The 20 best movies based on brands

Whatever one might think about Michael Bay’s filmmaking talent, there’s no doubt that he created a blockbuster franchise with Transformers. The film might lack a bit in developing a convincing story or characters with depth, but Bay is in his element with the action and spectacle. As a result, he proves once again that he is the master of creating entertainment that doesn’t ask the audience to do much but sit back and enjoy the show.

It’s hard to think of a video game brand that’s quite as enduring as Nintendo’s Mario. After all, its characters have been consistent presences in American popular culture for decades, though it took them quite a while to get a major blockbuster film under their belt. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, however, met and exceeded expectations, becoming one of the biggest movies of 2023. Critics might have been lukewarm about it, but it went on to gross well over $1 billion, suggesting a genuine hunger for more brand movies from audiences.

House of Gucci might not be Ridley Scott’s best movie, but there’s no question that it has its fair share of entertainment value. Some of this is due to its undeniable camp allure, but it has to be said that Lady Gaga more than holds her own as  Patrizia Reggiani, who paid to have her husband killed. Jared Leto is also tragically fascinating and ridiculous as Paolo Gucci. The film’s wild swings in tone are sometimes jarring, but it ends up being a fascinating look at the personalities behind one of the world’s most famous fashion brands.

Unfrosted might have been a dud with critics, but there’s still something charming and intermittently funny about this story about the creation of the popular breakfast pastry Pop-Tarts. Directed and starring Jerry Seinfeld, it follows his character Bob Cabana as he tries to find a product that will be able to compete with the pastry created by rival company Post. It definitely has more than its fair share of jokes, and it also stars a remarkable cast, including Melissa McCarthy, Hugh Grant, and Amy Schumer.

There’s something uniquely intoxicating about racing movies, which, when done right, can sweep up the viewer in the kinetic pleasures of the cinema. This is certainly the case with Ford v Ferrari,  which offers an insightful look at the attempts by Henry Ford II and Lee Iacocca to dethrone Ferrari as the champion of racing. In addition to being a thrilling sports movie in its own right, it features terrific performances from heavy hitters such as Matt Damon and Christian Bale. 

Jennifer Lawrence proves once again that there’s no role in which she cannot excel, in  Joy, in which she stars as Joy Mangano, the inventor of the Miracle Mop. What’s particularly remarkable about the film is that, unlike many other brand-driven narratives, it focuses on a female entrepreneur and the unique struggles she faces in the corporate world. Though it received mixed reviews from critics, Lawrence was deservedly given the lion’s share of the praise, even if its narrative can be a bit confusing. 

Disney is, without a doubt, one of the most powerful and influential entertainment studios on the planet. Though it can sometimes seem inscrutable because of its size and economic might, every so often a film comes along that shines some light behind the scenes. Saving Mr. Banks,  which stars Tom Hanks as Walt Disney himself, is a charming tale about the studio head’s attempts to get the author of Mary Poppins to allow him to adapt her books. It may be a bit too sentimental for some, but it still has charm to spare.

Mike Faist gives one of his reliably strong performances in Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game. He portrays Roger Sharpe, who played a key role in preventing pinball machines from being deemed gambling in New York City. The film is knowingly silly, and while its story may not have the sort of high stakes that one usually sees in movies like this one, it’s still a great deal of fun. 

Michael Fassbender might not look a great deal like Apple founder Steve Jobs, but he nevertheless gives an intense performance as the tech giant in the aptly titled Steve Jobs. The film offers a fascinating look into one of the most important figures of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, showing how Jobs was key to Apple’s growth and eventual dominance as a tech company. While some might balk at the unflattering portrait of Jobs, the film, as a whole, sheds fascinating light on a complicated man.

Few video game brands have been as lucrative as Sonic the Hedgehog, so it’s inevitable that he would find his way into a number of movies. In 2020, he was given a new big-screen life with Sonic the Hedgehog, which is a mixture of live-action and animation. The film has a good heart and stays true to the spirit of the video game while excelling as a strong action comedy in its own right. Furthermore, Jim Carrey is perfectly cast as the villain, Dr. Robotnik.

