Director
Craig Gillespie
(I, Tonya)

Starring
Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, America Ferrera and Seth Rogan

The latest offering from I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie is another biographical piece, this time focusing on American financial analyst and investor Keith Gill, who in 2021 led a group of mostly low level investors to help short squeeze stock in gaming retailer GameStop, causing major financial consequences for a number of hedge funds as well as large losses for short sellers.

Keith Gill (played by Paul Dano), also known as “Roaring Kitty” or “DeepFuckingValue” on social media, gained widespread attention and became a prominent figure in the investing world during the GameStop short squeeze saga in early 2021. Gill, a former financial educator and licensed securities broker, played a significant role in the unprecedented surge of GameStop’s stock price. His influence on the stock market, particularly within the realm of online communities like Reddit’s ‘WallStreetBets’, raised important questions about the power of individual investors in the age of social media. Gill shared his analysis of GameStop, a struggling video game retailer, on Reddit and YouTube, arguing that the stock was undervalued and poised for a significant increase in value. His detailed posts and videos, filled with financial analysis and enthusiasm for the company, attracted a massive following of retail investors. Dumb Money explores the relationship between these investors and the movement that was created for a short period of time to bring Wall Street fat cats to their knees, as well as the fallout for Gill and his counterparts.

For those familiar with the inner workings of the stock market and share trading, Dumb Money will be an instantly enthralling ride. We all love a good David Vs Goliath battle, but understanding the inner workings of the finance world makes this tale all the more easy to digest. For those of us that aren’t as savvy, it might take a little longer to find its groove. Once your head is in the game though, it’s every bit worth the commitment.

Paul Dano is brilliant as Keith Gill (but then again, when isn’t Paul Dano brilliant?!), and the supporting cast of Pete Davidson, America Ferrera, Seth Rogan, Nick Offerman and more, just add to the layers of quality. Craig Gillespie has form in these sorts of multi-faceted biographical pieces, and he doesn’t disappoint with this one, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the likes of I, Tonya.

If you’re a fan of films like The Big Short, then Dumb Money is a must watch. Even if you’re not all about the stock market, it’s still great fun watching a bunch of the little guys make some of the richest guys in the world tremble for a bit.

Dumb Money is in cinemas now.