The business movie oscars 2024

We give out the first (and maybe last) Academy-esque Awards for movies about businesses

This month, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces the nominees for its 96th Academy Awards. As with every year, the academy’s choices are sure to excite some and anger others. Well, we thought we’d do the very same by handing out Oscar nominations to our own favourite (or favourite for the wrong reasons) films that feature a business.

First, some ground rules:

  • The business has to be featured prominently.
  • Someone has to be working for or with the business at some point in the film.
  • Bonus points if the business name is in the title.
  • Our candidate list only included movies we could watch by press time.

Okay, let’s get to it.

Most Unrealistic Portrayal of an Entrepreneur

Mario and Luigi, The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Super Mario Bros movie_Credit Universal Pictures
Credit: Universal Pictures

Sure, the ad at the beginning is cute. But The Super Mario Bros. Movie doesn’t really have anything funny or smart to say about the legendary characters it’s based on. Are we the only ones who wanted to watch the brothers stay in Brooklyn, try to earn five-star reviews on Google and scale up their business in a sustainable and smart way?

Best Film Constructed as a Vehicle for You to Play Phil Knight

Air

Ben Affleck in movie Air_Credit Amazon Studios
Credit: Amazon Studios

Ben Affleck’s film about Nike signing Michael Jordan totally wasn’t a barefaced effort on Affleck’s part to fulfill a clearly long-held dream of playing Nike boss Phil Knight. Either way, it’s enjoyable as heck.

Best Film About Finance

Dumb Money

A scene from the movie Dumb Money. Credit: Black Bear Pictures
Credit: Black Bear Pictures

It’s not exactly The Big Short, but Dumb Money—about the GameStop stock manipulation attack and the investors that held the line on it—is one of those real-life stories that makes you want to believe in the little guy. Even if the little guy does cringe streaming videos.

Most Cringe Insertion of Corporate Overlords

Barbie

Barbie movie. Credit Jaap Buitendijk
Credit: Jaap Buitendijk

Barbie, in general, is pretty great. Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and the rest of the stacked cast are hilarious. For the most part, Greta Gerwig’s direction and script are sharp. Could we have skipped the whole part where Mattel executives insert themselves into the story and are played by the likes of Will Ferrell? We think so.

Best Film About Cheetos

Flamin’ Hot

Flamin Hot, a movie about cheetos_Credit 20th Century Studios
Credit: 20th Century Studios

Now, did the events that take place in Flamin’ Hot actually happen as they’re portrayed? Maybe. Maybe not really at all. But that doesn’t make this film not fun.

Best (and Most Unfortunate) Portrayal of a B.C. Entrepreneur

Bill Camp as Ray Loewen, The Burial

The Burial movie_Credit Skip Bolen_Prime Video
Credit: Skip Bolen/Prime Video

Bill Camp is a treasure. At 62 years old, the veteran actor is showing signs of speeding up, lending his talents over the years to seemingly everything from Joker and The Queen’s Gambit to ESPN’s Quest for the Stanley Cup. He’s at his best when he’s allowed to ham it up, and boy does he ever go full greaseball as former Burnaby MLA and funeral home magnate Ray Loewen. Classically, Burnaby doesn’t get a mention in the film—Camp’s Loewen is sued by good guys Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx—but maybe that’s a good thing in this instance.

Creepiest Film About a Business

The Royal Hotel

Royal Hotel movie_ Credit: Elevation Pictures
Credit: Elevation Pictures

You probably never want to go to this movie’s titular bar or anywhere like it. But following Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) there is time well spent—if your idea of time well spent is sitting on the edge of your seat for an hour and a half.

Best Portrayal of a Real-Life Entrepreneur

Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie, BlackBerry

BlackBerry movie scene_Credit IFC Films
Credit: IFC Films

It’s possible that we’re catering to the Canadians in the crowd here. But with apologies to Adam Driver’s Italian accent (Ferrari) and to Paul Dano (Dumb Money) this award has to go to Howerton’s slightly (okay, incredibly) exaggerated version of Waterloo’s own Jim Balsillie. The film is a laugh-out-loud romp that takes you through Research in Motion’s incredible highs and brutal lows while shining a light on the ridiculous and ultimately very human people at the top.

Best Film About a Business

Theater Camp

Theater Camp movie. Credit Searchlight Pictures
Credit: Searchlight Pictures

Best in show goes to Theater Camp, a delightful film about a kids’ summer camp and the counsellors (Ben Platt and Molly Gordon) trying to keep it alive. There was no film in the year 2023 that made us laugh (or feel) as much as this one did.