This post will give you the 20 Best Entrepreneur movies that you should consider must watch in 2023
Movies are incredibly powerful and influential.
They help you to see the world through the viewpoint of others and to understand things that were previously foreign to you. Movies help you identify with the characters, see their struggles up close, and how they’ve headed toward success.
Entrepreneurs, like most people, need inspiration from time to time. And what could be more fruitful than being inspired by watching some thought-provoking movies on entrepreneurship during relaxing periods?
No matter what stage of life you are in, the below-mentioned feature films are amongst the best entrepreneur movies, highly rated on IMDB.
Best Entrepreneur Movies – Our Top picks
This list of inspiring entrepreneur movies will surely help ignite a fire in you and teach you the life skills to be a successful entrepreneur
Joy
Release Date: December 25, 2015
Lead Actor: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence
What the movie revolves around: This story revolves around a girl-turned-woman who founded a business dynasty and became a full-fledged matriarch. Faced with betrayal, loss of innocence, and the scars of love, Joy becomes the true head of family and business in the merciless world of commerce.
Allies become foes and foes become allies, both inside and outside the family, as Joy’s inner life and ferocious imagination carry her through the storms she faces.
Lessons Learned: This entrepreneur movie teaches you to believe in yourself and always keep your aim in sight.
It encourages you to keep hope within yourself even when things don’t turn out well. Lastly, it also tells that you always have someone to support, you are never alone.
The Social Network
Release Date: November 12, 2010
Lead actor: Jesse Eisenberg
What the movie revolves around: Based on the book TheAccidental Billionaires. In 2003, Harvard genius Mark Zuckerberg began working on a new concept that would go on to become the global social network called Facebook.
Six years later, he became one of the youngest billionaires of all time.
Zuckerberg notes, however, that his unprecedented success leads to both personal and legal complications when he ends up at the end of two lawsuits, one of which involves his ex-friend.
Lessons Learned: It’s a movie for entrepreneurs that teaches you that sometimes there are things more important than school and college.
Additionally, this movie for business marketers preaches the fact that having an idea isn’t enough. You must have the zeal to execute it.
The Pursuit of Happiness
Release Date: December 15, 2006
Lead actor: Will Smith
What the movie revolves around: Chris Gardner is a struggling single dad. Evicted from their apartment, he and his young son find themselves aimless.
Although Chris eventually landed a job as an intern at a prestigious brokerage firm, the position did not pay off.
The couple has to live in a shelter and endure many hardships, but Chris refuses to give in to despair as he struggles to create a better life for himself and his son.
Lessons Learned: This entrepreneur movie teaches you some important qualities like perseverance, hard work, and having a mindset to never give up.
If you have a dream, you should strive hard to succeed in it.
Wall Street
Release Date: December 11, 1987
Lead actor: Charlie Sheen
What the movie revolves around: Bud Fox, an ambitious stockbroker, is doing his best to get to the top. Admiring the power of relentless corporate assailant Gordon Gekko, Fox urges Gekko to provide him with inside information.
When Fox becomes drawn into greed and underground schemes, his decisions ultimately threaten the livelihood of his dedicated father.
Fox also tries to impress Gekko by spying on big companies. However, when he comes to know the malicious intentions of Gekko, he tries to take him down.
Lessons Learned: This entrepreneur movie gives you an idea about dreaming big but being realistic. It also preaches about how being with the wrong company can lead to your downfall.
Wolf of the Wall Street
Release Date: December 17, 2013
Lead actor: Leonardo DiCaprio/Margot Robbie
What the movie revolves around: The story revolves around one of Wall Street‘s most infamous stockbrokers, Jordan Belfort, who makes a fortune by defrauding millions of investors.
Belfort, an entry-level stockbroker, loses his job and goes to work for a small company that sells penny stocks.
He then discovers the highest commission on penny stocks. He builds an empire but soon corrupts the ethical boundaries and quickly falls into a world of crime and corruption
Lessons Learned: Wolf of the Wall Street teaches you to be aware of your positions.
Entrepreneur movies like these teach you to differentiate between when you need to be confident and when to quit.
It also teaches you to be careful about what you are sacrificing for success.
Jerry Maguire
Release Date: December 13, 1996
Lead actor: Tom Cruise
What the story revolves around: When sports agent Jerry Maguire has a crisis of conscience, he writes a memorandum to the entire company that immediately fires him. Jerry is desperate to hold on to the athletes he represents, starts his own company, and only single mother Dorothy Boyd helps him in his new business.
