Its energy and tension makes it just about understandable and enjoyable
Dumb Money chronicles the true story of a group of lowly stock enthusiasts investing in the undervalued GameStop, attracting the attention of a few hedge fund managers who had anticipated the GameStop shares to plummet.
Featuring a packed cast of modern-day A-listers, a varied soundtrack and being about such a recent news story, Dumb Money feels fresh and has a rebellious spirit about it, like a mix between The Social Network and The Wolf of Wall Street. Taking place during the pandemic, the film captures the oppression that people were feeling at the time and shows these real people taking back control in their own way from the oh-so-powerful hedge funds.
Some of the cast has more to do than others, such as Seth Rogen, Pete Davidson and America Ferrera, while some are limited to glorified cameos, such as Vincent D’Onofrio, Nick Offerman and Sebastian Stan. But Paul Dano carries this thing as Keith Gill, an unassuming, slightly awkward everyman who leads the charge on this GameStop revolt.
Dumb Money has all the features necessary for an engaging film. That being said, this is a film that will appeal more to those well-versed in stocks than it will the layman. The film does what it can to simplify the market for the average viewer, to the point that you can understand who the goodies and the baddies are, who’s winning and who’s losing. But after numerous scenes of stock-traders yelling big numbers with little time for context, the film starts to feel a little longer than its relatively short runtime.
While its subject matter may entice stock enthusiasts more than anyone else, Dumb Money’s energy and tension make this a movie that the average person can understand enough and enjoy.
Rating: 7/10