The Company Men
A polished corporate professional confronts unemployment, collapsing status, and the hard-won possibility of rebuilding his life during the Great Recession.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- serious
- empathetic
- melancholic
- reflective evening
- social issue film night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film effective as a timely, emotionally resonant employment drama, especially because of its strong ensemble performances, though some felt its well-heeled protagonists and conventional script limited its force.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bobby Walker and other corporate employees lose jobs and social status during GTX's downsizing.
Bobby's self-worth and family role deteriorate as unemployment strips away his career and lifestyle.
GTX cuts thousands of employees to improve its balance sheet, reducing livelihoods to corporate accounting.
Bobby's collapse in living standards is set against Jack Dolan's construction work and changing ideas of success.
Films like The Company Men, and why
Up in the Air
shared focus on corporate employment, economic insecurity, and the emotional consequences of career displacement
Margin Call
shared workplace drama, recession-era anxiety, and an ensemble of people confronting professional and personal instability
The Pursuit of Happyness
shared themes of unemployment, dignity, family pressure, and rebuilding after financial collapse
American Beauty
shared corporate setting and critique of status, ambition, and the human cost of economic systems
Movie Details
- Director
- John Wells
- Release Date
- 2010-10-21
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (830)
Cast
- Ben Affleck
- Tommy Lee Jones
- Chris Cooper
- Kevin Costner
- Maria Bello
- Rosemarie DeWitt
- Craig T. Nelson
- Eamonn Walker
- Tom Kemp
- Nancy Villone
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Company Men about?
- A polished corporate professional confronts unemployment, collapsing status, and the hard-won possibility of rebuilding his life during the Great Recession.
- What is The Company Men like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Company Men as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Company Men violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Company Men.
- What did critics think of The Company Men?
- Critics generally found the film effective as a timely, emotionally resonant employment drama, especially because of its strong ensemble performances, though some felt its well-heeled protagonists and conventional script limited its force.
- Which films are like The Company Men?
- Films with a similar feel include Up in the Air, Margin Call, The Pursuit of Happyness, and American Beauty.
- How long is The Company Men?
- The Company Men runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Company Men?
- In United States, The Company Men streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Philo, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Howdy Amazon Channel.