Soccer players Rod Tidwell, Jerry, and Dorothy trust their only clients and fall in love as they strive to get their business up and running.
Lessons Learned: This movie about entrepreneurship teaches you that sometimes to achieve your dreams, you need to take a leap of faith.
Being mannerly, kind, sincere, and engaging with your clients helps you to be successful.
Chef
Release Date: March 7, 2014
Lead actor: Jon Favreau
What the movie revolves around: When the owner pushed it too far, chef Carl Casper resigns from his position at a revered Los Angeles restaurant.
As he tries to figure out what his next step should be, he finds himself in Miami. Carl, along with his ex-wife, best friend, and son to start a food truck business, and the company offers the opportunity to rekindle his passion for cooking as well as his enthusiasm for life and love.
Lessons Learned: It is one of the best movies for entrepreneurs which teaches you to love what you do in life rather than following the herd. It also teaches you to step out of your comfort zone if you want to be successful. You should also be able to forget the past to be able to move on to the future.
Two for the Money
Release Date: October 7, 2005
Lead actor: Matthew McConaughey
What the movie revolves around: Two For the Money is a drama of high stakes, set in the adrenalized world of wheeler-dealers, whose fortunes are won and lost betting on sports.
Matthew McConaughey plays Brandon Lane, a former college football star whose uncanny ability to predict the outcome of a game takes him to an unexpected new career when his on-field glory is ruled out due to a serious injury.
Lessons Learned: It is one of the best movies for entrepreneurs that teaches you about when to take risks in life and when to recognize it’s not worth it.
You should always know when to take a step back and should have an entrepreneurial spirit
Boiler Room
Release Date: February 18, 2000
Lead actor: Giovanni Ribisi
What the movie revolves around: Boiler Room is about Seth who is offered a job as a stockbroker at J.T. Marlin, to redeem himself with his family for past mistakes.
While working, Seth befriends fellow stockbroker Chris, both of whom are trying to figure out how they earned their million-dollar salary and basically who is behind this company.
Seth also finds love with his secretary while working at J.T. Greg becomes jealous because he likes Seth and this starts a conflict within the company.
Lessons Learned: This movie about entrepreneurship showcases the importance of loved ones and companions in life. It also teaches you to be aware of your surroundings and the people around you.
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
Release Date: August 14, 2009
Lead actor: James Brolin
What the story revolves around: Don Ready is asked to help save a troubled local auto dealer from bankruptcy. Ready and his disheveled gang descend on the town of Temecula.
Don Ready has a lot of personalities, but he’s most recognized for being a great salesman.
When a Temecula car dealership is on the verge of bankruptcy, Ready and his motley crew (Ving Rhames, James Brolin) rush in to save the day.
But what Ready doesn’t expect is to fall in love and discover his own self.
Lessons Learned: This entrepreneur movie teaches you to follow the basic ethics of life. It also teaches concepts of love and honor and how they make up an important part of your life.
Eren Brockovich
Release Date: March 17, 2000
Lead actor: Julia Roberts
What the story revolves around: Erin Brockovich is a twice-divorced mother of three small children.
Erin Brockovich is a twice-divorced mother of three small children. She discovers a possible link between chromium-tainted water and fatal sickness in a neighboring town.
She convinces her boss to allow her to investigate and meanwhile finds the company that caused the contamination.
With over 600 plaintiffs registered, the unlikely duo wins the largest compensation ever paid in a direct-action lawsuit.
Lessons Learned: This entrepreneur movie teaches you that self-confidence is very important in your life and is essential to being successful. Deep values and beliefs are important to have a good and peaceful life.
Moneyball
Release Date: 24 February 2012
Lead actor: Brad Pitt
What the story revolves around: Moneyball is based on the 2003 non-fiction book written by Michael Lewis.
Billy Beane, the Oakland Athletics’ General manager, had a revelation one day: Baseball’s common thinking is completely incorrect.
Faced with a tight budget, Beane must reinvent his squad by outsmarting the richest clubs.
By joining forces with Ivy League graduate Peter Brand, Beane prepares to challenge old school traditions.
Recruiting business actors who have been labeled imperfect by scouts, but have superior potential.
Lessons Learned: It’s an entrepreneurship movie that teaches you to listen and open up to new possibilities and understand the gap between perception and reality. You should always be ready to accept changes and face rejections.
