--- title: "Dumb Money: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/dumb-money/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/dumb-money" critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 16 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Dumb Money (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 68 from 16 reviews: 10 positive, 4 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics like Dumb Money, and the praise clusters in the same two places: Paul Dano, whose warmth as the retail trader at the centre is singled out again and again, and the ensemble around him, which reviewers find lively and well marshalled by Craig Gillespie. Its pace comes up nearly as often; brisk, snappy and propulsive recur, and several call it an unexpectedly sharp record of the pandemic years. The reservations are also consistent. Many note that it follows The Big Short closely without matching that film’s bite, and a good number feel it stops short of saying anything about the market it claims to attack, oversells the uprising it depicts, or keeps its characters thin. The spread is wide rather than narrow. The Telegraph finds it patronising and toothless, Sight and Sound finds it short on insight, and Slant reads its message as a commercial package rather than a protest. ## Radio Times — James Mottram Rating 4/5. The critic describes it as an absorbing true-life tale of finance chicanery with an exhilarating ensemble. It praises the cast, direction, and exploration of community and solidarity. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-wewtjd/dumb-money/) ## Time Out — Helen O’Hara Rating 4/5. 20 September 2023. The critic praises this as a complicated, sometimes funny and horror-tinged underdog story ripped from the headlines. It highlights the ensemble cast and Gillespie’s handling of the real events. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/dumb-money-2023) ## The AV Club — Manuel Betancourt Rating B. 15 September 2023. It is a smart, playful and briskly told David vs. Goliath tale that keeps viewers invested in its characters and the larger story, though it is efficient to a fault in its use of narrative stitches. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/dumb-money-movie-review-1850831858) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 2/3/3. 20 September 2023. The critic calls it a mildly entertaining film that explains financial concepts decently but is light on laughs and feels derivative of The Big Short. Dano is charming but the story lacks epic humor and cinematic impact. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/dumb-money-review-mildly-entertaining-economics-101) ## Slant Magazine — Mark Hanson Rating 2/4. 9 September 2023. Festival review. The blithely conventional treatment only pretends to rail against unchecked capitalism and packages its power-to-the-people message for commercial gains, resulting in a dispiritingly outmoded affair. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/dumb-money-review-paul-dano-pete-davidson-craig-gillespie/) ## The Telegraph Rating 2/5. 21 September 2023. The film is a satirically toothless comedy that wastes its starry cast and aims for The Big Short but lands on patronising. It peddles a phoney idea about collective strivers and ends up more depressing than it knows. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/dumb-money-review-gamestop-paul-dano/) ## Empire — John Nugent 19 September 2023. The critic finds the film a fluent and funny ensemble takedown of Wall Street excess in the mould of The Big Short, praising its breezy direction and strong cast while noting the message is familiar. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/dumb-money/) ## Financial Times — Danny Leigh Rating ★★★☆☆. 21 September 2023. The raucous financial comedy is a likeably propulsive mess with many smart and funny moments, though it hedges its bets on deeper insight. It sets GameStop along the timeline of The Big Short but remains an us-and-them tale that demands viewers pick sides. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/c78c71d5-2212-463e-8ea1-33a9ac518b93) ## IndieWire — Natalia Winkelman 8 September 2023. Festival review. It is a rousing, lively comedy that plays like The Big Short for underdogs and offers a weirdly moving tale of working-class solidarity with a shining ensemble led by Paul Dano. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/dumb-money-review-1234904085/) ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele 15 September 2023. The critic calls the film an enjoyable comedy that turns the GameStop saga into a satisfying populist class-war showdown with Altmanesque multi-character vibrancy and laughs. It singles out Paul Dano’s nerdy warmth as a centering tonic for the tale while noting Gillespie’s skill at capturing pandemic-era desperation, excitement, and small moments of solidarity. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-09-15/dumb-money-review-gamestop-paul-dano-america-ferrera-seth-rogen) ## Screen Daily 9 September 2023. Festival review. The critic calls it a snappy, entertaining underdog saga that taps into resentment about rigged markets. It notes the slick tone and Dano’s performance but mentions inevitable comparisons to The Social Network. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/dumb-money-toronto-review/5185756.article) ## Sight and Sound 28 September 2023. The critic finds Craig Gillespie’s account of the GameStop events uninspired and fatally lacking in insight and imagination. It criticizes the film’s bland, simplistic recounting and failure to find compelling thematic grounding. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/dumb-money-this-david-goliath-comedy-feels-entirely-unnecessary) ## The Guardian 24 September 2023. The film is a spirited underdog drama with a lively bustle that successfully corrals disparate characters and story strands. Paul Dano excels as the central YouTuber, though the story offers little in the way of real and lasting change beyond a gloss of rabble-rousing. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/sep/24/dumb-money-review-craig-gillespie-paul-dano-keith-gill-roaring-kitty-gamestop-wall-street-youtube) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck 8 September 2023. Festival review. The film is entertaining enough thanks to its Capra-style battle between little people and bigwigs and a terrific ensemble, but it is not quite as successful as similar films due to mostly one-dimensional characters. