10 Best Office-Life Movies, According to Letterboxd (2024)

Movies have always held the ability to bring to life a variety of otherworldly and imaginative worlds and settings to life, yet the medium is equally effective to bring average everyday settings to life. The corporate 9 to 5 office environment doesn't initially appear to be a setting that could lead to engaging stories, but many filmmakers have been able to bring out greatness from this classic setting.

In another collaborative community Showdown, the Letterboxd community has come together to name the greatest and most effective renditions of this iconic setting and archetypes. Whether it's films that only take place in an office building or films that fully encapsulate the corporate landscape, there are countless amazing stories to be found in the world of office life.

10 'The Devil Wears Prada' (2006)

The Devil Wears Prada is a comedy-drama film that follows the story of a young woman Andy Sachs, who lands a job working as a personal assistant to the editor-in-chief of Runway magazine. Andy's life begins to change more and more as a result of the cruel and demanding work, forcing her to adapt and fit into the high-class and elegant look of the magazine itself.

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Even over 15 years after its initial release, there's a resounding legacy and impact that The Devil Wears Prada still holds on audiences and moviegoers to this day. It takes its simplistic character archetypes and corporate setting and is able to tell a highly engaging, compelling, and interpersonal story that still holds discussion and debate to this day.

9 'The Social Network' (2010)

The Social Network follows Harvard undergrad Mark Zuckerberg, who creates what is initially a small website between friends that would soon grow into the massive phenomenon of Facebook. As his website grows more and more, so does the fame and fortune surrounding Zuckerberg and his friends, but as with any fast-growing multi-billion dollar company, complications soon arise.

The Social Network is considered one of the best works to come from David Fincher, as well as one of the defining pieces of contemporary cinema emblematic of the modern corporate setting. Especially for what was then incredibly recent and topical events, the portrayal of the environment and office life in the early days of Facebook defined what could be done with a corporate drama.

8 'Sorry to Bother You' (2018)

Sorry to Bother You tells the story of Cassius Green, a black telemarketer living in Oakland who soon discovers the magical secret behind achieving massive corporate and professional success. While he makes his way further and further up the corporate ladder, it becomes more and more difficult for him to connect and stay equal with his friends he made at the lowest telemarketing levels.

Sorry to Bother You is a strange, beautiful, and hilarious takedown of the corporate mindset and capitalistic tendencies as a whole. More than any other film that focuses on the office job, Sorry to Bother You goes out of its way to directly attack and make fun of the systems in place while also being filled to the brim with imaginative concepts. It makes for a wild, nonstop, politically charged experience that the Letterboxd community has fallen for since its initial release.

7 'Monsters, Inc.' (2001)

Monsters, Inc. is one of Pixar's earliest features, telling the story of a world full of monsters from inside children's closets, and the day-to-day work life that they have in doing so. We see best friends and coworkers James Sullivan and Mike Wazowski when their successful work lives are put in jeopardy when they begin harboring a young human child in their world.

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Pixar's early films are held in such massive high regard for good reason, and Monsters, Inc. furthers the company's legacy for extremely high quality in its early years. The concept of translating scary children's monsters into an average 9 to 5 factory job is an ingenious concept that frankly never gets old, with the film continuing to build on the world in extravagant ways.

6 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' (2022)

Everything Everywhere All at Once follows the story of aging Chinese immigrant Evelyn Wang, who during a trip to the IRS is enlisted by an alternate universe version of her husband to stop a multiversal threat. Evelyn soon is given the ability to tap into alternate versions of herself from across the universe and uses these talents in order to take down oncoming enemies from across the multiverse.

Recent Best Picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most creative and imaginative original stories in recent memory, which is all the more ironic that it primarily takes place in an office building. Almost as a complete contrast to the majority of the other chaos happening in the film, the simple and plain backdrop of the IRS building somehow makes for the perfect setting for all the chaos.

5 '9 to 5' (1980)

9 to 5 is a comedy film that follows the trio of Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton as they work together to fulfill their fantasy and overthrow their company's rude and misogynist boss. The three soon become in over their heads as they continue to run control of their boss's department while keeping him entrapped, with it becoming more and more difficult to keep up the charade.

9 to 5 is a satire all about the struggles and failures that the everyday person faces in corporate America, and even over 40 years later, its themes and messages still ring true to this day. It also helps the film's favor that the trio at the center of it all are some of the most well-regarded and legendary actresses of all time, playing out this comedic concept pitch perfectly.

4 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013)

The Wolf of Wall Street follows the rise of infamous New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort, who finds himself in the middle of a massive securities fraud involving corruption in Wall Street and the corporate banking world. Although before authorities and the law can get to him, Belfort makes a name for himself in his rise to the top, making the boring office work of Wall Street into an all-out party with no end in sight.

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The Wolf of Wall Street expertly brings to life a level of realistic chaos and insanity rarely seen in a film, and perfectly backdropped onto a standard unassuming corporate building setting. It's impressive for any movie that's 3 hours in length to have the ability to stay consistently engaging and thrilling for the entire way through, though The Wolf of Wall Street accomplishes this as if it's the easiest thing in the world.

3 'American Psycho' (2000)

American Psycho follows the life of wealthy New York investment baking executive Patrick Bateman, a man who seemingly has everything, yet has an alternate psychopathic side to his life. He hides his murderous and psychopathic tendencies from his coworkers and friends, although the ruse becomes more and more difficult to uphold as he delves deeper and deeper into insanity.

One of the many themes and concepts that is tackled in Mary Harron's masterful adaptation of American Psycho is the themes of monotony and repetition at the highest level of corporate America. The many ways that the film picks apart the mindset and feigned glamor of the top of the executive ladder is one of the constant reminders as well as harsh truth throughout the film. While there are many messages and concepts to be picked up throughout the film, one true constant is the effect of being alone at the top of the corporate food pyramid.

2 'The Apartment' (1960)

The Apartment follows the story of an insurance clerk who, in an effort to get in the good graces with his higher-up coworkers, lets his apartment be used for discrete adultery and affairs. The clerk soon finds himself falling for his office building's elevator operator, unaware of the fact that she is having an affair with his direct supervisor.

Over 60 years after its release, The Apartment continues to have a lasting impact and legacy when it comes to its abilities in comedy, romance, and character. The film is one of the most beloved and highly regarded of all time, and in the specific case of the Letterboxd community, holds a spot as the #38 greatest movie of all time.

1 'Office Space' (1999)

Office Space follows the life of Peter Gibbons, a man who works a dead-end office job and has nearly succumbed to the absolute monotony and boredom that comes from working his life away. Tired and resentful towards the company that he works for, he bands together with two of his coworkers to strike back against their company by hatching a scheme to embezzle money from the company.

Office Space is quite simply the definitive culmination of soulless office building work put to film. No other film is able to perfectly capture the dread and hopelessness that can come from such a job in corporate America, while still being able to bring so much effective comedy to the table. The film has garnered a cult classic reputation for a reason, as there are simply no other films, comedy or otherwise, that can compare themselves to Office Space in this field.

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