Title: “Dumb Money Film Fails to Capture the Absurdity and Complexity of GameStop Saga”
In the highly anticipated film “Dumb Money,” which centers around the GameStop saga, viewers are left disappointed as the movie fails to capture the true essence and nuances of the bizarre event. With a title that mocks anyone paying to see the film, it becomes evident that the creators have missed the mark.
The GameStop saga, which saw a group of Redditors and other investors rally behind a heavily shorted stock, causing its value to skyrocket and resulting in major losses for hedge funds, is genuinely absurd and ripe for comedic material. However, “Dumb Money” falls short of capitalizing on this potential.
The movie attempts to portray the story of Keith Gill, also known as “Roaring Kitty / Deep Fucking Value,” whose dual persona as a sensible financial adviser by day and a wild GameStop gambler by night is inherently humorous and bizarre. Instead of embracing this anarchic and funny narrative, “Dumb Money” lacks the charm and resorts to reinforcing a dumbed-down portrayal of the GameStonk debacle.
One of the major issues with the film is its inability to effectively depict the internet and retail trading in a visually engaging way. Instead, the main characters are given partners who deliver exposition-heavy monologues, further diluting the uniqueness and weirdness of the r/WallStreetBets phenomenon. Gill’s character, played by Paul Dano, is miscast and lacks depth, relying mainly on puppy dog eyes for expression.
Additionally, the movie fails to develop a cohesive storyline and fully flesh out its characters. None of the characters strongly interact or intersect, leaving them underdeveloped and one-dimensional. Characters like a hardworking nurse, a GameStop employee, and a group of college girlfriends are reduced to stereotypes and lack real depth or distinguishing features.
Furthermore, the focus on Wall Street figures like Gabe Plotkin, Steve Cohen, and Ken Griffin feels unnecessary and detracts from the main narrative. Although Seth Rogen’s performance as Plotkin is commendable, these characters serve more as objects of schadenfreude than essential elements of the story.
The only character who embodies the spirit of the GameStop phenomenon is Kevin Gill, superbly portrayed by Pete Davidson. Davidson’s performance steals the show, as he portrays a fully realized and eccentric individual rather than a Hollywood archetype. The movie would have benefited from featuring more characters with specific personalities, reflecting the diversity of real people involved in the events.
“Dumb Money” simplifies the narrative into a David vs. Goliath story and fails to explore the addictive nature of trading, the reality of retail traders often losing, and the fact that the so-called “retail revolution” also benefited wealthy individuals. The movie disregards the open pump-and-dump tactics and clear bubble that characterized the GameStonk event.
Ultimately, “Dumb Money” presents a distorted version of the story, disregarding the multitude of retail traders who did not profit from the event and highlighting only a select few who did. The film’s lazy script and narrative violations undermine its potential for success.
Ironically, the best joke lies in the credits, revealing that the film is backed by the Winklevoss twins, who famously complained about their portrayal in “The Social Network” and now run a cryptocurrency exchange aimed at retail traders. This irony further exposes the disconnection between the film’s message of the triumph of the little guys and the reality of its wealthy financiers.
In the end, “Dumb Money” fails to capture the absurdity, complexity, and true nature of the GameStop saga, leaving viewers with a shallow and unsatisfying portrayal of the events.