Who’s in for a movie night?
Books, podcasts, and online courses are all great learning tools for a business owner or entrepreneur.
But they’re not the only places to draw business inspirations and lessons from. If you ask us, you can learn a lot of valuable professional lessons by simply kicking back at watching Netflix.
Don’t believe us?
Here’s our roundup of 10 Netflix movies with big business lessons.
Wall Street
This 1987 film is a classic for a reason. Despite being decades old, the lessons of Wall Street are still relevant today!
The movie is about a junior stockbroker, Bud Fox, working with and learning from his hero, Gordon Gekko. As he learns the ins and outs of the trade, he ultimately gets caught up in a life of dubious insider trading.
- Business lesson: This film is a cautionary tale about trading your morals and principles for financial gain. In the long run, money isn’t everything when you give up your personal values.
The Big Short
Based on the novel with the same title, this 2015 film has a star-studded cast, including Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Steve Carrell, and Ryan Gosling.
The movie shows multiple storylines leading up to the 2007-08 housing crash and financial crisis. One follows hedge fund manager Michael Burry (Christian Bale) who started betting against (shorting) the sub-prime loans in the housing market for profit.
- Business lesson: There’s a lot to learn here, including the complexity and risks associated with the financial markets. It also opens up ethical questions about earning profit at the expense of other people’s misfortunes.
Glengarry Glen Ross
Starring Alec Baldwin and Al Pacino, Glengarry Glen Ross is a 1992 film adaptation of a Pulitzer-prize-winning play from 1984. It follows four real estate salesmen trying to hold onto their jobs and the trainer sent to motivate them.
- Business lesson: Alec Baldwin’s character, Blake, is the trainer and “motivator.” While it’s done in a brash and aggressive manner, his lessons still stand: business success requires determination, focus, and hard work.
Moneyball
Moneyball (2011) stars Brad Pitt in this true story retelling of Billy Beane, the General Manager of the Oakland A’s baseball team.
With a shoestring budget, Beane had to find a way to build up a team of champions. Through his new empirically-driven strategy, Beane was able to do what many thought was impossible.
- Business lessons: This film highlights two essential characteristics for business leaders and entrepreneurs—creative problem-solving and perseverance through adversity.
The Founder
Today, fast food isn’t a novelty. But before McDonald’s invented the concept, it didn’t exist! The Founder follows Ray Kroc, a businessman who transformed the original McDonald’s restaurant into the powerhouse chain it is today.
He recognized the innovative way the two McDonald brothers operated their store, invested in it, and developed a new standard for food in America.
- Business lessons: While there’s a cautionary tale in here (we don’t want to give spoilers!), two main takeaways are the importance of a customer-centric approach and thinking big as an entrepreneur.
The White Tiger
This 2021 film depicts the story of Balram, a driver who comes from a poor Indian village. He starts a new position as a chauffeur for a wealthy couple and uses wit, cunning, and determination to escape poverty.
- Business lessons: This movie explores class differences and how circumstances impact wealth and success—important underlying factors for all business leaders to keep in mind. It also speaks to the power of determination and perseverance to overcome!
Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened
Even if you’re not a big documentary fan, don’t leave this one off your list. It chronicles the failed Fyre Festival of 2017… the party that never happened.
Fyre was supposed to be an epic, celebrity-clad music festival, even promoted by influencers like Kendell Jenner and Bella Hadid. But, it didn’t quite live up to its expectations—you’ll have to watch and see why!
- Business lessons: This film speaks to the importance of doing business with integrity and having a realistic view of what’s possible. It also explores our influencer-driven culture and how online perceptions don’t always match real life.
The Pursuit of Happyness
Get your tissues out for this one! The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) received universal acclaim for Will Smith’s portrayal of Chris Gardner and the true story of his struggle with homelessness.
Through hard work, perseverance, and determination, Gardner was able to care for his 5-year-old son and build a successful career.
- Business lessons: This film shows the very human side of success and business, that life circumstances sometimes bring you down. Through it, we learn the importance of perseverance and determination to achieve success as well as giving other people a helping hand when possible.
Steve Jobs
This biographical film came out in 2015 and documents the life and career of the late Steve Jobs, founder of Apple. It shows Jobs’ journey through entrepreneurship and his visionary leadership style.
- Business lessons: It’s a must-watch for any entrepreneur who wants to learn from the best! Besides the obvious lessons of hard work and resilience through trials, Steve Jobs shows business leaders how important it is to surround themselves with smart, skilled individuals. Apple was his vision, but it was the whole team that made it successful.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
This 2019 film is based on a memoir of the same name. It tells the story of a young boy, William Kamkwamba, living in a small village in Malawi.
Through sheer curiosity, self-education, and determination, William builds a windmill to power his town’s broken water pump. It’s an inspiring true story and testament to what people—even children!—can do with enough motivation.
- Business lessons: This film is one of the best examples of how powerful education can be, particularly self-education. William learned the basics of electrical engineering and energy by reading books in the schoolhouse! It’s also a lesson that you’re never too young or too unequipped to be creative and make a difference in your community.
These are some of our favorites—what are yours? Let us know what movies you’ve been watching recently and if any of them have taught you some valuable business lessons.
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