30 Movies and TV Shows That Are Essentially “Porn Competency”
A wise man once said, “I love it when a plan comes to fruition.” Of course, I do too, especially when I watch a movie.
At a time when much of everyday life is consumed by the stress of how people in power are screwing up our lives and the planet, there is a certain pleasure in being immersed in a narrative in which all the characters are incredibly good at what they do. to do—whether it’s exploring space, playing chess, committing skillful assassinations, or getting your asses to (or from) Mars. If you, too, are looking for inspiration from watching a group of smart people manage to not screw everything up, Lifehacker staff members offer these 30 movies (and a few TV shows), all of which are, in essence, straight-up porno competence. (It is hot.)
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Individually, you’d be hard-pressed to call the nearly dozen members of Danny Ocean’s gang of thieves, forgers and con artists highly competent; They’re all hooligans to one degree or another, which is probably why they say “yes” when asked to take part in an impossible scheme to rob three Las Vegas casinos at once. The fact that they manage to do it without a hitch (more or less) is proof enough that sometimes 11 goals are better than one. — Joel Cunningham
Where to watch: digital rental.
Moneyball (2011)
Moneyball is based on the true story of Oakland A’s manager Billy Beane as he tries to build a competitive baseball team on a shoestring budget. He assembles a group of underappreciated talent using extra-smart data analysis provided by a Yale economics graduate, and the results are dramatic, funny, and endearing. It’s a classic underdog sports team story with a nerdy twist. —Megan Walbert
Where to watch: Netflix, digital rental.
Fast Saga (2001 –)
You may wonder how this endless parade of meatheads, dudes, and trap-hungry souls can be anywhere close to competent, but I encourage you to broaden your horizons: in the Fast and the Furious universe, these petty thieves turned international action heroes are the best. in what they do. In every movie (11 and counting, including Hobbs and Shaw ), they can do anything that qualifies as exceptional competence… even if what they do involves something like petty heists ( Fast and Furious ) ) before bounty hunting. ( 2 Fast 2 Furious ), to international destruction under the guise of fighting crime (mostly Fast 5 to 8). The best part is that you don’t have to be competent at all to enjoy their ridiculous antics and feel like maybe you too could push your Mitsubishi around the corner if you really wanted to. — Jordan Calhoun
Where to watch: Peacock (most), digital rental.
Apollo 13 (1995)
Ron Howard’s best film dramatizes one of the most confounding moments in the history of the United States space program – the 1970 mission during which the (unfortunately) aptly numbered Apollo 13 lunar lander short-circuited, threatening more than just the lunar mission, but also the mission itself. the lives of everyone on board. The disaster itself is depicted in harrowing fashion, but the film’s most gripping moments involve ground control working with the Apollo team to find solutions to an escalating series of problems. Just a bunch of smart, highly motivated people who are very smart. — Ross Johnson
Where to watch: Apple TV+, digital rental.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)
You could include almost any Star Trek series here, but TNG takes the franchise’s celebration of science-based competence further than any of them. Led by stalwart diplomat Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), this team infiltrates dangerous places and solves problems with minimal personal drama. Whether it’s a space archaeological mystery, yet another transporter malfunction, or a time-traveling dilemma on a sex planet, the Enterprise crew works together as a team, each using their special talents (or standing back and letting Wesley save the day). . — Ross Johnson
Where to watch: Paramount+ , digital purchase.
Prestige (2006)
Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige uses a kind of magic trick to make you sympathize equally with two men on opposite sides of a duel between the greatest magicians. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman play a pair of masters of deception, each seeking to continually outdo the other with increasingly inventive (and dangerous) tricks to deceive… until eventually we discover that one of them is willing to go for it . Far from proving his genius, he even figured out how to cheat death. This is competence. — Joel Cunningham Where to watch: Digital rental
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
Mr. Blue, Mr. Green, Mr. Gray, and Mr. Brown board the same New York City #6 train at different stations, take hostages, and demand $1 million (which was real money in 1974). It’s a ragtag team, but it’s led with military precision by Blue (Robert Shaw), a former British Army colonel. On the other side is transit cop Lt. Garber (Walter Matthau), an unlikely hero who knows the subway system inside and out. Watching evenly matched opponents fight each other (mostly over radio) is deeply satisfying. — Ross Johnson
Where to watch: Tubi, digital rental.
