Corporate/tech film and show recommendations

[Spymaster]

The top of the list probably has to be the wonderfully cynical Billions, but everyone interested in the genre will have seen that.

We watched Blackberry last night which is one of the better tech start-up films, well acted with some fabulous characters; and The Dropout, which chronicles the Elizabeth Holmes debacle, is also ace and currently on iPlayer.

Yours please.

 

[Griff]

Watched The Circle the other evening and quite enjoyed it.

 

[Sue]

We watched Blackberry last night which is one of the better tech start-up films, well acted with some fabulous characters;

I was working for a small start-up that did software for smartphones at the time much of the film was set. A lot of it rang v true. (The company I worked for crashed and burned.)

 

[Ted Striker]

The top of the list probably has to be the wonderfully cynical Billions, but everyone interested in the genre will have seen that.

We watched Blackberry last night which is one of the better tech start-up films, well acted with some fabulous characters; and The Dropout, which chronicles the Elizabeth Holmes debacle, is also ace and currently on iPlayer.

Yours please.

Big fan of the genre (well, films on Business/office-y stuff in general), tho have not yet seen Blackberry or Dropout. I assume Blackberry is similar to the Tetris film (which I really liked) so kinda saving it for a night when I can give it proper due attention.

Startup is a good TV show but not because it's about tech per se (and is similar to Homeland in that it really takes off properly once they drop their star act (Tim from the Office) from the S1 promo's).

There was a tv series (on prime, I think?) I was super excited about starring Christophe Waltz...But lasted about 20 mins, it was dire.

Actually I loved Industry - finance rather than tech, but the first series felt very familiar to life on Thursday nights as a 20 something office worker in the City.

 

[Ted Striker]

Also....unpopular opinion...But if you want "A-Team style depth and storytelling, but based around office stuff"...Then Suits is a pleasant (if silly) romp.

 

[mojo pixy]

There's s Norwegian series (on C4 World Drama) I enjoyed called 'Enemy of the People' about a lawyer who whistle-blows on a famous and well-respected footballer.

Also in the same streaming set is a Finnish drama about the rise of Nokia ('Mobile 101' IIRC?) I haven't watched it yet but a friend told me it's worth the time.

 

[Spymaster]

Big fan of the genre (well, films on Business/office-y stuff in general), tho have not yet seen Blackberry or Dropout. I assume Blackberry is similar to the Tetris film (which I really liked) so kinda saving it for a night when I can give it proper due attention.

Startup is a good TV show but not because it's about tech per se (and is similar to Homeland in that it really takes off properly once they drop their star act (Tim from the Office) from the S1 promo's).

There was a tv series (on prime, I think?) I was super excited about starring Christophe Waltz...But lasted about 20 mins, it was dire.

Actually I loved Industry - finance rather than tech, but the first series felt very familiar to life on Thursday nights as a 20 something office worker in the City.

I'd say that Blackberry, and Dropout are must-sees for fans of the genre.

I've been eyeing Startup, but avoided it because it looked a bit simple. Will give it a go.

Suits is one of my favourite shows. Preposterous on so many levels but incredibly stylish and entertaining. Bit of a departure from tech stuff but if you enjoyed Suits, then Damages, The Good Wife, and The Good Fight, should appeal, and Boston Legal is in a league of its own.

 

[Spymaster]

There's s Norwegian series (on C4 World Drama) I enjoyed called 'Enemy of the People' about a lawyer who whistle-blows on a famous and well-respected footballer.

Also in the same streaming set is a Finnish drama about the rise of Nokia ('Mobile 101' IIRC?) I haven't watched it yet but a friend told me it's worth the time.

Yep. Enjoyed EotP. Cheers for Mobile 101.

There's an excellent Danish financial thriller series on Amazon, called Bedrag (Follow The Money). Two seasons of it too.

 

[souljacker]

The playlist and Billion dollar code on Netflix are both very good. Playlist is the story of how Spotify started. Billion dollar code is about a German startup that basically create Google earth and Google just steal it off them.

Both are very well written with some excellent acting performances.

 

[Spymaster]

The playlist and Billion dollar code on Netflix are both very good. Playlist is the story of how Spotify started. Billion dollar code is about a German startup that basically create Google earth and Google just steal it off them.

Both are very well written with some excellent acting performances.

BDC made me want to stop using Google Earth

 

[Spymaster]

Actually I loved Industry - finance rather than tech, but the first series felt very familiar to life on Thursday nights as a 20 something office worker in the City.

Tried the second episode tonight. Big no. Again.

Nobody is like that in The City, and it's a massive shagfest!

 

[Ted Striker]

Nobody is like that in The City, and it's a massive shagfest!

They are. I witnessed it (when I was Industry age, so naughties) /subject to typical exaggerations and abbreviations to make it telly-able

(and I was very much Championship level, working in Insurance (and not pure finance/trading of the Premier League))

 

[rubbershoes]

Margin Call is a very corporate film. It was on netflix last month but seems to have vanished

 

[Spymaster]

They are. I witnessed it (when I was Industry age, so naughties) /subject to typical exaggerations and abbreviations to make it telly-able.

