What are some of the best labor day movies to watch on Labor Day weekends? The holiday is celebrated every year on the third Monday of September. This year, it falls on August 31st.
Labor Day has become synonymous with fun family activities and relaxing vacations. If you want to enjoy quality time with your loved ones, why not watch a good movie together? There are plenty of options out there.
On May 1st, International Workers’ Day, we honor movies focusing on the worker, a rare occurrence in cinema.
Even though the bulk of the world’s population is made up of farmworkers, servants, factory workers, miners, cleaners, and other members of the working class, most popular movies, especially in the age of the blockbuster, tend to focus on the lives of middle- and upper-class individuals.
These movies break this convention and address class conflict and inequality issues via skillful storytelling and structure.
Some of the best Labor Day movies are listed below;
1. Parasite (2019)
The Kims, comprised of mother and father Chung-sook and Ki-taek, as well as their young adult children Ki-woo and Ki-Jung, live in a tiny half-basement apartment in a crowded lower working-class neighborhood of Seoul.
Additionally, they genuinely smell like poverty, especially Mr. and Mrs. Kim, without even realizing it. They frequently engage in small-scale fraud as a group to survive, and even when they have jobs, they only put in the bare minimum effort.
Ki-woo is the one who aspires to escape poverty by attending college someday. Despite not having a degree from a university, Ki-woo is picked by his friend Min, a student at the university, to take over his tutoring duties for Park Da-Hye, whom Min intends to date after he returns to Seoul, and she is enrolled in a university.
Rich family The Parks has resided in Namgoong’s former home, a modernist structure, for four years. Namgoong is a renowned architect.
Mrs. Park has a flighty, simple-minded attitude and disposition, and Min tells Ki-woo to feel comfortable lying to her about his schooling to get the job. In contrast, Mr. and Mrs. Park are all about status.
The top cast includes Song Kang-ho, Cho Yeo-Jeong, Lee Sun-Kyun, Jung Woo-sung, Yoon Jeon, Choi Woo-Shik, Jang Dong-gun, and Kim Tae-hee.
2. Boyhood (2014)
Boyhood is one of the best labor day movies to watch on labor weekend. Director Richard Linklater’s film follows Mason Evans growing up in Texas during the 1970s.
Mason is raised by his single mother, Samantha, an alcoholic waitress who works long hours to support him and his younger sister Jessie.
Samantha struggles to keep the two kids fed and clothed while also dealing with her problems. When Mason turns 12, he begins to experience puberty and develop into a man. Additionally, his relationship with his mother becomes strained as he grows older.
Linklater shot the entire film using just one camera, capturing every moment of Mason’s life from birth until he was 18.
The top cast includes Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater, Ewan McGregor, and Lucas Jade Zumann.
3. Manchester By The Sea (2016)
A grieving widower named Robert Llewellyn moves back to his hometown of Manchester, New Hampshire, to care for his brother Charlie, who has dementia.
Robert reconnects with his estranged son Patrick, who is now a successful lawyer living in Boston. As Robert tries to deal with his grief, he finds himself drawn to the town’s local funeral director, played by Casey Affleck.
Affleck plays the role of Lee Chandler, a man who lost his wife and daughter in a car accident. He is a good listener and offers Robert advice on moving forward.
The top cast includes Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges, and Joaquin Phoenix.
4. Moonlight (2016)
Chiron, a black gay teen, lives in Miami with his mother Gloria and grandmother Vanessa. However, he spends most of his time alone in his room, listening to music or watching TV.
One night, Chiron meets Alex, a white boy who lives across the street. Alex invites Chiron to come along when he goes to a party.
At the party, Chiron meets three girls: Ania, a girl obsessed with vampires; Selena, a girl who other teens bully because of her sexuality; and Ruthie, a girl who is dating.
Furthermore, after leaving the party, Chiron realizes that Alex has lied to him. He then learns that Alex is gay and that he is HIV positive.
Additionally, Alex explains to Chiron that he lied so that he could have sex with him without telling anyone.
The top cast includes Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes, Janelle Monáe, André Holland, Carmen Ejogo, and Alex R. Hibbert.
5. Hidden Figures (2016)
Hidden Figures is also one of the best labor day movies to binge-watch. It is based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s book “Hidden Figures.”
