Film@BirrTheatre: "Dumb Money"
- Emma Hanley
- Jan 29, 2024
- 1 min read
This week Film@BirrTheatre brings you an entertaining retelling of the 2021 Gamestop stock saga.
Based on an insane true story, “Dumb Money” centres on the everyday Reddit investors who flipped the script on the rich of Wall Street – with aftershocks that reverberated around the world.
In the middle of it all is regular guy Keith Gill (Paul Dano) aka Roaring Kitty, who sinks his life savings into a single stock: GameStop, the high-street videogame retailer, which he’s convinced is undervalued. If he’s wrong, he’ll lose everything. But if he’s right, and if he can convince other ordinary Joes to join the movement, then they’ll rocket GameStop to the moon – leaving billionaires holding the bag.
Directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) and based on the book “The Antisocial Network” by Ben Mezrich, this film highlights the disparities within the financial market and the power of the underdog. While this may sound like a dull premise, the film never fails to be engaging. Gillespie and his cast find a pleasant pace and it’s a relatively concise comedy at 100 minutes in length.
The ultimate wish fulfilment story, “Dumb Money” also stars Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley and Seth Rogen.
Join us this Thursday at 8pm for this week's instalment of Film@BirrTheatre.
Run time: 100 minutes
Cert: 15A
The GameStop story became one of the most fascinating moments in recent financial history because it showed how online communities could suddenly influence Wall Street in unexpected ways. Keith Gill, known as Roaring Kitty, turned from an ordinary retail investor into a symbol of collective action and internet-driven momentum. The mix of risk, meme culture, finance, and rebellion against major hedge funds made the situation feel almost unreal at times. Online communities rallying around shared goals and creativity in moments like this can sometimes resemble the collaborative energy seen in Eaglercraft communities as well.