Words by Taha Khambaty
The definition of “Put your money where your mouth is”, Dumb Money sure knows its source material, but isn’t smart enough to dumb it down for the average viewer.
Dumb Money takes on the challenge of depicting the 2020 GameStop stock phenomenon, a moment that taught nephews all around the world about the wonders of investing in stocks on your phone. The movie opens with a mosaic of perspectives showcasing the widespread reactions to the GameStop stock price surge. From Reddit’s WallStreetBets, to hedge fund managers, tech enthusiasts, everyday folks, and even the U.S. government. It then flashes back to the past to explain how the entire movement got kickstarted.
Here we meet the undoubtable heart of the film, Keith Gill, known online as ‘Roaring Kitty’, portrayed by Paul Dano. Dano’s portrayal captures the essence of a humble financial analyst leading with his expertise, offering a stark contrast to the stereotypical finance personalities played by Seth Rogen and Sebastian Stan. We follow him as he decides to take on Wall Street and live stream his stock portfolio, believing in the potential of Gamestop’s stock. This then leads to a movement as Gill is able to build a following, persuading his backers to fight against hedge funds and ‘HOLD’, driving up the stock’s price.
While the film excels in capturing the emotional rollercoaster of the GameStop stock scandal, it stumbles when it comes to explaining the intricacies of stock market trading. The film relies too heavily on financial jargon, which might alienate viewers non-well-versed in the world of finance. This linguistic barrier creates a disconnect between the audience and the ‘little guys’ who keep using these buzzwords.
To its credit though, Dumb Money tries to compensate for this with vignettes that highlight the struggles of these various characters, effectively conveying the isolation and despair many felt during the pandemic. Moreover, the film has strong comedic moments, especially those featuring Keith and his brother, played by Pete Davidson, providing moments of levity amidst the financial turmoil..
However, it occasionally resorts to telling rather than showing, and displaying characters’ net worth on screen. While this initially underscores wealth disparities, it loses emotional impact. As any maths teacher or psychologist can attest, people often find it challenging to grasp the significance of extremely large numbers, so when the film indicates that someone’s net worth plummeted from $9 million to $3 million, it fails to evoke a genuinely emotive response.
Nonetheless, Dumb Money’s choice of a fictional narrative format might not be the most suitable. The film would likely have been better served as a documentary, given its inclusion of real-world footage from congressional hearings and social media. A documentary could have offered a deeper dive into financial jargon and methodology, bridging the gap between experts and the general audience. Failing that, even a character loudly explaining the situation in a public space through an overexaggerated metaphor would have been appreciated.
Barbenheimer or How We Learned to Love the Pink Bomb