This biographical drama tells the story of African American women Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson.
In addition, they were instrumental in NASA’s success during the 1960s. Katherine Johnson, played by Taraji P. Henson, was the first African-American woman to work at NASA.
Dorothy Vaughan, portrayed by Octavia Spencer, was the first African American female engineer at NASA.
Mary Jackson, portrayed by Janelle Monáe, was the first African American female mathematician at NASA. The top cast included Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, and Viola Davis.
6. Horrible Bosses (2011)
Horrible Bosses is another great movie to watch this Labor Day weekend. This comedy stars Jason Bateman as Nick, an employee who has been fired from his job several times.
Additionally, Nick decides to take revenge against his former bosses by sabotaging their businesses. However, things go wrong when Nick hires two criminals to help him carry out his plan.
Jason Bateman plays the role of Nick, while Jennifer Aniston portrays his ex-wife. The top cast includes Charlie Day, Colin Farrell, Jon Hamm, David Koechner, and Danny McBride.
7. Sorry to Bother You (2018)
Sorry to Bother You is a 2018 American comedy film by Boots Riley. Riley and Lakeith Stanfield wrote the screenplay.
It is inspired by the events of Riley’s childhood growing up in Oakland, California. In the film, Cassius Green is a telemarketer who gets hired by the telemarketing firm WorryFree Solutions.
Furthermore, Cassius soon discovers that the company is run by a group of corrupt executives led by CEO Wayne Security.
Cassius becomes involved in a scheme to steal money from the company. He eventually joins forces with a young woman named Darnell, who works for a rival TeleTech company. The top cast includes Lakeith Stanfield, Armie Hammer, Tessa Thompson, Yara Shahidi, and Jermaine.
8. Tigertail (2020)
Tigertail is also one of the best labor day movies to binge-watch on labor day. It is a 2020 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Michael Showalter.
Furthermore, the film follows a man named Sam who meets a girl named Rose at a bar. Sam convinces her to come home with him.
However, Rose reveals that she lives with her mother and stepfather. Rose’s mother is strict and doesn’t allow her to date men.
She also wants Roseto to get married before she turns 18 years old. Additionally, Sam tries to convince Rose to stay with him.
However, Rose refuses because she does not want to disappoint her mother. The top cast includes Olivia Wilde, John Cena, Ed Helms, and Anna Kendrick.
9. The Hate U Give (2017)
The Hate U Give is a 2017 American coming-of-age drama film based on Angie Thomas’ novel of the same name.
The film is about 16-year-old Starr Carter, who witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood friend Khalil at the hands of police officers.
Starr then learns that he had been shot in self-defense. She later finds out that the officer responsible for killing Khalil is still alive.
The film received positive reviews from critics and was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 90th Academy Awards.
10. Roma (2018)
Alfonso Cuarón directs this Oscar-winning Mexican film about the lives of an in-home maid. Additionally, Yalitza Aparicio plays the role of Cleo, an affluent family’s nanny and housekeeper.
Cleo’s boyfriend leaves her after learning she is pregnant. However, when her boss takes her shopping for the baby one day, they become caught up in the conflicts between paramilitary groups and student protests, including her ex-boyfriend.
The movie offers a slow-moving, engrossing examination of Mexico City’s racial and socioeconomic problems. The top cast include, Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Marina de Tavira, Carlos Pratts, and Pedro Pascal.
11. The Company Men (2010)
Next on our list of best labor movies to binge watch on international labor day. The Company Men is also one of the best labor day movies to binge watch.
It is a 2010 American comedy-drama film directed by Joshua Michael Stern. The story revolves around three friends: Ben, a corporate lawyer; Tom, a salesman; and Steve, a factory worker.
Furthermore, they are all laid off during the 2008 financial crisis. Ben decides to take over his father’s business while Tom and Steve move into a new apartment together.
Additionally, Ben soon discovers that his father has embezzled millions of dollars from their company. He then goes through a series of events that leads him to sell the company back to its original owners.
The top cast includes Kevin Spacey, Paul Rudd, Kate Winslet, and Tommy Lee Jones.
12. The Big Sick (2017)
The Big Sick is a 2017 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Kumari Mayringer. It tells the story of Emily Gardner, a young woman whose parents are having trouble conceiving a child.
