Every Movie Has a Lesson

View Original

COLUMN: Top 10 Fascinating Netflix Movies and Documentaries about Business and Entrepreneurship

Image Credits

Many educationists have come to find increasingly innovative methods to deploy teaching methodologies. It is essential to know that education is basically defined as the process of facilitating the acquisition of viable knowledge and information which professionals and students can deploy and implement in their real situations. 

This opens a whole new avenue where popular forms of entertainment, such as educational movies and films, can be used to deliver a way of experiential learning that can help people to learn valuable lessons. 

According to a recent study by Statista.com, 19% of Americans go to the cinemas to watch movies about once a month, while 54% of adults prefer watching movies at home. There is no doubt that films and movies impact our society, which is why today I would like to share with you some of the best Netflix Original documentaries and films for business and entrepreneurship. If you are connecting from a foreign country, you can get VPN for Netflix here.

10 Best Netflix Documentaries & Movies 

Let's take a quick look at each one of them:


American Factory

The first film by Barack and Michelle Obama's production company Higher Grounds Productions is also the first on our list of recommendation for you. Not only did it won the Academy Award for the Best Documentary Feature, but it is also a film worthy for business folks and entrepreneurs. 

The plot revolves around Chinese company Fuyao's factory in Moraine. The timeline shown within the documentary is of the post-industrial Ohio, where a Chinese billionaire decides in the husk of a shuttered General Motors plant. The documentary shines light upon the critical economic, political, and social discussions pertaining to the labor unions and their role. 

Business folk should watch this to understand how the takeover by AI regarding repetitive jobs can impact the overall function of individual workers in a global economy. Not only do you get to experience the United States from the eyes of Chinese factory workers, but you also get to observe how Americans feel about competing with China.

As the early day of hope and optimism rises, there are also various setbacks throughout the journey where we get to see high–tech China clashing with American working class.        


Dirty Money

Image Credits

With two seasons and an 8.1 rating on IMDB and 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, Dirty Money is a documentary worth any one's time. This 2018 documentary is bound to get you hooked with its fast-paced plot and deeply touching morals. 

As a Netflix Original series, it tells the stories of corporate corruption, creative accounting, and securities fraud. The episodes are all one hour long but with the Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney taking the role as one of the show's executive producers I assure that you will be craving for more. 

Each episode in the series focuses and highlights a specific example of corruption in the corporate sector going as far as including several interviews from key players in the market. Both the seasons are a thrilling watch and play a huge role in informing the business audiences about the dos and don'ts of the business world. 

As an entrepreneur, you will find yourself challenged to choose the right from the wrong as the show itself will present a fast-paced quiz you must solve as an audience.  


Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates

Image Credits

The world knows who Bill Gates is or do we actually? This three-part docu-series empower you along the way while the audience explores the motivations behind the world's most celebrated tech giant and visionary person. Business leaders and philanthropists would get to learn about what it means to have power and how accountability works in the real world. 

The plot also shares valuable insights into the life of Bill Gates and his life story, where he pursues to ask questions and find solutions regarding some of the world's most complex problems. Created and directed by Davis Guggenheim the series starts with both Bill Gates and Melinda (his wife) seeking answers to improve the state of affairs regarding sanitation in developing countries. 

Then there is the reference of the Omniprocessor, which is the proposed name by the couple for an operational plant that can process human waste and removes pathogen to stop the spread of diseases in underdeveloped countries. 

Through the series, you also get to observe Bill's early youth and his friendship with Kent Evans and Paul Allen, who later became the co-founder of Microsoft.  


Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened

Image Credits

A 2019 documentary film that deeply studies the Fyre Music Festival, it is a must-watch, even for general audiences. The documentary offers you the backdrop right from its creation to all the way through its unraveling. 

The film talks about Billy McFarland, for those who don't know, he is an American who was convicted of committing fraud and also the co-founder of the ill-fated Fyre Festival. With over $27.4 million in defrauded investors, McFarland raised the money through marketing and selling tickets to the festival and other related events. 

Through this documentary, you will learn all the insight scoop for the fraudulent luxury music festival that involved celebrities like rapper Ja Rule. The event was also endorsed by social media influencers including Bella Hadid, Hailey Baldwin, and Kendall Jenner. 

Regarded as probably the greatest catastrophe in music and pop culture, the Fyre Festival lead to at least eight lawsuits and seeking more than $100 million in damages. The festival was held in the Exuma district in the Bahamas and resulted in an overall disappointment an outrage of more than 5,000 attendees.  


Brené Brown: The Call to Courage

Image Credits

A 2019 documentary film, it depicts Brene Brown discussing what it takes for a person to choose courage over comfort in the present times. Directed by Sandra Restrepo, the documentary continues to explore topics regarding how bravery could arise from our deepest vulnerabilities

For those who do not know Brene Brown, she is a PhD and holds a master's degree in Social Work. She is also an author, lecturer, podcast host and professor. Furthermore, her TED talk 'The Power of Vulnerability' has been widely viewed by international audiences to the point where it has reached close to 40 million views. 

