Top 10 Terrible Movie Bosses

The verbally abusive, sadistic and tyrannical behavior of this boss from hell is just the tip of the iceberg. When it comes to learning how to get ahead in business, Buddy Ackerman eventually pushes his assistant to the edge of sanity in this ‘90s comedy-drama. With public humiliation and seething insults, it’s best to give this hard-to-please boss what he wants to avoid being singled out for office-wide ridicule – though Guy admittedly discovers what’s behind it all by the film’s dark conclusion.

This devilish cad is one boss we’d think twice about working for AND hitting the sheets with due to his tendency to take his relationships with his colleagues beyond professional levels. From sexual harassment to bedding multiple women during business trips to lying about an affair in order to tarnish the name of an old adversary, it is clear that the blurred lines of this boss’ moral compass make for one unsavory office superior. And yes, even despite Hugh Grant’s witty charm.

While the screen time for this memorable boss was less than 10 minutes, they clearly left a lasting impression. Providing a blueprint for businessmen everywhere, this badass boss tells it like it is with an intense performance by Alec Baldwin. While it might be inspirational to the business world, there is no denying we’d rather not have to answer to this guy in real life if our sales performance was less than stellar.

After inheriting the Cleveland Indians from her late husband, this former Vegas showgirl has big plans for the fate of her new baseball team and will do anything to get what she wants. From demoralizing her players to barging into the locker room to hold negotiations, and both humiliating and intimidating anyone who stands in her way, it is clear that it would take some big balls to stand up to this nasty lady - making us all want to root root root for the home team.

What’s worse than one terrible boss? How about three? In fact, these bad, or should we say, horrible, bosses boast behavior so horrific it prompts their desperate employees to go beyond the boundaries of revenge fantasy into full-on murder. Just how horrible are these bosses? Blackmail, sexual harassment, sadistic and outright douchey behavior just to name a few….and we though our boss was bad… Just kidding!

While the bark of this office curmudgeon may have been worse than his bite, there’s no denying you’d never want to be on the receiving end of the verbal berating from this no-nonsense editor in chief. With a gruff, fast-paced manner of speaking and a condescending tone, the verbal onslaught of this news-making man of action would cause even the most seasoned of journalists to cower under their desks as they scrambled to find the next big headline. So kudos to Spidey for enduring him for so long!

How does a young genius become the creator of one of the most popular Internet services in history? By becoming one of the most ruthless businessmen you’ve ever seen. Or at least that’s how he appears in this larger-than-life film depicting the notorious origins of Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg goes from dorm room geek to multi-millionaire mogul using financial funders, classmates, and even his best friend as stepping stones along the way. We’re pretty sure that kind of behavior wouldn’t be getting many “likes” in the world of social media, but hey, that's business, right?

The icy stare of this fashion magazine matriarch sent shivers down the spines of audiences everywhere. Impossible to please, the snobby ice queen proved that fashion is fickle and good intentions are as useless as last season’s shoes. With sadistic wit, a condescending attitude, and love of power games played at the expense of her subordinates, this employer is someone we’d love to see go out of style. Oh, and she may-or-may-not be based on the real-life editor of “Vogue” magazine. Just sayin’.

This office cubicle nemesis struck a major chord with the dotcom generation as the division VP you love to hate. With an arrogant attitude, questionable fashion sense and tendency to micro manage everyone around him, Bill Lumbergh’s non-confrontational communication style would test anyone’s patience and have them praying to be pink-slipped the next time they are having a case of “the Mondays.”

Before we reveal our #1 spot, here are some honorable mentions:
- Avery Tolar
“The Firm” (1993)
- Ebenezer Scrooge
“Disney’s A Christmas Carol” (2009)
- OCP Senior President Richard ‘Dick’ Jones
“RoboCop” (1987)
- Meredith Johnson
“Disclosure” (1994)
- Frank Shirley
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989)

Sometimes we might feel like our boss is from the seventh circle of hell, but imagine if you were actually working for the Devil himself! In this horror thriller, a hot shot lawyer is seduced by wealth and the promises of his new boss but his acceptance of the new job comes with terrifying consequences that lead him into a downward spiral of infernal proportions. With a frightening performance by Al Pacino, John Milton is one bad boss you might be answering to for all eternity.

Do you agree with our list? Which film bosses do you hate? For more movie countdowns published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.