Hidden Figures (2016)
Behind the first people in space were “human computers” that figured out how to get them there. And among these people – these hidden figures – were three women of color, brilliant mathematicians and engineers who worked for NASA during the Space Race. The film is based on the true story of the women who initiated the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. —Megan Walbert
Where to watch: Disney+ , digital rental.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
On the lighter side of Steven Spielberg’s filmography, but no less entertaining, Catch Me If You Can dramatizes the story of con artist Frank Abagnale Jr., who in his youth claimed to have posed as a doctor and, more memorably, a Pan pilot -Am to carry out schemes from which he profited to the tune of millions of dollars (again, allegedly – real life details are less accurate, but we’re here to enjoy the movie). Leonardo DiCaprio plays Frank with a sly charm – you can imagine people getting caught – while Tom Hanks is an effective foil as the FBI agent on his tail. — Ross Johnson
Where to watch: Paramount+ , digital rental.
Haikyuu!! (2014 – 2020)
If you’re skeptical about a shonen anime volleyball drama making this list, I get it: I didn’t care about volleyball either, and I couldn’t imagine how an anime could change that. But that’s the miracle of the series (and many other shonen anime, to be honest): the ability to take an insignificant thing and use the passion of the characters to turn it into the most important thing in the world. And in the case of Haikyuu!! they do this by compensating for their individual weaknesses by acquiring exceptional teamwork skills. Every player is the best at one thing, and if you take the risk to give this anime a fair chance, I promise you won’t regret it. — Jordan Calhoun
Where to watch: Netflix, Crunchyroll.
The Incredibles (2004)
The entire Incredibles family, led by Holly Hunter’s Elastigirl and Craig T. Nelson’s Mister Incredible, are very good at what they do: she can stretch her body, he has superhuman strength. Daughter Violet can turn invisible and create force fields, son Dash can move at amazing speeds, etc. But they are all at their best when they work together. Yes, they are skilled superheroes and also good detectives… but it all comes down to their true talent of being a loving and supportive family. — Ross Johnson
Where to watch: Disney+ , digital rental.
The Martian (2015)
It goes without saying that Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is incredibly competent at his job – astronaut/nerd – considering he’s able to survive on freaking Mars for over a year after being stuck there due to an accidental spaceship accident. To do this, he needs to figure out everything: from how to renovate his meager home to how to grow potatoes in his own shit. But The Martian really belongs on this list because virtually every other character in it, from Watney’s former teammates to the NASA engineers on Earth, is also full of the right stuff. — Joel Cunningham
Where to watch: digital rental.
Contagion (2011)
Steven Soderbergh’s film about the medical disaster following the COVID pandemic is playing out very differently, especially since the source and genetic origins of the outbreak shown in the film are remarkably similar to our real-life infection – or perhaps not so surprising to scientists who well aware of the risk years in advance. But I digress! Here we see a preview of the misinformation and political interference that will haunt us later, but we also see scientists and health officials doing what is necessary to stop the spread of the virus and being largely listened to. The result is oddly satisfying, even if it all seems a little trivial now. — Ross Johnson
Where to watch: Apple TV+, digital rental.
Ace of Cakes (2006–2011)
It’s been a full 15 years since Duff Goldman and his team of bakers, artists and engineers taught us that cake isn’t just for eating. No, a cake can be a work of art, or it can be a feat of engineering. It would be impressive enough if the Duff team at Charm City Cakes baked volcano cakes on a regular basis, but what makes these cakes especially impressive is that each one is uniquely designed and created to the customer’s request—and they get bigger (and, perhaps more ridiculously) in each of the show’s 10 seasons. Come for the cakes, stay for the extraordinary personalities of those who create them. —Megan Walbert
Where to watch: Hulu
12 Angry Men (1957)
It’s impossible to avoid the tension, both literally and figuratively, in a scenario in which 12 jurors deliberate the facts of a murder case involving a 19-year-old boy accused of killing his abusive father. This is not a smooth and slick version of the game, but a story about how coolness prevails in a situation of heightened emotions. This restrained passion in the face of such an important decision represents a kind of mastery. — Ross Johnson
Where to watch: digital rental.
