Film

The Internship

Name: The Internship
Genre: Comedy
Released: 2013
Cast: Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Rose Byrne, Aasif Mandvi, Max Minghella

Buddy comedy
Light-hearted

A comedy about two middle-aged guys (Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson) crashing Google as interns and learning to code, make friends, and matter again. It's a sunny film about reinvention and belonging—less cynical than it might be. Warmhearted but uneven, best watched when you want something that doesn't demand much but means something.

TMDb rating

3.1

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy Vaughn and Wilson riffing on each other as middle-aged men charmingly out of step with a world of tech jargon and open-plan offices.

Skip it if the comedy is broad, sentimental and leans on corporate-satire clichés, so if you dislike feel-good crowd-pleasers you may find it wearing.

What it asks of you: Nearly two hours of easygoing, steady jokes that need little concentration, with a shape that runs predictably and stays mostly light.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Wedding Crashers2005

Vaughn and Wilson together doing what they do best: charming their way through social situations with improvised comedy and genuine warmth beneath the chaos. The chemistry here is the real thing.

But It's broad and messy, and the plot does little to justify the runtime. If you want tight storytelling, this isn't it.

Old School2003

A spiritual cousin in tone and era—underdog misfits finding their place through sheer will and goofiness. Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, the same kind of heart-in-the-silly-scenario energy that makes The Internship work when it works.

But Peak early-2000s comedy, which means it hasn't aged gracefully. The humour is broad and occasionally cringey by today's standards.

Workaholics2011

Three guys bumbling through office life with deadpan absurdity and genuine friendship at the core. It's got the same DNA—workplace comedy where camaraderie matters more than the actual job.

But The humour is darker and more niche. If you're watching for sunny Vince Vaughn energy, this skews weirder and meaner.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Internship

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Halt and Catch Fire2014

Both chart a group of underdogs entering an intimidating tech world and discovering they belong there—but HACF follows the consequences of that belonging across years and souls.

A show about four people learning to build something in an era they don't fully understand (1980s computing). The Internship's core structure—outsiders acquiring power through novelty and hunger—but serious, complex, and genuinely moving. It asks what happens after the setup succeeds.

But It's deliberately paced and often quiet. No Vince Vaughn charism or quick laughs; this is about ambition and regret and the cost of creation.

The Pursuit of Happyness2006

A straight-faced answer to the same question: how do you bounce back when your life falls apart? Will Smith's sincerity here does what Vaughn's comedy attempts—it finds dignity in starting over from nothing.

But It's a genuine tearjerker about hardship and poverty. Tonally the opposite of The Internship—if you want levity, this goes heavy.

Horrible Bosses2011

Three guys (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis) in their 30s figuring out how to survive workplace absurdity. Sharper writing and darker edge than The Internship, but the same affection for likable underdogs.

But The comedy lands harder because it's more cynical. There's no Google mentorship subplot to lighten it—just desperation and rage.

The Break-Up2006

Vince Vaughn doing something closer to dramatic—a relationship comedy about adults learning to live apart. The vulnerability here is real, even if the film around it is lighter than it aims.

But It's trying to be more grown-up and witty than it actually is. The romance is thin, and if you want pure comedy, it's not funny enough.

Morning Glory2010

Rachel McAdams as an optimistic newbie trying to rescue a failing TV show. Same workplace-underdog energy, same belief that enthusiasm and smarts can fix things. It's a feel-good film that actually feels good.

But Utterly conventional and forgettable. It means well but has almost nothing to say, and it knows it.

The Wolf of Wall Street2013

Leonardo DiCaprio as a guy teaching younger men how to thrive in a broken system. It's what happens when mentorship goes corrupt and supply-side philosophy replaces idealism. Darkly brilliant.

But It's a four-hour descent into moral emptiness, cocaine, and excess. The opposite of sunshine and Vince Vaughn's optimism—punishing rather than comforting.

Severance2022

Both explore what we owe our workplace and what our workplace owes us—but Severance treats that exchange as horror rather than comedy.

A visionary thriller about corporate life, where employees get surgically separated into work and personal selves. It's what The Internship's corporate utopia looks like when you take it seriously: unsettling, gorgeous, philosophically arresting.

But It's slow, dystopian, and disturbing. Zero levity. If you're expecting anything like Vaughn's warmth or humor, you'll be disappointed immediately.

Glengarry Glen Ross1992

The inverse: where The Internship believes in transformation through corporate faith, GGGR proves that the system is designed to extract and discard. Same world, opposite soul.

Alec Baldwin, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin in a play-adaptation about sales culture, male bonding, and the mythology of self-improvement. It's the brutal truth of the mentorship game—winning at work doesn't make you good, and the company doesn't care about you.

But It's relentlessly cynical and all men being terrible to each other. There's no warmth, no growth, no real friendship. If you want to feel good, avoid this entirely.