33 Best Sales Movies and Marketing Movies of All Time

What would the world be like if movies didn’t exist? On the other hand, a quick response might be less amusing. Movies can make us laugh, cry, jump for joy, or grab the nearest pillow in dread.

Production companies fund film production and offer the required resources and personnel. It’s incredible to look back over the last century and witness the fantastic films made by some of its most known production companies.

Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, Paramount, and 20th Century Fox have all created some of the most memorable sales and marketing films. Here are 33 of the very best sales movies:

1. The Godfather (1972) – Paramount: The film follows the Corleone family, an Italian-American crime syndicate. The plot revolves around the family patriarch, Vito Corleone (Brando), and his son, Michael (Al Pacino). Cost of production: $6 million. Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $246 billion.
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) – Columbia: The plot revolves around two inmates, Andy Dufresne (Robbins) and Red (Freeman), who become friends while serving time at the Shawshank State Penitentiary. Cost of production: $25 million. Gross revenue: $92 million.
3. Pretty Woman (1990) – Disney: Pretty Woman is a romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Vivian Ward (Roberts) is a prostitute recruited by Edward Lewis (Gere), a wealthy businessman, to be his escort for many business activities. The film was a box office hit, generating nearly $463 million on a $23 million production budget.
4. The Breakfast Club (1985) — Universal: The film follows five students as they spend a day in detention discussing their difficulties and issues. Despite being blasted by critics at its initial release, the picture has since been regarded as one of the best teen films of all time. $1 million was spent on production—gross revenue: $50 million.
5. Boiler Room (2000) – New Line Cinema: The plot revolves around a young man who becomes engrossed in high-stakes stock trading. It generated $16.6 million on a budget of $3.5 million.
6. The Social Network (2010) – Columbia: The Social Network is a biographical drama film about the creation of Facebook and the lawsuits that followed. It stars Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake. The film cost $40 million to make and grossed over $224 million.
7. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) – Paramount: The film is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker who bankrupted his own company through unethical activities. The film received five Academy Award nominations and grossed over $392 million worldwide.
8. Glengarry Glen Ross (New Line Cinema, 1992) —The film is based on David Mamet’s play. It chronicles the story of a bunch of desperate salesmen. The picture was nominated for four Academy Awards and is widely regarded as one of the best films ever made. Cost of production: $15 million. Gross revenue: $10 million.
9. Jerry Maguire (1996) – Disney is a sports drama starring Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding, Jr. The plot revolves around Jerry Maguire (Cruise), a dismissed sports agent who decides to create his Firm. The film was a box office hit, generating nearly $273 million on a $50 million production budget.
10. The Pursuit of Happiness (2006) – Sony: The story is based on Chris Gardner, a guy who becomes homeless and fights to provide for his family. The film was a box office hit, generating nearly $306 million on a $55 million production budget.
11. Thank You for Smoking (2005) — Fox Searchlight: The film follows Nick Naylor (Eckhart), a tobacco lobbyist, trying to defend the usage of cigarettes despite health concerns. The film received widespread acclaim from reviewers and grossed more than $39 million on a production budget of only $6 million.
12. The Devil Wears Prada (2006) — 20th Century Fox: The film is based on Lauren Weisberger’s book. It depicts the story of Andy Sachs (Hathaway), a young lady who lands a position working for Miranda Priestly, the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine (Streep). The film was a box office hit, generating nearly $326 million on a $35 million production budget.
13. The Big Short (2015) – Paramount Pictures: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Brad Pitt, and Ryan Gosling feature in the picture. It was nominated for five Academy Awards and grossed more than $133 million worldwide.
14. The Intern (2015) — Warner Brothers: The plot revolves around Ben Whittaker (De Niro), a 70-year-old widower who works as an intern at the online fashion site About the Fit. The film was a box office hit, generating nearly $194 million on a $35 million production budget.
15. Trading Places (1983) – Paramount: The plot revolves around two guys, one wealthy and one impoverished, who swap places as part of a bet. The film was a box office hit, grossing more than $90 million on a $15 million production budget.