Seven Samurai (1956)
Akira Kurosova’s 1954 Japanese blockbuster centers on the plight of a small village besieged by bandits and the team of impregnable swordsmen that the villagers manage to recruit to save their own skins. Watching seven main characters be incredibly good at what they do – sometimes despite themselves – has proven to be such a winning formula that it has not only inspired scattered remakes (e.g. the western The Magnificent Seven ; the children’s film A Bug’s Life ), but also forms the basis of Helen DeWitt’s acclaimed 2000 novel The Last Samurai, in which a single mother takes the place of a father figure to her young son and decides to teach him lessons in masculinity by making him watch the film again and again and again. . — Joel Cunningham
Where to watch: Max , The Criterion Channel, digital rental.
The West Wing (1999–2006)
In an era (well, at least a generation) of growing political chaos, there’s a great sense of satisfaction in watching the fast-walking, fast-talking staff of Aaron Sorkin’s White House do their jobs with passion and integrity (usually). . It may be a fantasy, but it suggests the possibility of a world in which imperfect people can work within an imperfect system to make things a little better. — Ross Johnson
Where to stream: Max , digital purchase
Now You See Me (2013)
To be clear, I think Now You See Me is one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. In its desperation to be clever, it goes from overly complicated to overly contrived to offensive as you realize that the biggest scam this gang of fraudulent magicians ever pulled was that they tricked you into watching them movie. But the 2013 film’s success—besides luring you in with an all-star cast including Woody Harrelson, Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, and Morgan Freeman—makes you feel like you, too, can be the smartest person in the room. — Jordan Calhoun
Where to watch: Max , digital rental
Tampopo (1985)
Nobuko Miyamoto plays Tampopo, a single mother struggling to keep her ramen shop Lai Lai afloat. With some help from a couple of surprisingly knowledgeable truck drivers, she decides to turn the store into a high-end ramen joint. It’s not an easy path, but it’s a lot of fun watching Tampopo and her quirky group of helpers turn things around by focusing less on selling food and more on the love of preparing and serving it. (The best scene features a wise ramen master teaching a young man how to truly appreciate a good bowl of noodles.) — Ross Johnson
Where to stream: Max
Away (2020)
One of Netflix’s countless standout series, Away , was a runaway hit… for about 48 hours. It stars Hilary Swank as the leader of a mission to Mars, and while it wasn’t as memorable as you might expect based on the cast or the production, there’s a reason most of us forgot about it and it wasn’t renewed for a second. The season is full of competence porn that gives hope that humanity can conquer anything. It is a typical space survival drama with the added role of the United Nations in the subgenre, featuring disabled characters and a variety of personalities, including astronauts from China, Russia, India, and a black Jewish man from Britain and Ghana. If you like to think that the power of science and teamwork can solve our biggest problems, Away will keep you a believer even if your binge wears off halfway through. — Jordan Calhoun
Where to watch: Netflix
Drive (2011)
There’s (a little more) more than just driving in this hugely fun Nicolas Winding Refn drama, but it’s called Drive for a reason. Ryan Gosling plays an unnamed Hollywood stuntman who works as a getaway for various criminal enterprises. He soon puts his considerable skills to use by helping his neighbor Irene and her son. — Ross Johnson
Where to watch: digital rental.
The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
Whether you play chess or not is completely irrelevant to your enjoyment of The Queen’s Gambit . Although, if you have even the most basic understanding of the game (the category of spectators to which I belong), it makes the talents of this young chess prodigy, as well as the mentors and competitors around her, even more exciting and impressive. But anyway, the story is exciting. —Megan Walbert
Where to watch: Netflix
John Wick (2014)
Is there a more impactful moment in an action movie than the moment when we realize that the low-level criminals who angered quiet, unassuming John have actually messed with the wrong person? They were messing around with his dog (sadly) but little did they know that they were incurring the wrath of (arguably) the most effective hitman in American cinema, which lasted several films. No domestic animal was ever more thoroughly avenged. — Ross Johnson
Where to watch: Netflix, digital rental.
