If you can feel the dread creeping in before the workday begins, watch one of these 25 movies with characters who hate their jobs. Live vicariously through those who quit their job to find adventure, plan to take out their boss, or destroy their offices on their way to salvation.
1. Clerks (1994)
Clerks is a widely loved film with a large cult following. It’s about two convenience store clerks who hate their jobs — from the customers to the tasks, to the store itself. This comedy will have you dying laughing and is super relatable if you’re tired of going to your boring job.
2. Renfield (2023)
This horror comedy is about Dracula’s loyal servant, Renfield, who is tired of dealing with his boss and dreams of leaving the Count behind to live his own life. He hates his narcissistic boss and wants to leave, but he’s not sure how to move on from the position that he’s held for centuries. It’s wonderful if you’re getting up the courage to quit!
3. Horrible Bosses (2011)
The title says it all. Horrible Bosses is a wildly funny comedy about three friends who decide to murder each other’s bosses so they can get away with it. Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, and Jason Bateman are the ultimate comedy trio in this hilarious movie that is perfect for anyone dreaming about their boss… not being around.
4. Wanted (2008)
Wanted isn’t a comedy — it’s a thriller. However, the main character hates his job and coworkers and there are hilarious office scenes that will fulfill all your quitting fantasies. Have you ever wanted to hit a stupid coworker with your keyboard? Do you want to leave your boring cubicle and start a life of adventure? Live vicariously through James McAvoy’s character!
5. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
People who hate their jobs and bosses will find this movie relatable and funny. The main character works at Runway Fashion magazine for the infamous Miranda Priestly, who basically tortures her with cold stares and impossible tasks.
6. Bad Teacher (2011)
Bad Teacher stars Cameron Diaz as a middle school teacher who hates her job, including her coworkers and the students. She concocts a plan to make money so she can have plastic surgery. This foul-mouthed teacher does drugs in the school parking lot, drinks during class, and frames her coworkers.
7. Waiting (2005)
Waiting is particularly perfect for anyone in the restaurant industry who is fed up with ridiculous customers. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Justin Long, and more big names, this movie follows a group of restaurant workers who don’t take life too seriously.
8. The Incredibles (2004)
People forget that much of The Incredibles’ plot revolves around Bob hating his new job as an insurance agent. He’s fired when he throws his arrogant and inconsiderate boss through the wall — multiple walls, actually. Watch this and imagine leaving your current job and becoming a superhero.
9. Role Models (2008)
Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott are comedic gold in this movie. At the beginning of the movie, they’re energy drink salesmen who despise their job and end up getting fired for their insanely inappropriate behavior. The rest of the movie shows them trying to find their purpose while fulfilling their community service sentence.
10. 9 to 5 (1980)
Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda are beyond fabulous in this movie about how the working woman is never appreciated. Fed up with their disgusting, narcissistic boss, they decide to do something, but fate steps in to help them out. They end up kidnapping their boss and keeping him hostage for a while so they can take over the office.
11. Working Girl (1988)
Is your boss an idiot? Could you do their job 10 times better than them? In Working Girl, an egotistical boss steals her secretary’s idea and shortly after suffers a broken leg. The secretary takes this opportunity to pretend to be her boss, advance her own career, and get a little revenge.
12. Clockwatchers (1997)
Clockwatchers is about four temps at a credit card company who try to ease the pain of working a meaningless, bland job. If you have coworkers you love, this movie offers the perfect pinch of camaraderie with plenty of misadventures and great jokes.
13. Network (1976)
If you’ve ever been fired or you dream of being fired from your awful job, Network is for you. The main character is a news anchor who is fired with two weeks’ notice, so he begins to rant and rave obscenities and violent thoughts on air, but it doesn’t go as planned.
14. The Good Girl (2002)
This quirky comedy and drama is about a store clerk who begins an affair with an eccentric and slightly deluded stock boy who works at her job. This movie shows the blandness of working jobs like this, as Jennifer Aniston’s character longs for anything exciting or remotely interesting to happen.
15. 30 Minutes or Less (2011)
This hilarious comedy is about a pizza delivery man who gets caught up in a criminal scheme. It’s loosely based on a true story. The characters are absurd and amusing, and the plot may make you grateful that your job hasn’t led you into this kind of situation.
16. Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
The beginning of Joe Versus the Volcano embodies the tortuous feeling of working at a dead-end, mind-numbing job from which there is no escape. When Joe finds out he’s dying, he decides to leap into a volcano. It’s a fun story about how one adventure can turn someone’s life from misery into joy.
17. The Apartment (1960)
If you’re struggling to get the promotion or the raise you deserve, you’ll relate to the main character’s struggles in The Apartment. He comes to hate office politics as he tries to befriend coworkers and move up in his office.
18. Employee of the Month (2006)
While the central story doesn’t focus on hating your job, the snide remarks and silly jokes in this movie are mostly about the woes of working at a boring place. The main character is a massive slacker who changes his ways to impress a girl, and the movie shows how trivial things like “Employee of the Month” are.
19. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
Ben Stiller is sensational in this movie about a man and his coworker who are about to lose their jobs. Instead of leaving his job and sinking into misery, Walter Mitty decides to embark on a crazy adventure to Greenland. Walter is constantly playing out wild scenarios in his head, but now it’s time to live authentically and recklessly.
20. Without a Paddle (2004)
Without a Paddle is an underrated comedy that will have you rolling on the floor. It tackles themes like the meaning of life and happiness as three childhood friends embark on a once-in-a-lifetime treasure hunt in honor of their deceased friend. If you dream of quitting your job to do something fantastic, live vicariously through these guys.
21. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
Some people forget how funny It’s A Wonderful Life is at moments. If you hate your job so much that it’s ruining your life and making you feel worthless, this classic movie can remind you that you are not your job and you’re valuable outside of work. It’s the perfect feel-good movie for folks who are miserable at work.
22. Free Guy (2021)
This one is a little unorthodox! Ryan Reynolds plays an NPC in a video game who becomes sentient. And he hates being an NPC. He thinks it’s boring and doesn’t understand why he’s always in the background. It’s a clever metaphor for people who feel like they do worthless jobs.
23. Mayhem (2017)
Mayhem is about an office complex that becomes infected with a virus that makes people act out their wildest impulses. If you feel like you’re fighting for your life every day at work, you’ll relate to the main character’s journey to reach safety and fight off his coworkers.
24. The Belko Experiment
The Belko Experiment is an insane movie about an office that is held hostage and instructed to kill one another to survive. Suddenly, your job won’t seem so bad. The movie is a crazy ride that keeps you hooked from beginning to end.
25. The Matrix (1999)
When we break it down, Neo never would’ve left the Matrix and saved humanity if he had liked his job. The movie begins with him abandoning his lame job and entering an exciting life. If you dream of quitting your job and turning off the simulation, this movie will satisfy you.