While director Todd Haynes is primarily known for his rich and emotionally resonant melodramas, with Dark Waters, he turned toward the legal thriller. Mark Ruffalo stars as Robert Bilott, who led a legal challenge against DuPont for their poisoning of a small town in West Virginia. It’s the kind of film that doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to laying blame at the feet of corporations and brands who are willing to put profits over the health of the communities in which they are located.

Few inventors have been as enormously influential as Thomas Edison. In The Current War , Benedict Cumberbatch portrays him , and the film depicts the feud between Edison and George Westinghouse. Throughout the film, the two men compete to become the dominant electricity provider in the US. It also has the distinction of being released in several forms, with the director’s cut ultimately receiving significantly better reviews than the one released in theaters.

The 2020s have seen a number of movies focusing on the history of iconic brands and products. In 2023, for example, viewers learned about the history of the BlackBerry, which, before the iPhone became globally dominant. It skillfully blends humor and drama to show how one particular device became so prominent, only to become obsolete. It also features a remarkable performance from Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie, who demonstrates that there is more to him than his role in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

It’s hard to think of a fast food company quite as successful as McDonald’s, and The Founder  takes as its subject Ray Kroc, the man who started it all. The film is anchored by a good screenplay that eschews the usual cliches of biopics in favor of genuine psychological depth. It’s helped in this regard by a reliably strong performance from Michael Keaton, who excels at playing a man who proves to be remarkably ruthless in his pursuit of a restaurant empire.

Greta Gerwig brought her inimitable touch as a director and writer to Barbie,  which stars (among others) Margot Robbie as the title character. As much as the movie is about Barbie and her existential crisis, it also uses the iconic doll to ask some pressing questions about the nature and purpose of feminism in the 21st century. In addition to being that rare thing–a blockbuster with a brain–it’s also a very funny and sometimes poignant film, thanks to performances from Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and America Ferrera. 

Part of the joy of brand-driven movies is seeing just how arcane a studio can be in its pursuit of a fascinating capitalist story. In this case, the subject is Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, with a particular focus on the man who may have invented them, Richard Montañez. There are times when it tends to focus more on its message than on its characters, but it’s still a lot of fun and a fascinating look at one of America’s favorite crunchy, spicy snacks.

The 2020s have been a particularly productive decade for films exploring various brands. The aptly titled Air, for example, tells the story of the Air Jordan, particularly  the fruitful relationship between Nike and basketball star Michael Jordan. In addition to featuring a very intelligent and nuanced screenplay, it’s also a film that soars because of the strength of its director (Ben Affleck) and its cast, which includes Affleck, his longtime collaborator Matt Damon, and Viola Davis.

There’s no question that Facebook is one of the most important brands of the 21st century, so it’s fitting that it would become the centerpiece of David Fincher’s The Social Network.  The film certainly doesn’t shy away from the narcissism that is abundantly on display among its male characters, all of whom are convinced that they are the smartest people in the room. It’s one of those films that has only become more relevant with each passing year, as Facebook’s influence, and that of Mark Zuckerberg, continues to grow.

At first, it might not seem that the popular video game Tetris would make for a compelling movie, but the film that bears its name is nevertheless a tautly woven thriller about the end of the Cold War. Taron Egerton is also perfectly cast as Henk Rogers, the entrepreneur determined to license the game and who must contend with various ownership issues to do so. The film might take some notable liberties with history, but it still makes for compelling entertainment that shows how complicated the backstory to video games can be.

Adam Driver has repeatedly proven he’s a remarkably versatile actor, and in 2023, he starred in Ferrari as Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the car company that bears his name. It’s a film that grapples with the complexities and nuances of the man himself, but it has to be said that the real driving energy comes from Penélope Cruz, who delivers one of her usual extraordinary performances as Laura Ferrari. It may be a movie that is transparently awards bait, but it is still entertaining in its own right.