Dumb Money review: A David & Goliath tale for the internet era

❘ Updated: 2023-09-09T08:40:04

Sony Pictures

Dumb Money is dumb funny, but it also offers up more than you’d expect from your usual comedy. With this modern-day David and Goliath tale, director Craig Gillespie lifts the veil on one of the most post-pandemic, post-internet era stories imaginable, while giving a bombastic side eye to the Wall Street whales.

The film’s title refers to money invested by individual, non-professional investors, while “smart money” means the cash funnelled by institutional financiers and the central banks. It’s condescending terminology, used by the Wall Street bigwigs to demean and belittle the average joe.

But everything changed in 2021 with the emergence of the Reddit vs Wall Street GameStop saga. People were tired of the rich getting richer, and now they had a powerful tool at their fingertips: the internet. A grassroots movement emerged, as residents across the globe banded together to bring down the Goliath of the financial world and reclaim the term “dumb money” to be worn as a badge of honor.

This is the basis for the new biographical dramedy Dumb Money, which examines the unlikely story and the man at the center of it all: Keith Gill. Director Craig Gillespie takes the real-life tale of the GameStop frenzy and transforms it into a hilarious and compelling David vs Goliath tale. This is our spoiler-free review.

Reddit vs Wall Street

The story starts by catapulting us to 2021, introducing us to the villains of this tale. Gabe Plotkin, founder of the hedge fund Melvin Capital, is panicking as he realizes a Reddit-driven uprising could sink his company and his wealth. Cardi B’s WAP feat. Megan Thee Stallion starts playing out, with McLaran’s looped sample sounding suspiciously like, “There’s some bulls in this house.”

It’s a great way to set the tone of the film, as headlines are read out and a newsreader warns: “You could lose money to infinity.” This is the situation facing Plotkin and his superiors, whose eye-watering individual net worths are plastered across the screen as they appear, ranging from $400 million to $16 billion.

Seth Rogen and Nick Offerman in Dumb Money

In the months leading up to this moment, GameStop – the seemingly outdated mall video game store – had become the unexpected epicenter of a financial revolution. Dumb Money captures the essence of the saga, a culmination of pandemic-induced trends, rising wealth inequality, and access to disruptive technologies.

With a playful yet inspirational tone, the movie delves into the lives of the “everyday people,” and how they managed to outwit and outmaneuver the “hedge fund a-holes” by hodling with their diamond hands. Anchoring the narrative is Keith Gill, better known by his online aliases RoaringKitty and DeepF*ckingValue.

Scribes Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo expertly weave their stories together and the pacing feels just right, giving us characters to root for while building momentum to a captivating finale.

Paul Dano leads a packed cast

The ever-brilliant Paul Dano leads the ensemble cast, stealing the show with his convincing performance as Gill, the charismatic and somewhat eccentric smalltime financial analyst and investor known for his posts on the subreddit r/wallstreetbets.

The same can be said for Gill’s wife Caroline, who is portrayed by Shailene Woodley. There’s an undeniable realness to her performance, complementing Dano as the couple that beat the odds.

Providing levity to Dumb Money are the various comedy bulwarks of the cast, including Gill’s down-and-out brother Kevin, played by Pete Davidson, whose comedic timing is very welcome and works well against Dano’s Gill.

Pete Davidson as Keith Gill in Dumb Money

Though he’s turned his focus to more voice-acting roles of late, Seth Rogen shows off his acting chops as Melvin Capital’s Plotkin. He’s sharp, cutting, and oozes nervous tension as he realizes his entire world is being burned to the ground.

Marvel’s Sebastian Stan also makes an appearance, proving to be the ideal choice for the unexpected d-bag in the GameStop saga: Vlad Tenev, the co-founder of Robinhood.

Then you’ve got the penny-stock revolutionaries: Jenny, a struggling single mom and nurse, played by America Ferrera; Anthony Ramos as Marcus, a GameStop employee who wants to show the hedge funders that the company is worth saving; and Talia Ryder and Myha’la Herrold as Harmony and Riri, two students who want vengeance on Wall Street.

Dumb Money presents us with a packed cast, and it’s nice to see them all given enough air time for their arcs to develop. The characters’ motivations and backgrounds are explored in parallel with the unfolding events, allowing the audience to connect with their individual journeys.

Going beyond the memes

Dumb Money culminates in a satisfying showdown, where the David and Goliath battle takes center stage, and thankfully it doesn’t disappoint. In the buildup to this fist-bumping moment, the film encapsulates the chaos that ensued online – both the good and the questionable.

Meme of Paul Dano's Keith Gill in Dumb Money

But beyond the memes and the countless buzzwords, Dumb Money raises thought-provoking questions about financial inequality, the democratization of investing, and the impact of technology on the modern world, particularly pressing issues as much of the US faces economic hardship.

The only downside is whether or not Dumb Money can be as enjoyable for viewers who weren’t involved in the chaos. Though I loathe to admit it, I too was one of the small-time traders, dreaming big in a time of crisis. What struck me most was the sense of community that arose from the tumult – as is underscored in the movie, it was the “French Revolution” of the financial world.

The various phrases – diamond hands, hodl, to the moon – were all part of the excitement, and I couldn’t help but feel a buzz whenever they were uttered in the film. Will those who weren’t involved feel the same?

Though some might connect to the story more than others, ultimately, there’s something for everyone to enjoy – and relate to – in Dumb Money thanks to its captivating good vs evil narrative, bolstered by a brilliant ensemble cast and Gillespie’s cutting sense of humor.

Dumb Money review score: 4/5

Dumb Money is a fun comedy caper for the internet era. But it’s also more than that, offering a thought-provoking exploration of a modern-day financial revolution and celebrating the resilience and resourcefulness of everyday people, while posing the idea: maybe “dumb money” ain’t so dumb after all.

Dumb Money is set for a limited US release date of September 22, followed by a moderate release on September 29 and a final wide rollout on October 6. While you wait, you can check out more of our upcoming TV & movie hubs below: