominent company selling fried seaweed packets.
Through his story, lots of budding entrepreneurs as well as teenagers can take inspiration.
The Billionaire unfolds the secrets of how he went from a careless teenager to a billionaire. His story is inspiring, motivating and sheds light on the importance of perseverance.
3) The Pursuit of Happiness
Genre: Biography, Drama
Release year: 2006
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Star Cast: Will Smith, Thandiwe Newton, and Jaden Smith.
IMDB Rating: 8.0 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
Ups and downs are a part of every entrepreneur’s career, aren’t they? The Pursuit of Happyness inspires every struggling entrepreneur. The movie is based on the true story of Chris Gardener. It revolves around the phase of Chris’s life when he is left homeless with his son and undergoes various trials in his professional and personal life.
The movie perfectly portrays the major adversities of his life and how he conquered them. His story stands to inspire millions of people looking for inspiration. It teaches us to learn from our failures and keep striving!
Best Scene: The ending scene of the movie when Will Smith’s character gets confirmation of the job. His portrayal of feelings is simply priceless.
4) Moneyball
Genre: Sport, Biography, Drama.
Release year: 2011
Director: Bennett Miller
Star Cast: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill
IMDB Rating: 7.6 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Moneyball is a biographical movie based on the life of Billy Beane, a former baseball player, and Oakland A’s General Manager. It is one of the best movies for entrepreneurs.
The movie revolves around Beane’s career as Oakland A’s GM and how he’s willing to create a winning team through a unique analysis process.
Overall, the movie is a must-watch for all budding entrepreneurs. It enlightens some important business lessons like adaptability, listening to new ideas, and creating unique solutions for newer problems.
5) Adidas v/s Puma: The Brother’s Feud
Genre: Biography, Drama, and History
Release year: 2016
Director: Oliver Dommenget
Star Cast: Ken Duken, Torben Liebrecht, Jesse Albert
IMDB Rating: 6.9 stars
Many know about Adidas and Puma but very few know the creation of these giant sportswear companies.
Adidas v/s Puma: The Brother’s Feud is a German movie exploring the lives of two brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler the founders of Adidas and Puma respectively.
The story revolves around their early working days, the impact of World War Two, and the brother’s feud. It also explores the foundation of those two giant sportswear companies and their endless struggle to stay at the top.
This movie must be watched by every entrepreneur at least once in their lifetime. It vividly portrays the importance of internal harmony in businesses and how the lack of it can lead to deterioration. Overall, this movie never ceases to inspire, motivate and imbue the belief of innovation among its viewers.
6) Guru
Genre: Drama
Release year: 2007
Director: Mani Ratnam
Star Cast: Mithun Chakraborty, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
IMDB Rating: 7.7 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
If you’re looking for a typical Indian entrepreneurial movie, don’t forget to add Guru to your watchlist.
Guru is a fictional story of a man from a small village with big dreams of running his own business. After performing poorly in school, Gurukant, the son of the headmaster of the village school in Gujarat is sent to Turkey.
Guru makes a comeback from Turkey only to work on his idea of running a business. However, due to lack of capital, he couldn’t afford to start a business and resolve to marry a rich man’s daughter.
The story revolves around his entry into Mumbai to make his dream a reality followed by the success of his business. However, Guru finds himself entangled in dozens of allegations over illegal means of resources.
Will Guru be able to repeal the allegations against him? Or Will his greed get him behind the bars? Well, you have to watch the movie to know more!
After watching this movie, entrepreneurs can understand that the consequences of greed and illegal ways of making money are always nasty.
7) Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
Genre: Documentary, Crime, and Music.
Release year: 2019
Director: Chris Smith
Star Cast: Billy McFarland, Jason Belle, Gabrielle Bluestone.
IMDB Rating: 7.2 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Fyre: the greatest party that never happened is a 2019 American documentary movie based on the Fyre Festival of 2017. The documentary explores Billy McFarland- the CEO of Fyre Media Inc.’s fake musical fest. It shows how they deceived their audience and later went on to become bankrupt.
The story is a must-watch for budding entrepreneurs. It paints a clear picture of how illegal ways of making money in a business can completely deteriorate an entrepreneur’s career.
8) Becoming Warren Buffet
Genre: Documentary
Release year: 2017
Director: Peter W. Kunhardt
Star Cast: Susan Buffett, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates
IMDB Rating: 7.6 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Another spectacular documentary on today’s list is Becoming Warren Buffet. The documentary stars Warren Buffet along with his wife Susan Buffett and Bill Gates.
In Becoming Warren Buffet, the trio talks about their experiences with Warren, his struggles, and his success.
The movie is awe-inspiring. Many entrepreneurs in the finance sphere can gain a lot of knowledge from this business tycoon along with some important insights into the industry. If you want to be an astute investor, you should not miss out on watching this movie.
Related: Having investors like Warren Buffet or Mark Cuban can really accelerate your company’s growth.
9) Glengarry Glen Ross
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Release year: 1992
Director: James Foley
Star Cast: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin
IMDB Rating: 7.7 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Glengarry Glen Ross is based on an award-winning play and is one of the most engaging movies for entrepreneurs. It revolves around the plight of four salesmen during a difficult sales season. The four salesmen in the movie are struggling as their job is in danger and within two weeks two of them might get fired.
The movie is best suited for every entrepreneur as it showcases how to best operate in a super pressuring sales environment.
10) Joy
enre: Biography, Drama
Release year: 2015
Director: David O Russell
Star Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper
IMDB Rating: 6.6 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 60%
The story of Joy Mangano- an American entrepreneur and the inventor of dozens of household items is sheerly inspirational. She invented Miracle Mop, Huggable Hangers, and a plethora of patented twists on household items.
Joy is a beautiful movie revolving around the life of Joy Mangano (portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence). The movie sheds light on various important issues like supportive family and the struggle of a businesswoman in the male-dominated section of society.
If you’re willing to watch an inspirational story of a businesswoman, give Joy a shot!
The movie will motivate every entrepreneur to stand against all the odds, to innovate and to succeed.
11) The Social Network
Genre: Biography, Drama
Release year: 2010
Director: David Fincher
Star Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake
IMDB Rating: 7.7 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
The Social Network explores the rags to riches tale of Mark Zuckerberg-the man behind creating the most popular social media platform in the world.
The movie paints a broader picture of endless sleepless nights undergone to establish Facebook. However, the tale takes a major turn when Mark finds himself entangled in dozens of allegations over the ownership rights of Facebook.
How will Mark fight the lawsuit? What has been undergone in creating the world’s largest social media platform? Full of drama, the movie is perfectly entrepreneurial material.
Entrepreneurs can take inspiration from his tale and fuel their belief in innovation.
Related: Mark Zuckerberg was inspired by the Winklevoss twin’s idea. This inspiration led to the creation of Facebook. You too will be inspired by reading our blog on top startup ideas. Don’t miss it!
12) Rocky
Genre: Drama, Sport
Release year: 1976
Director: John G. Avildsen
Star Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young
IMDB Rating: 8.1 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
The movie Rocky is once again a rag to riches story of Rocky Balboa.
Rocky Balboa is a fictional character of this series, an Italian-American boxer working as a debt collector. His life takes a major shift when a heavyweight boxer, Apollo Creed visits Philadelphia. A major exhibition of matches is held between Creed and any struggling boxer who is willing to become ‘somebody’ instead of being ‘nobody’. The match is fixed to be won by Creed however, Rocky isn’t aware of this.
Though it’s a sports movie, it teaches some crucial entrepreneurial lessons. The importance of taking risks and perseverance are well-explored through this movie.
13) Startup.com
Genre: Documentary
Release year: 2001
Director: Chris Hegedus, Jehane Noujaim
Star Cast: Kaleil Isaza Tuzman, Tom Herman, Kenneth Austin
IMDB Rating: 7.0 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
If you’re interested in learning about the ups and downs of the internet companies in the dot-com bubble, Startup.com deserves a place on your watchlist.
The documentary sheds light on the rise and fall of an internet startup, GovWorks. Founded by three friends, GovWorks deteriorated completely (despite raising $60 million from investors) due to mismanagement and various internal struggles.
The movie also shows how friendship can turn into rivalries due to internal differences in businesses.
It is a sure one-time watch movie with some important entrepreneurial lessons. Through this movie, entrepreneurs can learn about the importance of internal harmony and transparent friendship in businesses.
Related: Every startup’s ultimate dream is to become a unicorn i.e. a billion-dollar valuation company. Check out our list of leading unicorn startups in India. You can learn a thing or two by reading their stories.
