5 Best movies for MBA students

Posted by The Lisbon MBA on 15 May, 2019 9:42 am

Selecting 5 must-see movies for MBA students is quite simply an impossible task. That didn’t stop us from trying, though; we take pride in our ambition! This blogpost presents our selection, which has something for each of you, from the classic motion pictures to documentaries. Enjoy!

The Godfather

Everyone should watch The Godfather, simply because it’s one of the greatest movies of all times. At the core of this crime drama is an issue of succession that most family-run businesses must face at some point: is the son of the head of one the most powerful clans of NYC ready to step up to the challenge and take over his father’s role? While they make that decision, should they invest in the heroin trade, running the risk of losing political allies if they do, and running the risk of being surpassed by other mafia families if they don’t? Finally, is it true that all is fair in love and war, or is there a line that businessmen are wise not to cross when it comes to defending their market quota? These are just some of the questions that an MBA student will certainly ask himself while watching our first pick.

The Smartest Guys in the Room

Enron was the company that was too big to fail – and fail it did. The American energy and commodities firm was named “America’s Most Innovative Company” for six consecutive years by Fortune magazine, only to be exposed in the early 2000s as probably the most important case of corporate fraud and corruption the world has ever witnessed. Enron’s motto, “Ask why”, is what any intelligent MBA student must do while watching this documentary (available on YouTube).

Moneyball

Ever heard of “sabermetrics”? Well, neither had the scouts working for the Oakland Athletics baseball team before their coach got fed up with trying to compete with teams whose budgets for acquiring players during the draft season were two, three, ten times his own. This guy didn’t like to lose even before the game began. He hired a statistician who used sabermetrics – the empirical analysis of baseball, especially baseball statistics that measure in-game activity (according to Wikipedia) – to revolutionize the way players were selected to join his team. Basically, instead of looking at people, they looked at the numbers. We don’t want to include spoilers here, so we’ll just tell you that, unlike what Hollywood usually does, this is quite an accurate account of real events.

Invictus

Nelson Mandela is celebrated for a number of very good reasons, but it was only when Clint Eastwood decided to tell this particular story on the big screen that his flair for marketing was revealed. With his country on the verge of civil war, Mandela bet on rugby (a sport practiced by white South Africans) to unite a nation – much to the chagrin of his closest advisors. His leadership and motivation skills are evident in this beautiful movie, as are the dilemmas faced by the captain of the national rugby team during the championship hosted by South Africa after years of international isolation. Definitely, a must-see for any aspiring leader.

A Christmas Carol (2009)

Finally, for those of you who have kids, here’s an animated option: the most recent adaptation of the Dickensian tale of greed and redemption that begs the question: at the end of your life, what do you want to be remembered for? Is money more important than human relationships? And is it possible to reconcile being successful in business with ethical behavior? Get the popcorns and gather around to watch this family-appropriate movie.

Let us know what you think of our list and feel free to suggest alternatives to our team! If you want to know more about studying in Portugal, download our free ebook below. Thanks!

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