Currently playing in UK and US cinemas, and based on Ben Mezrich’s book, The Antisocial Network, is the biographical comedy-drama, Dumb Money. The movie – directed by Craig Gillespie – stars Paul Dano, Shailene Woodley, Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Ramos, and Seth Rogan, and details the sudden rise in stock value of the retail company GameStop.
Set between 2020 and 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dumb Money follows the story of Keith Gill – an ordinary man who invests his life savings in shares of GameStop. Keith believes the retailer is being overlooked by the Wall Street elite, and feels this could be a good way to make some money.
Using his streaming account, which has a modest number of subscribers, he creates some online investment videos explaining the importance of the shares. This – along with some concentrated activity on Reddit – convinces many small-time investors to follow suit, which in turn pushes up the value of GameStop and soon makes Keith a wealthy man.
Boasting an impressive cast, and a fairly slick script, Dumb Money is a decent if not amazing or essential movie, which takes its audience on a journey through investments, hedge funds, and stock portfolios. The reason I say it’s not amazing or essential, is because while Dumb Money is fine enough and some may enjoy what’s on offer, I believe it to be somewhat of an acquired taste.
If you’re interested in the subject of stocks and shares, then you’ll find Dumb Money appealing. It tells its story well enough, and the cast are all on fine form in their respective parts.
However, if the thought of Wall Street, the economy, and discussions about the ‘GameStop short squeeze’ of 2021 aren’t your thing, I’m not sure Dumb Money will change your mind. This film isn’t specifically dry or stuffy in its subject matter, and it gets all of its information across in an accessible way, but it’s not particularly dynamic.
To put things simply: Dumb Money tells an interesting story, but I’m not convinced it’s interesting enough. And I’m certainly not convinced this is interesting enough to entice audiences into cinemas, when this could (and should) be a streaming title.
On the plus side, the casting department is where Dumb Money is at its best, with Paul Dano providing a good turn as Keith, and America Ferrera on great form as one of Keith’s subscribers. Vincent D’Onofrio, Nick Offerman, Seth Rogan, and Sebastian Stan are also as reliable as ever, so it’s fair to say this film is in safe hands when it comes to the performances.
The use of archival news clips and soundbites is also effective in the film, to help contextualise this real-life story. While Dumb Money is a dramatization of events, the use of footage from 2020 and 2021 helps to explore and explain the ramifications it had on all involved, and is a useful storytelling technique.
But outside of the above, I’ve not got much to add. Dumb Money is what it is, and for me, it’s just not exceptional.
If you’re looking for a film to sink your teeth into, and the topics discussed in Dumb Money are your area of interest or expertise, then you should find this one meets you well. It delivers a concise story, and it is backed up by top talent.
However, I’d suggest you only approach Dumb Money if you are truly ready to invest your time in this story. I simply can’t see it being for everyone and so for me, it only manages to be a mid-range film, even though it has the potential for more.
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