We know it. We love it. But you probably didn’t know there was a term for it: “competence porn.”
Coined by American screenwriter John Rogers of Michael Bay’s Transformers and Leverage fame, “competence porn” (otherwise known as “competency porn”) refers to any form of film/television media in which the audience derives a deep sense of pleasure from a character’s proficiency.
The term doesn’t just refer to your obvious acts of testosterone-fuelled badassery, either, i.e. the clinical way in which John Wick (Keanu Reeves) executes henchman after henchman; Top Gun fighter pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) pulling 12Gs in aheatn F/A-18 Hornet; literally anything Denzel Washington did in the Equalizer trilogy. It’s more cerebral than that. It’s about cunning and the showcasing of genuine expertise.
We’re talking about the political maneuvering of Kerri Russell’s Kate Wyler in The Diplomat (or as spicy as it may be to say right now: Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood in House of Cards); the spycraft showcased in so many John le Carré adaptations such as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Night Manager; the entrepreneurial instinct of Jessica Chastain’s Molly Bloom in Molly’s Game; as well as the ensemble excellence of the Ocean’s Trilogy.
Check out some of the greatest feature-length examples of “competence porn” below (according to Reddit).
Actors:
Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan
Directed by:
Ron Howard
Based on the events of the Apollo 13 lunar mission, astronauts Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) find everything going according to plan after leaving Earth’s orbit. However, when an oxygen tank explodes, the scheduled moon landing is called off. Subsequent tensions within the crew and numerous technical problems threaten both the astronauts’ survival and their safe return to Earth.
Contact (1997)
68%
7.5/10
M
2 hours 20 minutes
Genre:
Sci-Fi/Thriller
Stars:
Actors:
Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey, James Woods, John Hurt, Tom Skerritt, Angela Bassett
Directed by:
Robert Zemeckis
Dr Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) races to interpret a possible message originating from the Vega star system. Once first contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence is proven, Arroway contends with restrictive National Security Advisor Kitz (James Woods) and religious fanatics bent on containing the implications of such an event. An incredible message is found hidden in the signal, but will Arroway be the one to answer its call?
The Martian (2015)
91%
8/10
M
2 hours 31 minutes
Genre:
Sci-Fi/Adventure
Stars:
Actors:
Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Benedict Wong
Directed by:
Ridley Scott
When astronauts blast off from the planet Mars, they leave behind Mark Watney (Matt Damon), presumed dead after a fierce storm. With only a meagre amount of supplies, the stranded visitor must utilise his wits and spirit to find a way to survive on the hostile planet. Meanwhile, back on Earth, members of NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring him home, while his crew mates hatch their own plan for a daring rescue mission.
Arrival (2016)
82%
7.9/10
M
1 hour 56 minutes
Genre:
Sci-Fi/Mystery
Stars:
Actors:
Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Tzi Ma
Directed by:
Denis Villeneuve
Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind.
Sicario (2015)
92%
7.7/10
MA15+
2 hours 1 minute
Genre:
Crime Action/Thriller
Stars:
Actors:
Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Daniel Kaluuya
Directed by:
Denis Villeneuve
After rising through the ranks of her male-dominated profession, idealistic FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) receives a top assignment. Recruited by mysterious government official Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), Kate joins a task force for the escalating war against drugs. Led by the intense and shadowy Alejandro (Benicio del Toro), the team travels back-and-forth across the US-Mexican border, using one cartel boss (Bernardo Saracino) to flush out a bigger one (Julio Cesar Cedillo).
Wind River (2017)
90%
7.7/10
MA15+
1 hour 47 minutes
Genre:
Crime/Thriller
Stars:
Actors:
Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Graham Greene, Kelsey Absille, Jon Bernthal, Gil Birmingham
Directed by:
Taylor Sheridan
Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) is a wildlife officer who finds the body of an 18-year-old woman on an American Indian reservation in snowy Wyoming. When the autopsy reveals that she was raped, FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) arrives to investigate. Teaming up with Lambert as a guide, the duo soon find that their lives are in danger while trying to solve the mystery of the teen’s death.
