Three female employees of a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot find a way to turn the tables on him.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.4/10
IMDb: 6.9/10
Letterboxd: 3.86/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
Metacritic: 58
TMDB: 6.9/10
Director
Colin Higgins
Production
IPC Films, 20th Century Fox
Cast
Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Dabney Coleman, Sterling Hayden, Elizabeth Wilson, Henry Jones, Lawrence Pressman, Marian Mercer, Ren Woods, Norma Donaldson, Roxanna Bonilla-Giannini, Peggy Pope, Richard Stahl, Raymond Vitte, Edward Marshall, Alan Haufrect, Earl Boen, Jeffrey Douglas Thomas, Tom Tarpey
Where to watch
fuboTV
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, crowd-pleasing workplace comedy with a genuinely feminist bite. Its revenge-fantasy energy, star power, and quotable escalation make it both historically significant and still easy to enjoy.
Best for
fans of workplace comedies with a satirical edge
viewers looking for an early mainstream feminist comedy
people who like ensemble chemistry and broad, energetic humor
audiences in the mood for a satisfying underdog-versus-boss story
Skip if
you want subtle or understated comedy
you dislike broad 1980s sitcom-style humor
you need a tightly realistic workplace drama
you are looking for a dark or cynical ending
Overview
Nine to Five works because it understands how exhausting everyday sexism can be, then turns that frustration into a fast, funny power fantasy. The setup is simple, but the movie keeps finding new ways to sharpen its jokes, especially once the three leads start imagining what they’d do to their boss if they could get away with it.
Worth noting
Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton make the film feel bigger than its premise. Their rhythms are different enough to create constant comic friction, but they also sell the friendship and mutual recognition that gives the movie its emotional lift. Parton, in particular, brings an effortless charisma that helps the whole thing feel buoyant rather than preachy.
Bottom line
It’s very much of its era, with broad comic beats and some dated workplace attitudes, but the core appeal is durable: watching women outsmart a smug, abusive man never really gets old. As a mainstream studio comedy, it’s unusually clear-eyed about labor, power, and resentment, while still being light on its feet.
Top Letterboxd reviews
nora (4★) · 3717 likes
feminism is getting stoned with your gal pals and fantasizing about how you'd murder your misogynistic boss
jarod (4★) · 3071 likes
dream blunt rotation
Karsten (4.5★) · 2025 likes
This one goes out to my professor from last year who didn't go one class without letting us know that 'Nine to Five' was a perfect movie. You were right, Matt.
mia lee vicino (5★) · 1725 likes
so much of my time and energy is spent feeling hopelessly pissed off, especially in this political climate, and sometimes i need to CHILL! i need to laugh with my gal pals as Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton smoke a joint onscreen while indulging in their whimsical fantasies about enacting vengeance on their “sexist egotistical lying hypocritical bigot” of a boss! the ability to extract the humor out of the absurd shit that plagues society is a vital survival… more so much of my time and energy is spent feeling hopelessly pissed off, especially in this political climate, and sometimes i need to CHILL! i need to laugh with my gal pals as Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton smoke a joint onscreen while indulging in their whimsical fantasies about enacting vengeance on their “sexist egotistical lying hypocritical bigot” of a boss! the ability to extract the humor out of the absurd shit that plagues society is a vital survival… more
Marian (5★) · 1646 likes
the direct anti capitalist action we need, the lesbian lily tomlin we deserve