16. The Aviator (2004) – Miramax’s: The film covers the life of wealthy industrialist Howard Hughes, from his days as an aviator through his time as a famous filmmaker in Hollywood. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and grossed nearly $214 million on a $110 million production budget.
17. Catch Me If You Can (2002) – Dreamworks: The plot is based on the true-life of Frank Abagnale, Jr., a con artist who pretended to be a pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer. The film was a box office hit, generating nearly $352 million on a $52 million production budget.
18. Death of a Salesman (1985) – Warner Brothers: It portrays the narrative of an elderly salesperson who faces his shortcomings in life and death. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards and won three, including Best Actor for Hoffman’s portrayal in the lead role. Cost of production: $7 million. Gross revenue: $8 million.
19. Used Cars (1980) – Columbia: The plot revolves around a used automobile salesperson who will lie and cheat to clinch a deal. The film was a box office hit, generating nearly $66 million on a $5 million production budget.
20. Diamonds Are Forever (1971) – United Artists: The plot revolves around 007’s investigation into a diamond smuggling gang. It was a box office hit, generating more than $116 million on a $7 million production budget.
21. The Firm (1993) – Paramount: Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, and Jeanne Tripplehorn star in the film. It follows the story of an attorney who accepts a position at a law firm only to realize that it is connected to organized crime.
22. Love & Other Drugs (2010) – 20th Century Fox: Jamie Randall, an amoral pharmaceutical salesman, falls in love with a woman suffering from Parkinson’s disease in the film. Cost of production: $30 million. Gross revenue: $96 million.
23. Moneyball (2011) – Columbia: It depicts the narrative of Billy Beane, the Oakland Athletics’ general manager who employed sabermetrics to develop a winning team. The picture received six Academy Award nominations and grossed $75 million on a production budget of only $50 million.
24. Up in the Air (2009, Paramount) —Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizer who travels around the country firing workers and living out of his bag, is the film’s protagonist. Cost of production: $35 million. $150 million in gross revenue
25. The Full Monty (1997) – Fox Searchlight Pictures: The Full Monty is a British comedy about six jobless steelworkers who establish a striptease act to raise funds. It was a box office hit, generating more than $250 million on a $3.5 million production budget.
26. Cadillac Man (1990) – The plot revolves around a car salesperson who must contend with a jealous husband and an upset customer. It was a box office hit, generating more than $32 million on an $8 million production budget.
27. The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (2009) – Paramount: The plot revolves around a group of salesmen employed to increase the sales of a faltering car dealership. It was a box office hit, generating more than $32 million on a $15 million production budget.
28. Promise Land (2012) – CBS Films: The film depicts the narrative of two corporate sales associates who travels to a tiny village to persuade farmers to sell their land so that oil can be drilled. It was a box office hit, generating more than $32 million on a $15 million production budget.
29. 12 Angry Men (1957) – United Artists: The film follows the story of twelve jurors who must reach a unanimous decision to sentence an 18-year-old teenager to death row for murder. It was nominated for three Academy Awards and made $1 million despite having a production budget of under $350,000.
30. American Hustle (2013) – Columbia: American Hustle is a crime drama based on the late 1970s and early 1980s FBI ABSCAM operation. Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, and Jennifer Lawrence feature in the film. It received 10 Academy Award nominations and grossed over $250 million on a production budget of only $40 million.
31. Selling (2010) – The Film Arcade: Selling is a documentary about the sales industry. The film follows four sales associates who work for various companies and must compete for a million-dollar reward. It was a box office hit, generating more than $36 million on a $1 million production budget.
32. White Gold (2017) – BBC: White Gold is a British comedy television series set in the 1980s. The show follows a double-glazing salesperson who will stop at nothing to get sales. It was a box office hit, generating more than $32 million on a $15 million production budget.
33. Tin Men (1987) – Orion Pictures: The film follows the story of two aluminium siding salesman who engages in a turf battle. It was nominated for three Academy Awards and grossed more than $32 million on a production budget of $15 million.

These are the best sales movies and marketing movies of all time. They will inspire and motivate you to be the best salesperson or marketer you can be. So, what are you waiting for? Watch them now!