Spotlight (2015)
97%
8.1/10
M
2 hours 8 minutes
Genre:
Crime/Thriller
Stars:
Actors:
Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci
Directed by:
Tom McCarthy
In 2001, editor Marty Baron (Liev Schreiber) of The Boston Globe assigns a team of journalists to investigate allegations against John Geoghan, an unfrocked priest accused of molesting more than 80 boys. Led by editor Walter “Robby” Robinson (Michael Keaton), reporters Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James), and Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams) interview victims and try to unseal sensitive documents. The reporters make it their mission to provide proof of a cover-up of sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church.
Margin Call (2011)
74%
7.1/10
MA15+
1 hour 49 minutes
Genre:
Drama
Stars:
Actors:
Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Demi Moore Stanley Tucci
Directed by:
J.C. Chandor
When an analyst (Zachary Quinto) uncovers information that could ruin them all, the key players (Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons) at an investment firm take extreme measures to control the damage.
Moneyball (2011)
86%
7.6/10
M
2 hours 13 minutes
Genre:
Drama/Sports
Stars:
Actors:
Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Directed by:
Bennett Miller
Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), general manager of the Oakland A’s, one day has an epiphany: Baseball’s conventional wisdom is all wrong. Faced with a tight budget, Beane must reinvent his team by outsmarting the richer ball clubs. Joining forces with Ivy League graduate Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), Beane prepares to challenge old-school traditions. He recruits bargain-bin players whom the scouts have labelled as flawed, but have game-winning potential. Based on the book by Michael Lewis.
Heat (1995)
89%
8.3/10
MA15+
2 hours 50 minutes
Genre:
Crime Drama
Stars:
Actors:
Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Williamson, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, Dennis Kaysbert, William Fichtner, Natalie Portman, Tom Noonan, Kevin Gage, Hank Azaria, Danny Trejo
Directed by:
Michael Mann
Master criminal Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is trying to control the rogue actions of one of his men, while also planning one last big heist before retiring. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Hanna (Al Pacino) attempts to track down McCauley as he deals with the chaos in his own life, including the infidelity of his wife (Diane Venora) and the mental health of his stepdaughter (Natalie Portman). McCauley and Hanna discover a mutual respect, even as they try to thwart each other’s plans.
Collateral (2004)
84%
7.5/10
MA15+
2 hours
Genre:
Action/Thriller
Stars:
Actors:
Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Bruce McGill
Directed by:
Michael Mann
After a long day, LA taxi driver Max (Jamie Foxx) is about to knock off when sharp-suited Vincent (Tom Cruise) offers him $600 to make five stops. Max’s good fortune gives way to the realisation that Vincent is in fact a merciless hitman, with each stop involving a hit. As the night goes on, Max starts to wonder if he’ll live to see morning, as the pair are hunted by the police and the FBI.
Inside Man (2006)
85%
7.6/10
MA15+
2 hours 9 minutes
Genre:
Crime/Thriller
Stars:
Actors:
Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Directed by:
Ridley Scott
A tough detective (Denzel Washington) matches wits with a cunning bank robber (Clive Owen), as a tense hostage crisis is unfolding. Into the volatile situation comes a woman named Madaline (Jodie Foster), a mysterious power broker who has a hidden agenda and threatens to push hostilities to their breaking point.
The Hunt For Red October (1990)
88%
7.5/10
PG
2 hours 15 minutes
Genre:
Action/Thriller
Stars:
Actors:
Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, Sam Neill
Directed by:
John McTiernan
Based on the popular Tom Clancy novel, this suspenseful movie tracks Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) as he abandons his orders and heads for the east coast of the United States. Equipped with experimental stealth technology, Ramius’ submarine, “Red October,” is virtually invisible. However, when an American sub briefly detects the Russians’ presence, CIA agent Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) sets out to determine Ramius’ motives, fearing he may launch an attack on the US.