Ah come on! I've worked in The City for 30 years and never met 90% of those characters. Every desk head is a bullying psycho, everyone's an absolutely ghastly back-stabber, they're all shagging each other and so far they're 100% coke-heads! Complete 80s stereotypes. You get a few of those but most city workers are perfectly normal.

 

[Spymaster]

Margin Call is a very corporate film. It was on netflix last month but seems to have vanished

Good film.

It's on Amazon Prime.

 

[Silas Loom]

If we are allowed things as far fetched as Industry then we should include Severance.

 

[Saul Goodman]

It's an oldie now, and I don't think it had great viewing figures when it came out, but I thought Halt and Catch Fire was excellent.

 

[Ted Striker]

Ah come on! I've worked in The City for 30 years and never met 90% of those characters. Every desk head is a bullying psycho, everyone's an absolutely ghastly back-stabber, they're all shagging each other and so far they're 100% coke-heads! Complete 80s stereotypes. You get a few of those but most city workers are perfectly normal.

Sure, but it's telly?! You don't see Jack Bauer having a shit and you don't see the 99% of other deskheads that aren't cunts or just 'extra', or the 10 months of the year where the junior gets his head down and grafts and earns the status and promotions etc. It's all charactatures that emphasise the extremes, but they did not generate the characters from nothing, and for those who have lived that life, it's pretty relatable and well observed. (Can't think of a comparable show/scene, do new Lawyers think This Life was realistic?)

This is a different conversation obs, and I don't have you down in working in Financial Services (or Insurance) where the 'community' or closed market aspect I think is the differentiator that encourages the sort of culture that is on show in Industry (i.e. I have my internal colleagues, and 20x that, that I might bump into regularly and/or do direct business with daily). I work in Tech now, and there is nothing like the culture - we are a standalone org, that has customers across all industries that we connect with during sales cycles, but nothing like the regular day-to-day market contact (or, tbh, the notion of future job offer).

For those reading the thread that needs a bit more 'Industry' style TV, then Fair Play (w/ Eddie Marsan) feels a very similar energy/context, but focusing more on relationships/office politics rather than sex drugs etc.

 

[Spymaster]

... I don't have you down in working in Financial Services (or Insurance) where the 'community' or closed market aspect I think is the differentiator that encourages the sort of culture that is on show in Industry ...

I traded FX options for 9 years and sold them for 4, but don't tell anyone.

Point taken about it being made for tv but it's still ridiculous. Half of the behaviour on the show would get you imprisoned, let alone fired! But yes you're right. I guess people wouldn't watch a show about people turning up at 8am, having lunch, then catching the 18.10 home, with not much else happening other than a few beers on Thursday night.

 

[Fez909]

It's an oldie now, and I don't think it had great viewing figures when it came out, but I thought Halt and Catch Fire was excellent.

This, definitely. Very overlooked show. I recommend it to loads of people and no one has seen it (and they don't watch it on my recommendation, either).

This was enjoyable, too:

 

[A380]

Unlike cop films and shows which are all basically documentaries in their realism…

 

[freshapple]

Severance?

 

[hitmouse]

I always plug Corporate as one of the most underrated shows of the past few years, and this seems like as good a thread as any to plug it on. Thoughts on Silicon Valley? I think I gave up after the first series, there's a fine line between "all the characters are dicks and I love it" and "all the characters are dicks so I can't be arsed watching" and think Silicon Valley was maybe just on the wrong side for me.

 

[Saul Goodman]

This, definitely. Very overlooked show. I recommend it to loads of people and no one has seen it (and they don't watch it on my recommendation, either).

This was enjoyable, too:

Tetris was another good one. It's good to see the real(ish) behind the scenes shit that goes on.

 

[keybored]

A decent watch-for-free short film with a cameo for the tabloid readers.

The Candidate | Short Film

An underhanded company man is offered assistance by a secret organization that immerses him in forces beyond his control.

www.shortoftheweek.com

 

[Saul Goodman]

I always plug Corporate as one of the most underrated shows of the past few years, and this seems like as good a thread as any to plug it on. Thoughts on Silicon Valley? I think I gave up after the first series, there's a fine line between "all the characters are dicks and I love it" and "all the characters are dicks so I can't be arsed watching" and think Silicon Valley was maybe just on the wrong side for me.

For my sins, I watched Silicon Valley right through. It's OK but I wouldn't invest time in it unless I had a lot to spare and there was nothing else on TV.

 

[Orang Utan]

Fuck off

 

[Spymaster]

Fuck off

 

[Orang Utan]

This place is being taken over by business cunts.
They can all fuck off.

 

[Silas Loom]

I’ve done a quick calculation and currently, as for the last twenty years on Urban, posts by business cunts are significantly outweighed by posts from misanthropic librarians.