The documentary is essential for entrepreneurs because it is a further testament to the power and the necessity of dealing with such issues and concerns. This is not just any conversation but a profound study of facing uncomfortable events at home, at work, and even when meeting strangers. The takeaways include confronting reality as well as how and what it takes to live a wholehearted life.     


She Did That

Image Credits

During the current times, we are living in this documentary cannot be any more relevant. She Did That is a 2019 Netflix Original which offers viewers a peek inside the lives of black women taking up entrepreneurship roles as well as committed to opening new doors for future generations to walk through. 

The audience gets to experience the extraordinary lives of black female businesswomen as they offer insights and discuss pioneering a new future for the next generation. Powerful messages and profound knowledge is shared throughout the length of this special as we get to comprehend what it means to build and nurture a legacy. 

The film is a must-watch for entrepreneurs as it offers an uplifting biopic about passionate women who have high aims and novel pursuits. 

Through their shared journey audiences can get to understand the various challenges people face throughout their lives and the struggles which they go through in order to attain their real objectives. Highly motivating for people interested in taking entrepreneurship in their lives as it prepares them for what lies ahead.    


Print the Legend

Image Credits

As a 2014 Netflix Original documentary film, Print the Legend focuses on the revolution brought about by 3D printing. The film discusses the story of MakerBots and Fomlabs in detail was well as established companies, including the likes of 3D Systems, PrintForm, and Stratasys. 

It also touches upon some centers of controversy in the industry such as Cody Wilson. Wired Magazine regards this 32-year-old as one of the 15 most dangerous people in the world in 2012. For those who do not know about Cody Wilson, he is the organizer and chief of Defense Distributed, which is a charitable association that cultivates gun schemes appropriate for 3D lithography. 

Defense Distributed grew in world-wide unsavory reputation in 2013 when it released plans for the Liberator online. The construct is an operational firearm that could be duplicated by means of a 3D laser copier. 

For business folks who are interested or have plans in investing in 3D printing technology, this is a must-watch. This is one of a kind movie on our list as you get to see the rare opportunity to watch history in the making.    


The Creative Brain

Image Credits

For the audience across the globe, The Creative Brain is truly a marvel that takes you on a journey with bestselling author and neuroscientist David Eagleman in the driving seat. Explore and tap into the creative process of various innovators and discover the multiple risks taken by them to spark their own creativity. 

This brain-bending work is similar to composing University Assignments bound to make you feel exasperate and find incredible inspirations along the way where you will meet accomplished professionals from all over the world each serving their spot on the creative spectrum. 

Not only will you learn and find ways to unravel the creative process, but even for general audiences, it is a great way to encourage all of us to be more creative in our daily lives. So if you are a person serving as a ranked high decision-maker within an organization and faced with considerable bottleneck, the time you spend watching this documentary can offer you several hints that can lead towards achieving your own breakthroughs.

It is a lot to take in at first, but after several re-runs, you will finally be able to break it down and bring forth essential messages for your own improvement. 


Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru

Image Credits

"Our entire life changes in a moment" this is the shout out for the 2016 documentary and also the second last on our list. Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru is a film that takes you behind the scenes of Anthony Robbins' seminar 'Date With Destiny' that takes place each year in Boca Raton, Florida. 

Tony Robbins, as he has come to be popularly known by the community, is an American author, public speaker, and life coach as well as a philanthropist. Tony is known for his infomercials and self-help books, and in 2015 he was listed on the Worth Magazine's Power 100 list. 

All of his seminars are organized through Robbins Research International so you are getting valuable facts and figures, industry analysis, and a plethora of delightful insights that can quickly offer you a tremendous boost and increase in anyone's pool of knowledge. 

This documentary plays similar to acquiring coursework help from professionals, where you not only get inspirations to guide you but also assist you in making better decisions in your life. For those who are working in the corporate industry, this entertaining feature would fit perfectly on your watch list.


The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Image Credits

Based on the memoir by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, this 2019 British drama film is heart touching story of a 13-year-old boy. Chiwetel Ejiofor not only takes the starring and writing role for this film but this is his also feature directorial debut. 

The film tells how William Kamkwamba was thrown out of school since his family members could not afford to pay for his education. As a lover of knowledge and enthusiastic learner, William would often end up in the library, taking sneaks at whatever he could find. 

While he continues this act, it all comes down to the auspicious day where he finally learns to build a windmill. This is a must-watch for business folk as it shows how a little boy brought about a revolution to save his village from the devastating effects of drought and famine adversely affecting not only the people but also the government.  

In the 92nd Academy Awards, it was selected as the British entry for the Best International Feature Film but was not nominated. This means you have an actual hidden gem here waiting just for you!


Conclusion

There is no doubt that the use of media can be quite powerful when it comes to educating the masses. I hope this list offered some truly enjoyable and amusing documentaries and movies to quench your thirst as an entrepreneur looking for infotainment. For more questions regarding the topic, please feel free to let us know your feedback in the comment section below. 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Samantha Kaylee currently works as the Head of Digital Marketing Team at Dissertation Assistance. It is a place where higher education students can acquire the best dissertation writing service from professionals specializing in their field of study. During her free time, she likes to indulge herself in pop culture and watch educational movies.