Dumb Money is the true story of ordinary people collectively making big gains in the stock market. During the 2020 global pandemic, financial analyst Keith Gill (Paul Dano) noticed something. After carefully examining the activity surrounding Game Stop’s (a video game retailer) stock, Gill determined that major Wall Street players were shorting it for gains. This meant purposely lowering its value, changing public perception, and distorting the reality of Game Stop’s financial health. By leveraging his online community—via his YouTube persona “RoaringKitty”—Gill attempts to subvert the system. He bonds together several casual viewers/investors who go along with him on a crazy ride as they battle the wealth management hedge funds for their piece of the pie.
What works in Dumb Money is the playful manner in which director Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya; Cruella) adapts real world events into an engaging narrative. There’s a lovely mix of humorous and human. Dano’s somewhat reclusive Gill is a sympathetic lead, and Gillespie surrounds him with fantastic characters. These people represent the swath of interested parties. For example, Seth Rogan (Jobs, Superbad) and Nick Offerman (The Last of Us, Parks & Recreation) are a pair of smarmy villains attempting to maintain historical high earnings. On the opposite end of the spectrum, America Ferrera (Barbie), Myha’la Herrold (Leave the World Behind), and Anthony Ramos (In the Heights) represent the “every person.” Their relatable performances highlight the crazy impact the Game Stop situation unexpectedly had on their lives. The ensemble nature of Dumb Money keeps it both grounded and engaging across its breezy runtime.
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People who feel nonplussed or disinterested by the stock market will likely not connect with Dumb Money. Even with all the careful explanation, Dumb Money may still feel a bit overwhelming. The concepts and ideas inherent to the story are incredibly complex. So, despite all efforts, the script penned by Lauren Schuker and Blum Rebecca Angelo may occasionally lose some people when it delves into industry nomenclature. There may also be some emotional reactions to the proceedings. Some people felt that one or both of the sides in the financial feud acted improperly, much to the detriment of the other. Gillespie definitely paints Dumb Money as a David vs. Goliath story, and with that lens there is inevitably some liberty with fact and fiction for dramatization purposes.
Dumb Money is a very strong attempt at distilling a recent, complicated real-world event into entertainment. Fortunately, the wide array of characters involved in a myriad of ways allows audiences to connect with the story easily. This film is highly recommended for anyone who was intrigued by this tale.
Recommended if you Enjoyed: The Big Short, Boiler Room
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