Sunshine (2007)
I’ve already talked about another movie that follows a team of hyper-competent astronauts on a desperate, life-or-death mission, so I won’t repeat myself too much. But Danny Boyle’s Sunshine is also worth watching because the stakes in this film are a hell of a lot higher than the fate of one man. Like, “revive the dying sun” above. And these people manage to pull it off (ahem, spoiler alert) despite setting off on their journey fully aware that there’s a good chance they won’t return – and that’s before the killer even shows up. (Another reason it should be on this list is because it’s criminally underrated , brilliantly shot, and the ending made me cry.) — Joel Cunningham
Where to watch: digital rental.
Sisu (2022)
Imagine a grizzled John Wick, but in Finland near the end of World War II. Prospector Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) is simply trying to transport his gold find to the city when he is pursued by Nazis storming the countryside. Big mistake: Earlier in the war, Korpi had developed a reputation as a “uniform death squad” nicknamed “The Immortal”. After escalating and increasingly excessive violence, the Waffen-SS platoon will discover that bringing the former Finnish Army commando out of retirement was an unwise move. — Ross Johnson
Where to watch: digital rental.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Competence in porn is at its best when competent people are pitted against an equally competent opponent, which is what happens in Avengers: Infinity War . Thanos is not only strong enough to take down the sweater-and-glasses-wearing Hulk , but his quiet confidence is a match for even the smartest denizens of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s a testament to the fact that competence can work for the bad guys as well as the good ones, and when he’s at his best, it’s almost hard not to cheer him on. As he sits and watches the sun rise in a grateful universe, you have to admit that he deserved it. — Jordan Calhoun
Where to watch: Disney+ , digital rental.
Sting (1973)
The Sting wasn’t the first heist movie, but it was certainly one of the most entertaining. The film, which won the 1973 Academy Award for Best Picture, is about two crooks (played by Paul Newman and Robert Redford, impossibly young) who attempt to rob a ruthless mob boss ( Jaws’ Robert Shaw). The title refers to the moment in the caper when thieves make off with the stamp money; if they stung him properly, they would be gone long before he realized he was caught. Newman and Redford’s scam is so complex (it’s more like a series of nested operations) that it requires an entire team of hyper-competent con artists to pull it off, and Shaw has no sense of it. — Joel Cunningham
Where to watch: digital rental.
All the President’s Men (1976)
This classic dramatization of the events surrounding the public revelation of Watergate somehow makes for a compelling, naturalistic portrait of the journalists doing their jobs. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman are excellent as Woodward and Bernstein, a pair of reporters who at first appear to be very minor political stories that develop into a story that brings down the President. Back in the days when such things were possible. — Ross Johnson
Where to watch: digital rental.
Pride (2014)
Another film based on a true story, Pride follows a group of British gay activists who raised funds for striking miners during the 1984 strike. During the Thatcher-era strike, gay activist Mark Ashton (Ben Schnetzer) noticed that the police were no longer targeting homosexuals because they were too busy harassing strikers. During the local Pride, he begins a fundraising campaign, finding common ground with the miners. The campaign featured in the film raises money and bonds to improve the rights of workers and LGBTQ+ people in the UK – Ross Johnson
Where to watch: Peacock , digital rental
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Sidney Poitier was criticized, often by black audiences, for portraying ideal characters—the assumption was that Americans could only accept people of color if they could be presented as flawless. He’s a damn good cop here, but I guess it works because he has no other way to survive in 1960s Sparta, Mississippi. After a horror movie-like intro in which he finds himself trapped in the city after dark, he ends up being asked to help the police solve a murder: the locals don’t want to treat him like a person, but he’s so good they have no other choice no choice but to ask him for help. His exceptional competence here is both a blessing and a curse. It’s one part gripping police procedural, and another part a portrait of American racism. — Ross Johnson
Where to watch: Tubi, digital rental.