A Review

I caught a limited screening of "Dumb Money," the Craig Gillespie directed hyperlink film about the GameStop short squeeze, the 2021 stock buying phenomenon that resulted in uber wealthy hedge funds losing billions, triggered congressional hearings, and acted as a brief yet resounding battle cry in the post-Occupy Wall Street era. It's set to expand to more theaters tomorrow and I found it decent enough.

The multi-linear narrative is told with great energy, but I felt it lacked a really standout way to convey its message and story. I wasn't disinterested in what it had to tell. Just not especially surprised. When it comes to modern movies about class warfare, Dumb Money doesn't have squat on films like "Knives Out" and "Parasite."

Although it's not the the funniest or most outstanding movie of the year, it is a pretty good one thanks largely to its cast. Paul Dano is terrific as Keith Gill, the streamer and Redditor who was essentially the ringleader of the entire movement, as are the rest of the actors as the eclectic group of average people devoted to his online investment revolution. While not as fleshed out as they could be, their individual stories are compelling enough to drive home what the movie has to say about disparity in 21st century America. You can see the frustrations of the pandemic and inequality glowing behind the eyes of each and every one of them.