Emily also falls in love with a Pakistani man named Ali, whom she met online. Ali agrees to marry her if she can produce a child within six months. However, things don’t go as planned.
The film received critical acclaim and won several awards, including the Independent Spirit Award for Best First feature film. The top cast includes Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, and Sarita Choudhury.
13. Up in the Air (2009)
Up in the Air is a 2009 American romantic comedy-dramedy film by Jason Reitman. The plot follows Ryan Bingham, a successful career consultant who travels across America interviewing people.
Ryan meets a woman named Amy Griswold, who works for a large corporation. She asks him to help her fire someone. However, Amy becomes attracted to Ryan and starts flirting with him.
Ryan eventually realizes that Amy wants him to quit his job and start working for her. The film received widespread critical acclaim and earned numerous accolades, including two Oscars.
14. The Wrestler (2008)
The Wrestler is next on our list of best labor day movies to binge watch. It is a 2008 sports drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky.
It was adapted from the autobiographical book I’m Not Dead Yet: Confessions of a Wrestling Star by professional wrestler Mick Foley.
The film stars Mickey Rourke as Randy “Macho Man” Savage, an aging pro wrestler who struggles to make ends meet.
Randy loses his wife and daughter in a car accident. Afterward, he begins to drink heavily and lose weight.
Meanwhile, his manager convinces him to return to wrestling. However, Randy cannot perform at his peak due to his injuries. The top cast includes Marisa Tomei, Peter Berg, and Robert Duvall.
15. The Social Network (2010)
The Social Network is a 2010 American biographical drama film based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich.
It depicts the creation of Facebook and the founding of Facebook Inc. by Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield as Saverin, and Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker.
Zuckerberg and Saverin first meet when they are both attending Harvard University. Saverin later introduces Zuckerberg to Sean Parker, who helps them create the website.
However, after the site was launched, it quickly became popular. Furthermore, Parker then leaves the company to pursue other ventures. The film also explores the legal issues surrounding the creation of Facebook.
16. No Country For Old Men (2007)
No Country For Old Men is a 2007 crime thriller directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. It is based on Cormac McCarthy’s 2005 novel of the same name. Additionally, the film stars Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh, a psychopathic bounty hunter.
He tracks down a group of criminals led by Josh Brolin’s Llewelyn Moss. Furthermore, Chigurh kills everyone except Moss, who escapes into the desert.
Chigurh pursues Moss through Texas, where he encounters Tommy Lee Jones’ Sheriff Bell. The top cast includes Javier Bardem, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jon Voight, and Woody Harrelson.
17. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
The Royal Tenenbaums is also one of the best labor day movies to binge-watch. It is a 2001 comedy-drama film written and directed by Wes Anderson.
The film focuses on Richie, played by Luke Wilson, who has trouble dealing with his father’s death. Meanwhile, his younger brother, George, portrayed by Owen Wilson, tries to deal with his mother’s mental illness.
Additionally, their cousin, Margot, portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow, deals with her problems. It tells the story of three generations of the wealthy Baum family.
The film stars Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Anjelica Huston, Danny Glover, Bill Murray, Ben Stiller, and Jason Schwartzman.
18. Sunshine Cleaning (2006)
Sunshine Cleaning is a 2006 romantic comedy film directed by Todd Haynes. It follows two women, played by Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway, who clean houses for extra money.
Furthermore, they soon become friends, but one woman falls in love with another man. The top cast includes Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent, and John Malkovich.
19. The Proposal (2009)
The Proposal is a 2009 romantic comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It is about an Irish girl named Mary O’Donnell, played by Sandra Bullock, who travels to America to propose to her boyfriend, played by Ryan Reynolds.
Meanwhile, she meets a man named Jack McFarland, played by Will Smith. Jack agrees to marry her if she can get him a job at the United States embassy in Ireland.
The top cast includes Sandra Bullock, Will Smith, Ryan Reynolds, Liam Neeson, and Minnie Driver.
20. The Big Short (2015)
The Big Short is a 2015 American black comedy-drama film directed by Adam McKay. Based on Michael Lewis’ book of the same name, the film depicts the 2008 financial crisis from the perspective of those involved in the subprime mortgage market.
The film stars Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, and Carey Mulligan. In conclusion, these are some of the best labor day movies you should watch this holiday season.