14) Pirates of Silicon Valley
Genre: Biography, History, Drama
Release year: 1999
Director: Martyn Burke
Star Cast: Anthony Michael Hall, Noah Wyle, Joey Slotnick
IMDB Rating: 7.3 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
If you’re an admirer of Bill Gates or Steve Jobs then this movie is the right fit for you!
Pirates of Silicon Valley is a biographical movie based on the book ‘Fire in the Valley: the making of a computer by Paul Freiberger and Michael Swaine’.
The movie precisely explores the 1971 to 1997 period during which the making of personal computers was at the boom. It explores Bill’s and Jobs’s early life, their struggles as entrepreneurs and their igneous actions to build up their companies. It also portrays their rivalry during the development of personal computers.
The movie is full of entrepreneurial insights and provides good information about the history of Apple and Microsoft.
New-age entrepreneurs can learn a lot from the tales of these business tycoons.
15) Wall Street
Genre: Crime, Drama
Release year: 1987
Director: Oliver Stone
Star Cast: Charlie Sheen, Michael Douglas, Tamara Tunie
IMDB Rating: 7.4 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
Wall Street revolves around the story of Bud Fox, an ambitious stockbroker committed to doing anything to get to the top. Novice Fox in his attempt to get to the top quickly entices Gordon Gekko, a corporate raider, to provide insider trading. Soon enough, Fox finds himself entangled in the web of insider trading.
The Wall Street movie stands as a reminder to young entrepreneurs about the consequences of getting greedy in the business sphere.
16) The Aviator
Genre: Biography, Drama
Release year: 2004
Director: Martin Scorsese
Star Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale
IMDB Rating: 7.5 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
‘The Aviator’ is a biopic of Howard Hughes, an American billionaire. The movie revolves around his struggles to become a successful businessman and a film director.
The story of Howard Hughes serves as an inspiration to all the budding entrepreneurs who need to overcome a lot of obstacles in life to become successful. Hughes not only competed with giant companies and movie mafias but also fought an internal battle with OCD.
Watch ‘The Aviator’ to get unforgettable life lessons through his story!
Entrepreneurs can learn to maintain mental peace while battling for their place in the industry through this movie.
17) 3 Idiots
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Release year: 2009
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Star Cast: Amir Khan, R. Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, Kareena Kapoor Khan
IMDB Rating: 8.4 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
3 Idiots is one of the most iconic movies in the history of Bollywood. The tale revolves around the lives of 3 friends entering an elite engineering college, only to learn the major life lessons not found in any book.
The movie paints a strong image of the life of engineering students in India. It talks about often unaddressed issues like mental health and passion.
Overall, the movie challenges the traditional dogmas of Indian society and talks about the importance of leaving the rat race and finding one’s meaning in life.
Entrepreneurs can learn a lot from this movie. The importance of learning, leaving the rat race, finding one’s passion is well-explored in this movie.
18) Boiler Room
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Release year: 2000
Director: Ben Younger
Star Cast: Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Nia Long
IMDB Rating: 7.0 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Boiler Room is a fictional crime drama film revolving around the life of Seth Davis. The protagonist Davis is a college dropout who runs an illegal casino from his apartment.
Seduced by the opportunity to interview as a trainee stockbroker, Seth walks into JT Marlin. JT Marlin is a small-time brokerage firm on the outskirts of New York which places money above anything else. However, Seth decides to work in the company, only to find later that the company is illegitimate.
The movie sheds light on the consequences of illegitimate work in the business world. This life lesson must be learned by every entrepreneur as early as possible.
Best Scene: The speech Ben Affleck gives to the new recruits joining the firm.
19) Suckers
Genre: Comedy
Release year: 1999
Director: Roger Nygard
Star Cast: Joe Yannetty, Jake Johannsen, Daniel Benzalli.
IMDB Rating: 6.7 stars
Have you ever bought a used car from a dealer? Want to know what goes behind the scenes?
Suckers is a light satirical drama exploring the life and struggles of Bobby, a young car salesman. The movie shows the whole process behind selling a used car through the eyes of a dealer. However, there is more to the movie. Soon enough Bobby learns that the company he is working for is cheating its customers.
Will he be quiet or go against the company? Watch ‘Suckers’ to know more!
Entrepreneurs working in a rotten business league can even take inspiration from the film.
Related: Promoting your startup app can be hard. To simplify it for you, we have put down a blog that includes some of the best app marketing techniques. Give it a read, we are sure you’d love it!
