The 8 Best Movies About Bad Bosses (& Why You Should Watch Them)

Have you ever had a boss who made your life miserable? A boss who was rude, demanding, unethical, or just plain incompetent? If so, you are not alone. Many people have experienced working under a bad boss at some point in their careers. And while it may not be easy to deal with them in real life, it can be fun to watch them on the big screen. That’s why we have compiled a list of the 8 best movies about bad bosses and why you should watch them. Beware some of these movies will make you cringe, some laugh, but most will infuriate you.

1. ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ (2006)

What it’s about: Andrea “Andy” Sachs, a recent graduate aspiring to be a journalist, secures a job as a junior personal assistant to Miranda Priestly, the formidable editor-in-chief of Runway magazine. Despite her lack of familiarity with the fashion world, Andy endures Miranda’s demanding and humiliating treatment, intending to use the job as a stepping stone to journalism.

Why you should watch it: We can’t possibly compile a list like this without mentioning ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ as Miranda is most likely the worst cinematic boss in history. Miranda had high standards, she was insensitive and often disregarded the personal lives of her own employees. She also had a clear lack of empathy which was however arguably needed in her line of work.

2. ‘Disclosure‘ (1994)

What it’s about: Bob Garvin, CEO of DigiCom, plans to retire after a merger with another company, and Tom Sanders expects a promotion but is surprised when his ex-girlfriend Meredith Johnson is chosen to handle the merger and is effectively his boss. After a late-night meeting where Meredith attempts to seduce him, Tom faces a false sexual harassment complaint filed by Meredith, orchestrated with legal counsel Phillip Blackburn. To avoid scandal and protect the $100 million merger, DigiCom pressures Tom to accept reassignment, jeopardizing his career, stock options, and job security.

Why you should watch it: Okay so ‘Disclosure’ is not a light-hearted comedy, it’s a thriller movie that unfortunately deals with some very realistic scenarios in competitive industries. And while both Tom Sanders and Meredith engaged in some rather unprofessional behaviors the level of immortality that Meredith displayed is truly astounding. If you want to get enraged and intrigued, this is the perfect movie for you.

3. ‘The Social Network’ (2010)

What it’s about: ‘The Social Network’ is about the creation of one of the biggest social media platforms in the history of the internet. Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg, is a Harvard University student with awesome programming skills. After a messy breakup, Zuckerberg created a website called “Facemash,” where students can compare the attractiveness of their peers. The success and controversy surrounding Facemash caught the attention of Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, along with their business partner Divya Narendra. The Winklevosses approached Zuckerberg with the idea of creating a social networking site exclusively for Harvard students, called “HarvardConnection.” The rest is, as they say, history.

Why you should watch it: In the early days of Facebook, Zuckerberg prioritized ambition and the growth of the company over personal relationships and loyalty and he was willing to burn the bridges with his friends and co-founders over it. He was also an ethically questionable character and the movie implies that Mark betrayed Eduardo by diluting his stake in the company and effectively freezing him out of it. Facebook might be one of the biggest tech companies in the world, and I hope Mark is proud of it because this also landed him on our list today, not that he cares about it with all of his billions…

4. ‘9 to 5‘ (1980)

What it’s about: A housewife Judy Bernly starts working as a secretary after her divorce, reporting to the sharp-tongued widow Violet Newstead. Both women, along with attractive secretary Doralee Rhodes, are forced to work under the egotistical and sexist vice president, Franklin Hart. When Hart denies Violet a promotion, she shares a rumor about an affair between him and Doralee, leading the women to bond over drinks and later fantasize about revenge against Hart at Doralee’s house, including scenarios involving shooting, hog-tying, and poisoning.

Why you should watch it: I sincerely hope that none of you ever worked for this type of boss who has the tendency to be extremely inappropriate, condescending, and rude but always masks it as “humor.” Franklin Hart is the definition and embodiment of an inappropriate work environment. But if you don’t want to focus on the boss alone the movies also carry some messages relevant today.

5. ‘The Hudsucker Proxy‘ (1994)

What it’s about: Norville Barnes, a business college graduate from Muncie, Indiana, struggles to find a job in New York City. He eventually becomes a mailroom clerk at Hudsucker Industries, a large corporation. When the company’s founder, Waring Hudsucker, commits suicide, ruthless board member Sidney J. Mussburger proposes a scheme to depress the stock price temporarily by appointing an incompetent president, aiming to buy the controlling interest in the company.

Why you should watch it: ‘The Hudsucker Proxy’ is all over the place and there are actually two bad bosses in the movie. The first Sidney J. Mussburger who manipulated just about anybody to go with his schemes, but as soon as fame and fortune went to his head, Norville turned into a bad boss as well.

6. ‘Horrible Bosses‘ (2011)

What it’s about: Nick, Dale, and Kurt despise their bosses and plan to eliminate them after a single night out with drinks. Nick’s sadistic boss Dave Harken denies him a promotion, Dale faces sexual harassment from Dr. Julia Harris, and Kurt’s company is jeopardized by incompetence and nepotism. Jokingly considering murder, they enlist ex-con Dean Jones as their “murder consultant” to help kill each other’s bosses and make the deaths appear accidental.

Why you should watch it: ‘Horrible Bosses’ is a movie about horrible human beings period. The movie is a black comedy and expect over-the-top bosses, but sadly it’s probably not as far from reality as you would think.

7. ‘The Belko Experiment‘ (2016)

What it’s about: Mike Milch, an employee at Belko Industries in Bogotá, Colombia, arrives at work to discover new security measures. Newcomer Dany Wilkins learns that tracking devices are implanted in employees’ skulls for security. When an unknown voice orders the employees to kill two colleagues within a specified time, they initially dismiss it as a prank. However, when explosive trackers detonate, killing four who defy the command, panic ensues. Danny and Mike soon realize that this is not a prank, their workday has just become a part of a sick human behavior experiment that will involve a lot of bloodshed. Mondays amirite?

Why you should watch it: ‘The Belko Experiment’ is a horror movie, and while “The Boss” is a truly vile human being, the focus is not exactly on him but rather on Mike and the experiment that is taking place. After watching this movie you will never complain about your toxic workplace ever again.

8. ‘Office Space‘ (1999)

What it’s about: Peter Gibbons, a frustrated programmer at Initech is romantically interested in waitress Joanna but lacks the courage to approach her due to his overcritical girlfriend Anne. Peter’s friends and co-workers, including Samir Nagheenanajar and Michael Bolton, hate their meek collator colleague Milton Waddams and their jaded product manager Tom Smykowski. The office suffers under the micromanagement and callousness of Vice President Bill Lumbergh, whom Peter despises as he often makes him work overtime and assigns him humiliating tasks.

Why you should watch it: ‘Office Space’ is a legendary movie that gave rise to many memes, but the reason why the movie made it to this list is Bill Lumbergh, the micromanager boss that we all love to hate. If you hate endless bureaucracy, pointless meetings, and inefficient processes in the workplace this is the perfect movie for you.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!