Michael Clayton (2007)
69%
7.2/10
MA15+
1 hour 59 minutes
Genre:
Legal Thriller
Stars:
Actors:
George Clooney, Tom Wilkinson, Tilda Swinton, Sydney Pollack
Directed by:
Tony Gilroy
Problem fixer Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is brought in to clean up the mess after one of his law firm’s top litigators suffers a breakdown while representing a corrupt chemical corporation in a multi-billion dollar legal suit. Under pressure to appease the firm’s clients, Clayton finds himself torn between his desire to do the right thing and a pressing need to pay off spiralling personal debts.
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
87%
7.6/10
M
2 hours
Genre:
Legal/Comedy
Stars:
Actors:
Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei, Mitchell Whitfield, Fred Gwynne
Directed by:
Jonathan Lynn
New York lawyer Vinny (Joe Pesci) has never won a case. When his teenage cousin Bill (Ralph Macchio) and his friend Stan (Mitchell Whitfield) are accused of murder in a backwater Alabama town, it’s up to the nervous Vinny to save him from jail, even though he’s only ever tried personal injury cases before, and none of them successfully.
Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)
85%
7.5/10
M
2 hours 18 minutes
Genre:
Action/Adventure
Stars:
Actors:
Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany
Directed by:
Peter Weir
In 1805, aboard the HMS Surprise, the brash Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and his trusted friend, the ship’s scholarly surgeon, Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), are ordered to hunt down and capture a powerful French vessel off the South American coast. Though “Lucky Jack” Aubrey and his crew face an onslaught of obstacles, including their own internal battles, the intrepid naval officer is determined that nothing will stop the Surprise from completing its mission.
Sneakers (1992)
80%
7.1/10
M
2 hours 6 minutes
Genre:
Crime/Thriller
Stars:
Actors:
Robert Redford, Dan Aykroyd, Ben Kingsley, Mary McDonnell, River Phoenix, Sidney Poitier, David Strathairn
Directed by:
Phil Alden Robinson
Computer hacker Martin (Robert Redford) heads a group of specialists who test the security of various San Francisco companies. Martin is approached by two National Security Agency officers who ask him to steal a newly invented decoder. Martin and his team discover that the black box can crack any encryption code, posing a huge threat if it lands in the wrong hands. When Martin realizes the NSA men who approached him are rogue agents, they frame him with the murder of the device’s inventor.
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
98%
8.1/10
M
2 hours 32 minutes
Genre:
Sport/Action
Stars:
Actors:
Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Caitríona Balfe, Tracy Letts, Josh Lucas
Directed by:
James Mangold
American automotive designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and fearless British race car driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary vehicle for the Ford Motor Co. Together, they plan to compete against the race cars of Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone) at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.
Sully (2016)
85%
7.4/10
M
1 hour 36 minutes
Genre:
Drama/Biographical
Stars:
Actors:
Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney
Directed by:
Clint Eastwood
On Jan. 15, 2009, Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) tries to make an emergency landing in New York’s Hudson River after US Airways Flight 1549 strikes a flock of geese. Miraculously, all of the 155 passengers and crew survive the harrowing ordeal, and Sullenberger becomes a national hero in the eyes of the public and the media. Despite the accolades, the famed pilot now faces an investigation that threatens to destroy his career and reputation.
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
91%
7.4/10
M
2 hours 37 minutes
Genre:
War/Thriller
Stars:
Actors:
Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton
Directed by:
Kathryn Bigelow
Following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden becomes one of the most-wanted men on the planet. The worldwide manhunt for the terrorist leader occupies the resources and attention of two US presidential administrations. Ultimately, it is the work of a dedicated female operative (Jessica Chastain) that proves instrumental in finally locating bin Laden. In May 2011, Navy SEALs launch a night-time strike, killing bin Laden in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
After stretching his legs with companies such as The Motley Fool and the odd marketing agency, Garry joined Boss Hunting in 2019 as a fully-fledged Content Specialist. In 2021, he was promoted to News Editor.
Garry proudly retains a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, black bruises from Muay Thai, as well as a black belt in all things pop culture. Drop him a line at [email protected]
