I had been meaning to check out Dumb Money for a while and my local theatre was down to like one showing a day so I went the other night. I remember following this story when it broke during Covid. Being a gamer, but having no interest in stocks, I found the whole thing fascinating as it unfolded.
How to Download Dumb Money
Dumb Money was released on September 15, 2023. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
because it most certainly is, I am talking about the time frame of it. It feels like this is a big news story that just happened, we recently had a Netflix documentary about it and now we have a movie! I was a bit worried this might have been rushed to capitalize on the story while it was fresh in people’s minds.
The Plot Unveiled
The plot of the movie is exactly what is stated in the trailers. It is a David vs Goliath story of a regular finance guy called Keith Gill who starts a movement by buying a ton of Game Stop stock and inspiring others to do so. He and his family are average in every way and it is impossible not to like the guy.
Outstanding Performances
A huge part of the reason it is so easy to like Keith is that he is a real underdog, an underdog that is taking on the financial fat cats that would step over a regular person if it meant making an extra buck. Paul Dano is also incredible in this role, while Dumb Money does have an ensemble cast, it is very much Paul Dano running the show as the lead and he is fantastic.
An Ensemble of Talent
Pete Davidson, America Farrera, Vincent D’Onofrio, Seth Rogan, Sebastian Stan, and Nick Offerman are just a few of the talented cast members bringing this wild story to life. I know the thought of a movie being about finance does not sound all that exciting, but this truly is exciting stuff for the most part.
Taking on “The Man”
I think the fact that Keith is such an everyman and a likable guy who like those who have followed him are being squeezed by these big-time players makes you like him even more. I am always down for a story about someone sticking it to “the man” and that is at its core what this is. However, “the man” fights back and it makes you see what a corrupted and twisted world we live in when it comes to these big-money finance types.
A Surprising Soundtrack
One thing that surprised the hell out of me about Dumb Money was the soundtrack. I will admit, that I had no preconceptions of what the soundtrack would be before seeing it, I actually never gave it a second thought. However, this movie has a pretty damn rocking hip-hop-inspired soundtrack that I got a real kick out of and have listened to a few times while working out thanks to Spotify!
Unexpected Excitement
I know that for some a movie about finance and a video game store sound like the most boring thing ever! However, even if you have no interest in either of those things, Dumb Money is a very well-told and entertaining David vs Goliath-style story. I am glad I managed to catch this in the theatre before its run was done and I will 100 percent add it to my 4K collection at some point.
