Most people spend a third of their life at work so it’s little surprise that so many movies like The Internship are set in a workplace. In the time of Coronavirus, there’s even something nostalgic about it…
Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson bring their easy-going charms to Shawn Levy’s comedy about two laid-off salesmen who land internships at Google. Will their life experience help them compete with their young tech-savvy rivals?
If you like workplace comedies like The Internship then meet me by the water cooler for more great picks…
10 Inspiring Workplace Movies Like The Internship
1. Office Space (1999)
What better way to kick off a list of movies like The Internship than Mike Judge’s cult comedy, Office Space?
It’s a little dated but still hilarious as three office workers who hate their jobs decide to rebel and embezzle money from the company they work for.
Office Space is packed with quotable lines and memorable scenes. Ron Livingston and Jennifer Anniston star, but Gary Cole steals the show as an obnoxious boss.
2. Swimming with Sharks (1994)
Work can really suck if you have an awful boss. Few people have it worse than the protagonist of George Huang’s acidic black comedy, Swimming with Sharks.
A young studio assistant lands what seems like the perfect job working for a famous movie producer. However, his new boss turns out to be extremely abusive and cruel, and pushes his new lackey to breaking point. Kevin Spacey and Frank Whaley are perfectly cast.
Sharp, cynical and darkly funny, Swimming with Sharks is a 90s gem that will delight fans of movies like The Internship.
3. Horrible Bosses (2011)
Kevin Spacey plays another horrible boss in Seth Gordon’s hit black comedy while Jennifer Anniston plays against type as a sexually aggressive dentist.
The story concerns three friends who have had enough of being abused by their bosses, so they hatch a plot to murder them…
Raunchy, rude and outright funny, it’s a great comedy for anyone who dreamed of taking a little revenge on their boss!
4. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Fans of movies like The Internship will love The Devil Wears Prada, one of the quintessential workplace comedies of the past twenty years.
Anne Hathaway plays a sensible fledgeling journalist who lands a job as assistant to the domineering executive of a high-class fashion magazine. It’s a ruthless business – will she find a way to fit in and earn the respect of her boss?
David Frankel’s glossy comedy drama is effortlessly entertaining and Meryl Streep turns the Streep factor all the way up in a deliciously vicious performance.
5. Wedding Crashers (2005)
Not all movies like The Internship need to be set in the workplace if you’re a fan of the comedy team of Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson.
In David Dobkin’s hit comedy they play two womanizers who specialize in crashing weddings to take advantage of the women present, only to find romantic complications for themselves…
The Wedding Crashers is a fairly predictable romantic comedy that coasts along on the laidback charms of its two stars, so it’s worth a watch if you want something cosy and undemanding.
6. Employee of the Month (2006)
A slacker working at a retail warehouse decides to shoot for the employee of the month title to impress a very attractive new colleague, and enlists his buddies to help…
Stand-up comedian Dane Cook heads the cast of familiar faces in Greg Coolidge’s fast and funny romp.
With a likeable cast and a hangout vibe, Employee of the Month should appeal to people who enjoy movies like The Internship.
7. The Social Network (2010)
From behind the scenes of one omniscient tech company in The Internship to another in The Social Network, David Fincher’s dazzling drama about the founding of Facebook.
Aaron Sorkin provides the electrifying screenplay and Jesse Eisenberg is perfectly cast as Mark Zuckerberg, playing him as a social misfit who happens to be a mercurial, ruthless genius.
Fincher’s dark biopic won multiple awards and is considered one of the key films of the century so far. It’s gripping, troubling and very relevant today.
8. Chef (2014)
Movies like The Internship can also be about people who really take pride in their work and need a change of scenery to realize their ambition, as we see in Chef.
 A talented chef needs to branch out on his own to achieve his dreams, and starts a food truck so he can be his own boss…
Chef is a labour of love for Jon Favreau who writes, directs and heads an all-star cast including Robert Downey Jr, Scarlet Johansson and Dustin Hoffman. This feelgood film is half comedy-drama and half food porn, so don’t watch with an empty stomach.
9. Striptease (1996)
Movies like The Internship often feature an unlikely change of profession for the protagonist, and Striptease is no different.
Demi Moore plays a single mum who gets a job as a stripper to make ends meet, but finds herself in danger when a sleazy congressman becomes smitten with her…
Andrew Bergman’s comedy thriller is dated but still works, thanks to the star power of Moore at her peak and a hit 90s cast including Burt Reynolds warming up for his Oscar-winning role in Boogie Nights a few years later.
10. The Intern (2015)
Rounding out our list of movies like The Internship is The Intern, a likeable comedy drama about a seventy-year-old man who gets a senior internship at an online fashion company.
Writer-director Nancy Meyers can do this glossy light comedy stuff in her sleep, and the film coasts by on terrific performances from Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway.
The Intern is undemanding fun, but deserves attention thanks to its stars. It’s one of De Niro’s best performances in years, and the film will warm your cockles.