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Real Life On Screen: Movies That Depict The Modern Workplace Culture
Workplace culture has found its way on screen countless times over the years, either as the main subject in a movie or as the backdrop against which different stories unfold. Some might wonder what’s so appealing about movies that touch upon topics like work environments, jobs, bosses, professional life, and so on. Isn’t cinema supposed to offer an escape from reality?
Well, some movies do just that and serve pure entertainment, but others are great at exploring different aspects of life and helping us understand the many facets of the world we live in. We all have to work to make a living, so workplace culture is a topic that concerns us all. That’s why watching movies that depict relatable characters and situations and address topics that are relevant to today’s society is incredibly satisfying.
Seeing issues that we’ve dealt with in our own work lives play out on screen can be both entertaining, inspirational, comforting, and sometimes even educative. You can learn a lot of interesting things from these movies, from navigating a toxic workplace or injuries caused by unsafe work environments to moving up the career ladder.
Therefore, movies that bring to light the realities of the modern workplace culture and how they affect people make for a very gripping watch. So, let’s take a closer look at some of the titles that are worth a couple of hours of your time.
Up In The Air (2009)
The movie tells the story of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) whose entire life and identity revolves around his career as a corporate downsizing expert. His job implies flying from one city to another (hence the name of the movie) and firing people working for different companies, and he quite enjoys this lifestyle. In fact, he likes what he does so much that his main goal is to reach 10 million frequent flyer miles and enjoy all the perks that this milestone brings. Everything seems to be going smoothly for the main character until a new hire comes along with a completely different work philosophy that challenges Ryan’s views on life and work.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, masterfully interpreted by Leonardo DiCaprio, the movie offers a fascinating glimpse into the underbelly of Wall Street and what it takes to get to the top. We see Belfort work his way up from an entry-level job at a Wall Street brokerage firm to building his own company and becoming a prominent stockbroker, only to lose it all due to his reckless behaviour. Categorized as a dark comedy, Belfort’s story shines a light on the flashy lifestyle of the rich and wealthy while disclosing all the corruption and illegal activities going on behind the scenes, which are often prerequisites to success.
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
This is a movie that hits home for everyone who has ever had to work in a toxic workplace and deal with the consequences of having to make sacrifices for the sake of career advancement, so it’s no wonder it was such a huge success. Here we have Andy (Anne Hathaway) as a recent college graduate who lands a job as a junior assistant to famous but ruthless fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), although her real dream is to be a journalist. Needless to say, Andy has to put up with a lot of abuse and mistreatment and force herself to change her behaviour to fit in, which is all too relatable in today’s work culture.
Horrible Bosses (2011)
The title pretty much says it all about the plot of the movie but it doesn’t take away from the fun of watching it. The story revolves around friends Nick (Jason Bateman), Dale (Charlie Day), and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) who all hold personal grudges against their insufferable bosses and so they decide that the best thing to do is to murder them. This is obviously just a light-hearted comedy, so don’t get any ideas. As expected, their plan leads to some hilarious situations, but on a more serious note, it also highlights the trials and tribulations of working for awful employers who have no regard for the wellbeing of their staff.
The Assistant (2019)
The Assistant covers a very sensitive topic as it depicts the abuse and sexual harassment that many women experience in professional environments. As a junior assistant working for a powerful executive at a major film production company, Jane (Julia Garner) gets the feeling that something might not be quite right with her boss. After making a grim discovery, she decides to speak up and talk with the company’s management about this issue, but instead of being taken seriously and prompt a proper investigation into the situation, she is met with a dismissive attitude and threats.
The Intern (2015)
Not everyone enjoys retirement and that’s also the case for Ben (Robert De Niro), a seventy-year-old retiree who gets a job as an intern at a startup company because he is bored and misses work. However, Ben doesn’t get a warm welcome from his co-workers or the company’s CEO, Jules (Anne Hathaway), for obvious reasons. However, he is determined to do whatever it takes to thrive in his new workplace and defy all the stereotypes and prejudices about older people in the workforce. This story provides a lesson in ageism awareness and can also serve as an inspiration to keep an open mind and not be afraid of new challenges.
Feel free to include these movies on your watch list and hit play whenever you’re having a bad day at work.