20) Ford v/s Ferrari
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama
Release year: 2019
Director: James Mangold
Star Cast: Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth
IMDB Rating: 8.1 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Sports lover? Here’s another interesting movie for you!
Ford v/s Ferrari is a recently released sports drama film revolving around Ford’s attempts to defeat Ferrari in the Le Mans ‘66.
American Designer Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles set out to make a revolutionary car for Ford, Ford GT40 MK I within 90 days to win the tournament. But, will they succeed? Watch the movie to know more!
This movie is a perfect fit for sports-loving entrepreneurs. It gives them insights into the historical background of Ford and Ferrari and imbues the value of constant perseverance.
21) Primer
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Release year: 2004
Director: Shane Carruth
Star Cast: Shane Carruth, David Sullivan, Casey Gooden
IMDB Rating: 6.9 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 72%
Primer is a popular Sci-Fi film following the invention of four friends which will drastically change their lives. The four friends and engineers Aaron, Abe, Robert and Philip are working on an invention whose prototype has already been built in Aaron’s garage. However, a discovery of their model leads them to know that their invention can be used as time travel.
Will their greedy intentions with the time travel be fulfilled? Watch the movie to know more!
The Primer is a must-watch movie for every entrepreneur as it talks about the importance of invention as well as the consequences of greed.
22) The Wolf of Wallstreet
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Release year: 2013
Director: martin scorsese
Star Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie
IMDB Rating: 8.2 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 79%
If you’re interested in the stock market and want to know the stories of some of its big players, The Wolf of Wall Street is for you!
The Wolf of Wall Street is an epic biographical movie based on the memoir of the same name by Jordan Belfort. The film precisely covers the rags to riches story of former stockbroker Jordan Belfort along with his fall involving crimes and corruption.
Through this movie, entrepreneurs can gain insights about stock market giant Belfort’s life and learn how greed can deteriorate entrepreneurs’ careers.
23) Harishchandrachi Factory
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Release year: 2009
Director: Paresh Mokashi
Star Cast: Nandu Madhav, Vibhawari Deshpande, Atharva Karve
IMDB Rating: 8.4 stars
Harishchandrachi Factory is a typical Indian Marathi film exploring the life of Dadasaheb Phalke. The movie covers his efforts in creating the first full-length movie in the history of Indian cinema-Raja Harishchandra.
His struggles and triumphs stand as a major source of inspiration to all the entrepreneurs.
The will to innovate must be the core of every entrepreneur and this movie shows the same through the life of Dadasaheb. Though the movie is originally in Marathi, English subtitles are also available.
24) Jerry Maguire
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Release year: 1996
Director: Cameron Crowe
Star Cast: Tom Cruise, Tooba Gooding Jr., Renee Zellweger
IMDB Rating: 7.3 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Jerry Maguire is a popular American sports drama film exploring the life of a sports agent- Leigh Steinberg. This entrepreneurial tale follows the life of Leigh who is fired from his company and sets on to the endeavor to create a sports management agency.
Jerry Maguire is a witty description of the life of Leigh giving us some major value bombs for entrepreneurship. It is one of the best inspirational movies for entrepreneurs.
The movie explores his struggles, perseverance, heartbreak, and how he conquered all of these obstacles and went on to create one of the best sports management agencies. This movie surely deserves a place on your watchlist![/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][mkd_section_title enable_separator=”no”]
25) Thank you for Smoking
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Release year: 2005
Director: Jason Reitman
Star Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Cameron Bright, Maria Bello
IMDB Rating: 7.6 stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Thank you for smoking is a satirical movie based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Buckley. The film revolves around the struggles of Nick Naylor- Vice president of the Academy of Tobacco Studies. He’s a strong defendant of the cigarette industry and always attempts to be a role model for his 12-year-old son. Nick’s closest friends Polly and Bobby form a self-titled M.O.D Squad or Merchants of Death.
The story takes a shift when Ortolan Finisterre- Nick’s enemy and Vermont’s Senator defends in the senate the use of a skull and crossbones on cigarette packets. Meanwhile, Nick is battling with mental pressure and a broken relationship with his family.
Thank you for smoking is an attention-grabbing and enthralling story completely worthy to be on your binge-watching list.
Entrepreneurs can learn about the importance of striking a balance between personal and professional life through this movie.
Bottom Line
The next time you plan to binge-watch on a weekend, these business-related movies should be your go-to ones. Watching these movies could be a great way to unwind and find some much-needed inspiration to get you going!
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