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Based on true events, the crowd-pleaser of a film is a must-watch for fans of The Big Short.
Dumb Money, the very fun 2023 biographical comedy drama movie, has just been added to Prime Video.
Directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) and based on a book by Ben Mezrich (The Social Network), the star-studded film chronicles the much publicised David vs Goliath-esque GameStop short squeeze in January 2021 that had a big impact on Wall Street.
“Vlogger Keith Gill (Paul Dano, The Batman) sinks his life savings into GameStop stock and posts about it. When social media starts blowing up, so do his life and the lives of everyone following him,” the plot synopsis reads.
“As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets rich—until the billionaires fight back, and both sides find their worlds turned upside down.”
Dumb Money also features amongst its stacked cast America Ferrara (Barbie), Anthony Ramos (Twisters), Clancy Brown (Starship Troopers), Dane DeHaan (Oppenheimer), Myha’la Herrold (Industry), Nick Offerman (The Last of Us), Olivia Thirlby (Dredd), Pete Davidson (SNL), Sebastian Stan (Pam and Tommy), Seth Rogen (This is the End), Shailene Woodley (Big Little Lies), Talia Ryder (Do Revenge) and Vincent D’Onofrio (Daredevil).
This is as the clever, witty and surprisingly emotional screenplay by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo explores the GameStop short squeeze from a variety of different perspectives.
These include the amateur investors struggling to make ends meet during the Covid pandemic who finally strike rich, as well as the billionaires on Wall Street determined to prevent further losses.
It is this approach, combined with the movie’s authentic and thoughtful exploration of Covid-era life and its excellent performances across the board, that led to Dumb Money earning very positive reviews from critics.
Holding an 84% critics score and an 85% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, you can read a sample of the glowing write-ups the film earned here:
ABC News: “Paul Dano excels in this true tale of how little-guy investors took down billionaire Wall Streeters. Call it a slapstick tragedy with a windfall of laughs.”
Empire: “With a brisk, biting comic tone and a nice line in righteous anger, Dumb Money skilfully picks up The Big Short’s baton for cinematic-economic takedowns.”
FilmWeek: “It is a movie of such fun performances from every single one of the characters. Everybody is just giving it their all.”
The Messenger: “This is a very funny movie.”
Times (UK): “Sounds dry and simplistic, but the script from Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo is vivid and visceral, and somehow brings the stultifying grimness of that central pandemic time block back to painful life.”
Vox: “The movie is well-executed, exhilarating, and captures the tenor of the times.”
Dumb Money is streaming on Prime Video in Ireland and the UK right now.
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