6 Movies That Had the Best Negotiators

by Lewis Robinson

Becoming a master at negotiation is a challenging and confusing journey. To be a great negotiator, one must remain calm, collected, and confident during the trial. This can prove challenging, but a few famous movies out there give a great example of great negotiators. 

In these movies, many actors most likely underwent negotiation training to portray these scenes properly. This is vital because watching negotiations through films can be a major help for those who need more information while also being entertained.

A Hijacking

Released in 2013, A Hijacking is centered around the kidnap and attempted release of a Danish freighter and crew. The movie is focused on the negotiations between the CEO of the shipping company and the translator for the Somali pirates. In the film, the negotiations last for 120 days.

 Many things can be learned since this is a prime negotiation movie where there are many lives at stake. Everyone is determined to achieve their goals during these scenes, and the film has numerous negotiation styles. 

 Lincoln 

The movie, Lincoln, released in 2012, follows the 16th President and his negotiation skills as he crushes adversities while trying to get the Congressional majority to vote against slavery. If you are familiar with history, then you will know he succeeded in the end, even with the strong opposition he faced.

Lincoln's negotiation tactics changed throughout this film to adapt to the current situation. There are times he persuades people through storytelling and metaphor, and others when he uses logic and reason.

The Godfather

The Godfather is a Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece, and anyone who wants to become a master in negotiation should watch. The characters are presented exceptionally well, and all the negotiation scenes are done powerfully. The men who are considered the most powerful in this movie are not the ones who are the most physically strong but instead are the ones who think ahead and have effective negotiation skills.

From the start of the movie to the end, this movie is dripping with negotiations and is a great option to watch if you are looking to see more hardball negotiations.

Thirteen Days

Released in 2000, Thirteen Days is a re-telling of the Cuban Missile Crisis and is told through the viewpoint of Kenny O'Donnell, who was President Kennedy's special adviser during that time. Throughout this film, it is a race against time, and there are some powerful negotiation scenes that ultimately save the world from a potential nuclear holocaust.

This film also shows a variety of negotiation styles, such as contentious to compromising to collaborative. In the movie, the Kennedy brothers are master negotiators who unlock solutions others may see as impossible.

The Founder

A film that depicts Ray Kroc's rise to power, The Founder, released in 2017, shows how he transformed a small drive-in restaurant in Saint Bernardino, California, into one of the largest fast-food franchises in the world. This film focuses on business relationships, avarice, and capitalism.

This movie depicts how Ray Kroc negotiated his way to eventually ousting the original owners of McDonald's. Throughout the film, we see how poor communication destroys the trust between the two partners.

Tommy Boy

A comedy film that also has good examples of negotiation is Tommy Boy. Some may find it surprising, but this movie does show some fun bits of negotiation tactics amidst the humor. It is a good representation of the heart during negotiation. It gives a great example of showing concessions and having humanity and confidence in the midst of trying to make a deal. 

Those looking into becoming a negotiator will want to watch any of these films to get a variety of representations of the best negotiators.