18 films that will teach you how to do business

1. Entrepreneurship

Startp.com

Documentary.
USA, 2001.
Duration: 107 minutes
IMDb: 7, 1.

A documentary about the fate of GovWorks. Worth checking out for those looking to learn more about the dot-com heyday and subsequent demise. It's also a cautionary tale about how business partnerships have a catastrophic effect on friendships.

Themes: financial planning for business, raising capital, managing company growth, entrepreneurial skills, team building and employee management skills.

Catch Me If You Can

Drama, biography, crime.
USA, Canada, 2002.
Duration: 141 minutes
IMDb: 8, 0.

The film is about the talented fraudster Frank Abagnale, who elevated deception and risky scams to the level of art. This story, based on real events, perfectly demonstrates a non-standard approach to solving problems, the ability to turn the most unfavorable situations in our favor, and, of course, not entirely legal means of achieving success.

Themes: entrepreneurial skills, ingenuity and innovation, business development concepts, sales skills and funding sources.

Arms baron

Drama, thriller, crime.
USA, Germany, France, 2005.
Duration: 122 minutes
IMDb: 7, 6.

The life story of Yuri Orlov, an immigrant from Ukraine, who decided that the illegal arms trade was exactly what would lead him to success. Leaving aside the moral side of the issue, one cannot fail to notice that Yuri's ambitions, his perseverance and ability to take risks are qualities that no businessman can do without.

Themes: entrepreneurial skills, emerging markets, non-standard problem solving, negotiation skills, customer base building, competitive strategies and geopolitics.

2. Finance

Wall Street

Drama, crime.
USA, 1987.
Duration: 120 minutes
IMDb: 7, 4.

Have you ever felt like you've literally pushed your way to the limit in your quest for power and success? Wall Street explores this with the story of Bud Fox, an ambitious stockbroker who lives under the motto "Greed is Good." If "The Wolf of Wall Street" seemed too outspoken to you, then this is its less cocky version.

Themes: corporate finance, portfolio management, capital markets, investment law principles, mergers and acquisitions, company valuation and business ethics.

Swindler

Thriller, drama, crime.
UK, 1999.
Duration: 101 minutes
IMDb: 6, 3.

The film is based on the true story of an employee whose actions led to the collapse of Barings Bank, one of the oldest banks in the world. About how big money can drive a person to insanity and what a fatal mistake some people make, believing that power and wealth make them invulnerable.

Themes: derivatives, business valuation, financial reporting, capital markets, emerging markets and business ethics.

3. Group behavior and leadership

12 angry men

Drama, crime.
USA, 1957.
Duration: 96 minutes
IMDb: 8, 9.

A brilliant forensic drama that explores leadership issues, group psychology, and conflicting value systems at multiple levels. This film will also make you think about how you make important decisions. Must watch.

Themes: negotiation techniques, persuasion techniques, conflict resolution and consensus building.

Office space

Comedy.
USA, 1999.
Duration: 89 minutes
IMDb: 7, 8.

This comedy pokes fun at the corporate culture of a software company in the 90s, and touches on the relationship between employees and the office hierarchy. This is a very funny movie, and besides, you can get a lot of information to think about: about the nature of leadership, team building techniques and building a career.

Themes: corporate culture, mentoring, career advancement, leadership, work-life balance, staff retention, team building and IT management.

4. Strategy

The Godfather Trilogy

Drama, crime.
USA, 1972 (The Godfather), 1974 (The Godfather 2), 1990 (The Godfather 3).
Duration: 175 min + 202 min + 162 min.
IMDb: 9, 2.

The Godfather trilogy is without a doubt one of the most rewarding films for business owners. It emphasizes the importance of social connections, mutual assistance and understanding the laws of competition. The movies are immersive, and after watching, you'll be better prepared for the wide variety of challenges that running a business presents.

Themes: competitive strategies, key employee retention, business alliances, mergers and acquisitions (friendly and hostile), corporate continuity, business diversification in the long term.

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The Godfather →
Godfather 2 →
Godfather 3 →

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The Godfather →
Godfather 2 →
Godfather 3 →

Suspicious persons

Thriller, drama, crime.
USA, Germany, 1995.
Duration: 106 minutes
IMDb: 8, 6.