The Founder
Release Date: December 7, 2016
Lead actor: Micheal Keaton
What the movie revolves around: The true story of how Ray Kroc, a struggling salesman from Illinois, meets Mac and Dick McDonald, who ran a burger business in Southern California in the 1950s.
Kroc was impressed by the brothers’ quick system of preparing meals and saw the franchise’s potential.
Kroc soon put himself in a position to wrest the company from his brothers and create a multi-billion dollar empire.
Lessons Learned: You always need to have a vision and follow it. You also have to be persistent towards your goals and only then can you accomplish them. It is also a lesson that without hard work, talent is of no use.
The Devil Wears Prada
Release Date: June 22, 2006
Lead Actor: Anne Hathaway
What the movie revolves around: The plot depicts Andy’s apprenticeship under an aloof and highly demanding boss, Miranda Priestley.
Andy follows Miranda’s outrageous expectations in hopes that a powerful publisher will one day use her contacts to help Andy land his dream job at The New Yorker.
Andy loses on what’s important in life as his career objectives take precedence over everything else.
Lessons Learned: The message delivered through this entrepreneurial movie is simple. It says not to sacrifice your well-being for success. It is also important to make allies at work. And it teaches you not to change yourself just to fit somewhere.
Office Space
Release Date: February 19, 1999
Lead actor: Ron Livingston
What the story revolves around: Peter Gibbons hates his job at software company Initech. During hypnotherapy, Peter is left in a happy state when his therapist dies in the middle of their session.
He refuses to work late, plays at his desk, and accidentally convinces two consultants to put him on the management fast track. When Peter’s friends learn that they are about to be downsized, they devise a revenge plan against the company.
Lessons Learned: This movie for entrepreneurs tells you that you always need to have a clear vision ahead. You should focus on activities that matter.
Baby Boom
Release Date: October 30, 1987
Lead Actor: Diane Keaton
What the story revolves around: JCWiatt is a New York businesswoman married to her job and in a relationship with Steven, a successful investment broker.
Her life takes an unexpected turn when a relative dies suddenly and makes her a babysitter.
After receiving the baby, JC’s world turns upside down. She moves to Vermont and then begins a series of life-changing events.
Lessons Learned:
This movie about entrepreneurship teaches you the importance of perceived values. It also makes you understand that before making a major life shift, it is sometimes best to plan.
Tommy Boy
Release Date: March 31, 1995
Lead actor: Chris Farley
What the story revolves around: After the death of his father, the foolish Tommy Callahan inherits a nearly bankrupt auto parts factory in Sandusky.
His new stepmother, Beverly, wants to cash in and close, but Tommy’s sentimental attachment to his father’s employees pushes him to make a last-ditch effort to find someone who will buy their product.
Lessons Learned: In this movie for entrepreneurs, Tommy Boy teaches you about always being yourself and building trust with other people. For the line of sales, it tells you how to be strategic and be able to back the products you create.
The Intern
Release Date: September 15, 2015
Lead Actor: Anne Hathaway
What the movie revolves around: 70-year-old widower Ben Whittaker wants to get back to corporate life, for which he applied as an intern.
Ben quickly becomes popular with his younger employees, including Jules Ostin, the company’s boss and founder.
Whittaker’s charm, wisdom, and sense of humor help him develop a special bond and develop a friendship with Jules(his boss).
Lessons Learned: It teaches you that healthy habits are the key to success. Always keep faith in yourself and know that no one can understand your dreams better than you. It also is important to have someone whom you can genuinely trust.
Steve Jobs
Release Date: October 9, 2015
Lead actor: Micheal Fassbender
What the movie revolves around: Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint a portrait of the man at its epicenter. The story takes place behind the scenes at three iconic product launches and ends with the introduction of the iMac in 1998.
Lessons Learned: This Entrepreneurial movie helps you in recognizing what you love to do and to surround yourself with culture, and be creative. It tells you not to be afraid to take risks. It also highlights the fact that your efforts always pay off.
Scam 1992
Release Date: October 9, 2020
Lead actor: Harshad Mehta
What the movie revolves around: Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story takes place in Mumbai in the early 1990s and captures the meteoric rise and fall of Harshad Mehta, the flamboyant great bull of the stock market.
When the spirited financial journalist Sucheta Dalal exposed him as the man behind India’s biggest financial fraud of the day, he shook the nation.
Lessons Learned: In this movie about entrepreneurs you learn about the impact of confidence in your path to become successful. It also teaches you the importance of proper knowledge. With the right knowledge, you can achieve anything in life.