6 Movies To Watch When You Absolutely Hate Your Job

Everyone hates their job sometimes.

Even Meryl Streep has had bad days at work, I’m assuming! Maybe, in an early film, she had a dim-witted scene partner and had to spend all day with them. Maybe she even had to have dinner with a sexist producer a few times in order to secure funding for a passion project. Maybe the oysters at the 2024 Oscar afterparty were rubbery. Idk, I’m not a celebrity. My point is that it’s normal to be over your job every now and then. These movies will help you break free of your abject hatred for your job, allowing you to finally read that email without developing a new aneurysm.

Office Space (1999)

Best for: When the size of your to-do list is literally crushing your soul.

Why it helps: Office jobs can feel like a slog, and Office Space captures that drudgery with eerie precision. In this cult classic, Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) is trapped in a position he loathes and surrounded by printers that just don’t seem to work. But once he stops caring about any of it, things actually start to look up. This movie is your reminder to lighten up and make the most out of your lot in life.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Best for: When your dream job is starting to feel like a nightmare.

Why it helps: When Andy (Anne Hathaway) snags a flashy new job at a very Vogue-like publication, she quickly learns that her coworkers and boss expect the world from her. And yet, even the world is not enough. Clawing her way through the toxic work culture, she discovers a bit more than she had bargained for. The Devil Wears Prada is iconic for good reason: It inspires viewers to never sacrifice their own growth or happiness for a pat on the back.

Julie & Julia (2009)

Best for: When you’re thinking of starting a side hustle.

Why it helps: When Julie (Amy Adams) is stuck in a dead-end job, her only escape is to cook every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking – and start a cutesy blog about it. Meanwhile, the movie also follows Julia Child’s parallel journey to gain culinary stardom in the past. Ultimately, this heartwarming movie suggests that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. If you’re unhappy at work, you can find a way to vent – or even a way out.

Up in the Air (2009)

Best for: When you’re feeling less than successful.

Why it helps: Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) has a shiny, successful life by anyone’s standards. He travels constantly, he kills it at work, and he collects lovers like playing cards. But once he realizes that he’s lonely, his idea of success begins to crumble around him. Suddenly, he must confront the emptiness of his nomadic life and redefine his values. In doing so, he’ll also inspire you to do some soul-searching of your own. Maybe you’re not in the right position, but this shouldn’t bar you from making your heart happy.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Best for: When you’re feeling a sense of overwhelming boredom.

Why it helps: Even though Walter (Ben Stiller) lives a day-to-day existence of spreadsheets and emails, he gets to embark upon a real-life international journey after an important photo at his job goes missing. This movie’s indie soundtrack and stunning panoramic landscape shots will fill you with a childlike sense of wonder and shake you from whatever ennui has paralyzed you.

Nomadland (2020)

Best for: When you want to reinvent yourself but don’t know how.

Why it helps: This movie may be about someone who loses her job, but it also shows how Fern (Frances McDormand) is able to find redemption, dignity, and grace by unconventionally living out of her van. The movie moves very slowly and is heavier on aesthetics than plot, but it will absolutely make you meditate on the nature of your job and whether you truly need it to be happy. Sometimes there’s happiness in the simplest of routines and lifestyles. It’s no accident that this movie won Best Picture at the Oscars.