A must-see if you like psychological thrillers with an unexpected plot twist in the finale. This is the story of five criminals who, at first glance, met by chance at the police station to identify a suspect and subsequently decided to pull together a profitable business.

Themes: strengthening leadership positions, power and influence, long-term business strategy, cooperation, risk-reward ratio, entrepreneurial skills, innovation and creativity, strengthening the company's image, marketing and logistics.

Enron: The smartest guys in the room

Documentary.
USA, 2005.
Duration: 110 minutes
IMDb: 7, 7.

The film is based on the bestselling book by Bethany Maclean and Peter Elkind about one of the biggest economic scandals in American history - the collapse of the Enron Corporation. It is worth watching for history buffs and those who want to learn more about modern corporate corruption.

Themes: financial reporting, offshore capital diversification, off-balance sheet accounts, agency relations and business ethics.

5. Marketing and sales

How to succeed in advertising

Fantasy, comedy.
Great Britain, 1988.
Duration: 90 minutes
IMDb: 7, 0.

Even if you are not going to do well in advertising, you can get a lot out of this movie. In the year of its release, it flopped at the box office, but after a while viewers appreciated this fascinating satire on the advertising industry.

Themes: market strategy, advertising creation techniques, market segmentation, brand development and promotion.

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The devil wears Prada

Drama, melodrama, comedy.
USA, France, 2006.
Duration: 109 minutes
IMDb: 6, 8.

This movie will inspire you to take the decisive step and motivate you to achieve your dream job with all your might. You will learn how to deal with embarrassing situations, how to behave in an environment where you feel like a stranger, and how hard work ultimately pays off. It is also an opportunity to look into the world of haute couture.

Themes: brand development and promotion, sales techniques, the role of media in business and career growth.

Smoke here

Drama, comedy.
USA, 2005.
Duration: 92 minutes
IMDb: 7, 6.

A real find for an entrepreneur, sophisticated in market relations, and in general for anyone who wants to learn how to sell anything. The story of Nick Naylor, a tobacco lobbyist who juggles the argument for smoking with inspiration to take tobacco growers through their most challenging situations.

Themes: PR, marketing and advertising campaigns, crisis management, corporate communications, negotiation skills.

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Glengarry Glen Ross (Americans)

Drama, crime, detective.

USA, 1992.

Duration: 100 minutes

IMDb: 7, 8.

A screen adaptation of the play by David Mamet about real estate dealers. Their careers are in jeopardy when the company announces that it will fire everyone but two of its best employees in a week. This fascinating story of fierce competition warns that sometimes the road to success is much more thorny than it might seem.

Themes: sales techniques, working with clients, negotiating and concluding deals.

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6. Right

The Merchant of Venice

Drama, melodrama.
UK, Luxembourg, Italy, 2004.
Duration: 131 minutes
IMDb: 7, 1.

One of the best films with the participation of Al Pacino, based on the famous play by Shakespeare. The story begins with the young Bassanio turning to the usurer Shylock to solve his financial problems and marry his beloved.

Themes: negotiation of contract terms, commercial law, risk assessment.

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Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Atomic Bomb

Thriller, comedy, fantasy.
USA, UK, 1963.
Duration: 95 minutes
IMDb: 8, 5.

An excellent satire on the relationship between the USSR and the United States during the Cold War. This film will grab your attention from the very beginning to the end and will prompt you to reflect on the nature of leadership and loyalty to authority. He's also very funny.

Themes: international relations, geopolitics, leadership and influence.

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7. Social responsibility and business ethics

Erin Brockovich

Drama, biography.
USA, 2000.
Duration: 126 minutes
IMDb: 7, 3.

A forensic drama inspired by a true story about a human rights activist who fought against a corporation that pollutes groundwater with carcinogenic waste. The film embodies the image of a truly strong woman who does not deviate from her principles.

Themes: social responsibility of the enterprise, gender discrimination in business.

Benefactor

Thriller, drama.
USA, Germany, 1997.
Duration: 130 minutes
IMDb: 7, 1.

A young, determined lawyer is trying to uncover a multimillion-dollar insurance company scam in order to save a young man with leukemia, and along the way endangers his own life.

Themes: corporate social responsibility, business ethics, economic law.

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