20 Movies That Will Make You Want to Quit Your Job

Sometimes films capture the grind of office life, the stress of toxic workplaces, or the thrill of walking away to start fresh, and they do it with stories that stick. This list gathers movies where characters face pressure, burnout, or moral crossroads and then push back. You will find whistleblowers, career pivots, dream chasers, and everyday workers demanding better conditions. Each entry highlights what the film covers about work, why the characters make their choices, and how those choices play out.

‘Office Space’ (1999)

This comedy follows software engineer Peter Gibbons as he deals with layoffs, pointless memos, and a maze of managers at a company called Initech. A botched downsizing campaign pushes him and his friends to sabotage the firm’s payroll system. The film shows cubicle culture, malfunctioning printers, and the numb routine of corporate life. It also tracks how an audit meant to cut staff ends up rewarding Peter’s apathy and exposing the company’s dysfunction.

‘The Devil Wears Prada’ (2006)

This story centers on recent graduate Andrea Sachs who lands an assistant role at the fashion magazine Runway. She navigates punishing hours and constant demands from editor Miranda Priestly while learning industry expectations. The job changes her wardrobe, schedule, and friendships as she tries to keep up with events and deadlines. The film maps the tradeoffs between career access and personal boundaries in a high-pressure environment.

‘Up in the Air’ (2009)

Corporate downsizer Ryan Bingham flies constantly to deliver layoff notices for client companies. He mentors a new colleague who pushes for video terminations to cut travel costs. The film shows how job loss affects workers across cities and industries and how a consultant’s routine distances him from lasting relationships. It also tracks a loyalty-miles lifestyle that unravels when the company shifts strategies.

‘Fight Club’ (1999)

An unnamed recall coordinator struggles with insomnia while working to minimize costs for an auto company. He meets Tyler Durden and starts an underground club that escalates into larger acts against corporate branding. The film contrasts catalog-perfect apartments with late-night service jobs and abandoned buildings. It shows a worker stepping outside consumer routines and confronting office expectations through extreme choices.

‘The Company Men’ (2010)

This drama follows employees at a shipbuilding firm during a recession as layoffs hit executives and line staff. Characters downsize their homes, adjust to lower-paying work, and confront identity shifts after losing long-held titles. The story tracks job searches, retraining, and strained family budgets. It also shows how cost cutting and stock price targets ripple through communities.

‘Sorry to Bother You’ (2018)

Telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a sales technique that vaults him up the ranks of a call center. He faces union organizing, production quotas, and a lucrative promotion that demands silence about company practices. The film moves from cubicles to a lavish executive world while workers protest for breaks and pay. It shows how performance metrics and scripts control conversations and shape advancement.

‘Nine to Five’ (1980)

Three office employees unite against their sexist boss after repeated abuses of power. They experiment with flexible schedules, equal pay ideas, and childcare support while he is sidelined. The film shows outdated office policies that restrict promotion paths and benefits for women. It also highlights how coordinated action can change workplace rules.

‘Norma Rae’ (1979)

Textile worker Norma Rae becomes a local face of unionization in a small Southern mill. She documents unsafe conditions and long shifts and recruits colleagues to support a vote. The film depicts management pushback, community pressure, and the legal steps to gain recognition. It follows the toll that organizing takes on family life and the momentum it builds on the factory floor.

‘Erin Brockovich’ (2000)

A single mother working as a legal assistant investigates water contamination in a California town. She compiles medical records and utility documents linking illnesses to a company’s practices. The case grows into a major settlement effort that requires door-to-door evidence gathering. The film shows how persistence inside a modest job can expose corporate wrongdoing and change residents’ lives.

‘Jerry Maguire’ (1996)

A sports agent writes a mission statement advocating fewer clients and better service and is fired soon after. He starts a small agency with a single athlete and a former coworker who believes in his plan. The film follows cold calls, sponsor negotiations, and contract hurdles as the new firm tries to survive. It shows how walking away from a big organization can force a complete rebuild of routines and relationships.

‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ (2013)

Negative assets manager Walter Mitty oversees photo archives at a magazine that is transitioning to digital. When a key image goes missing, he launches a global search that takes him far from his desk. The film shows the logistics of print deadlines, corporate restructuring, and staff reductions. It also traces how a quiet worker gains new responsibilities outside office walls.

‘Into the Wild’ (2007)

After college, Christopher McCandless donates his savings and leaves conventional work paths to travel across the United States. He takes seasonal jobs while hiking, hitchhiking, and camping en route to Alaska. The film draws on journals and interviews to reconstruct his route and choices. It highlights the practical side of leaving structured employment, including food, transport, and gear.

‘Eat Pray Love’ (2010)

Writer Elizabeth Gilbert steps back from her career to spend months in Italy, India, and Indonesia. She studies language, meditation, and daily routines in new settings. The film follows visas, local tutors, and housing arrangements that support her sabbatical. It presents a structured break from work that relies on savings, planning, and cultural immersion.

‘Wild’ (2014)

Cheryl Strayed pauses her work life to hike hundreds of miles along the Pacific Crest Trail. She manages permits, resupply boxes, and campsite safety as she moves through multiple states. The film shows how long-distance trekking requires budgeting and adherence to trail logistics. It documents a period where paid employment yields to a demanding personal project.

‘Working Girl’ (1988)

Tess McGill works as a secretary in finance and tries to advance by pitching deals. When her idea is taken by a supervisor, she navigates meetings and partners to reclaim credit. The film outlines corporate hierarchies, dress codes, and the role of formal education in promotions. It shows the steps of preparing a merger and the paperwork behind a major transaction.

‘Boiler Room’ (2000)

A college dropout joins a Long Island brokerage that sells dubious stocks through aggressive cold calls. He learns scripts, commission ladders, and the mechanics of pump-and-dump schemes. The film shows compliance visits, recorded lines, and how new hires are pushed to close at any cost. It tracks the legal exposure that follows inflated pitches and falsified valuations.

‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ (1992)

Real estate salesmen compete for leads under a management plan that threatens job cuts. The film details lead distribution, office surveillance, and the ethics of closing tactics. Overnight events put contracts and client records at the center of an investigation. It shows the pressure that quotas and contests place on a small sales team.

‘Horrible Bosses’ (2011)

Three employees describe abusive supervisors who control schedules, promotions, and pay. They document policy violations and failed HR attempts before hatching a misguided plan. The film catalogs workplace misconduct across a chemical firm, a dental office, and a logistics company. It highlights how power imbalances and bad management create daily hazards for staff.

‘The Firm’ (1993)

Harvard law graduate Mitch McDeere joins a Memphis firm with generous perks and strict rules. He uncovers billing fraud and offshore accounts that tie clients to criminal activity. The film follows document copying, mailroom timing, and confidentiality agreements as he builds a case. It also shows how exit plans must account for surveillance and contract clauses.

‘American Beauty’ (1999)

Lester Burnham works in advertising and faces a corporate reorganization that threatens his position. He files a severance claim after clashing with a new manager and then takes a low-stress service job. The film tracks performance reviews, budget cuts, and the ways staff are evaluated during change. It shows how a midlife employee resets his daily routine after leaving an office role.

Share the movies you would add to this list in the comments.