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/dumb-money-review-paul-dano-pete-davidson-craig-gillespie-1235585844/) ## The i Paper — Christina Newland 22 September 2023. The critic notes the film's frenetic, unsubtle style and broad-brush approach with some missteps in editing and music, but praises its genuine humour, exuberance and righteous eat-the-rich messaging. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/dumb-money-review-gamestop-comedy-assault-senses-2630177) ## The New York Times — Ben Kenigsberg 14 September 2023. The review describes the film as an energetic and clear dramatization of the GameStop stock craze that makes the dual jargons of Wall Street and online traders accessible while treating the underdog story with irreverence. It notes some strain from the material's fundamental earnestness compared to the director's prior work like I, Tonya, while highlighting Paul Dano's non-condescending performance. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/14/movies/dumb-money-review.html) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Rating ★★★★☆. 22 September 2023. This black comedy helter-skelter race through the real-life GameStop short squeeze brings the grimness of the pandemic era back to painful life. The vivid script from the writers of Orange Is the New Black makes the dry material visceral and engaging. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/dumb-money-review-the-gamers-take-on-wall-street-6b3xksgvn) ## Total Film — James Mottram 9 September 2023. The review calls it an energetic David-and-Goliath comedy-drama with an excellent Dano and strong ensemble, singling out America Ferrera's performance as the emotional core despite minor flaws like Pete Davidson's role. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/dumb-money-review/) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman 8 September 2023. Festival review. The review praises the film as a smart, light-fingered and brashly entertaining finance saga that deftly balances detail, dramatic irony and ensemble portraits of the GameStop phenomenon without over-romanticizing its hero. It singles out Paul Dano’s quirky, saintly performance as Keith Gill while faulting the ending for becoming too crowd-pleasing in its endorsement of stock-market gambling. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/dumb-money-review-paul-dano-pete-davidson-toronto-film-festival-1235717762/) ## Vulture 9 September 2023. Festival review. It is an effective and brisk entertainment that steers clear of smugness while juggling many characters, and though it oversells the revolutionary impact it does not leave you sorry you watched it. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/dumb-money-review-the-gamestop-movie-good.html) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2023. Festival review. The critic calls the film a wildly entertaining, Capra-esque populist crowd-pleaser about the little guy triumphing over Wall Street. Dano and Rogen are singled out for ideal casting in their lead roles. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/09/dumb-money-review-paul-dano-seth-rogen-gamestop-stock-phenomenon-toronto-film-festival-1235541444/) ## The Playlist — Gregory Ellwood Rating B+. 10 September 2023. Festival review. Praises Gillespie's direction, fresh take on inequality themes, visual style, and emotional depth from pandemic context, leaving viewers to decide on empowerment. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/dumb-money-review-craig-gillespies-smart-dissection-of-the-gamespot-stock-drama-tiff-20230910/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2023. Festival review. The critic highlights the film's smart pacing, punk energy, humor, and care for characters, calling it an entertaining gallop through financial history. [Read the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/dumb-money-2023-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## The Wrap — Martin Aubert Tsai Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2023. Festival review. The critic praises the film as a definitive portrait of the COVID era that captures chaotic online culture and wealth disparity without over-explaining jargon. Dano's standout performance, especially in streaming and testimony scenes, is highlighted. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/dumb-money-review-paul-dano-craig-gillespie/) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating B. 8 September 2023. The critic praises the film for capturing the community spirit of the GameStop saga and its COVID-era backdrop, comparing its style favorably to The Big Short while noting its focus on multiple perspectives. [Read the review](https://collider.com/dumb-money-review/) ## Consequence Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 2023. The review calls it a droll and empathetic primer on the short squeeze that highlights the divide between haves and have-nots, though it notes the film feels somewhat surface-level and leaves out key details. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2023/09/14/dumb-money-review/) ## Film Stories — Ryan Lambie Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2023. The critic praises the film's spark and character ensemble but notes its ultimately gloomy view of capitalism and inequality. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/dumb-money-review/) ## /Film — Barry Levitt Rating 6/10. 9 September 2023. Festival review. Commends comedic elements and performances but criticizes lack of depth in stock mechanics and character development, feeling it's too soon for a full film. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1389771/dumb-money-review-tiff-2023/) ## The Ringer — Adam Nayman Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2023. The critic views the film as good fun and a poignant pandemic portrait but finds it lands in a safe middle ground, lacking true revolutionary edge or deeper irony about the events. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2023/09/19/movies/dumb-money-review-gamestop-short-squeeze) ## Polygon — Rafael Motamayor Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2023. Festival review. The critic argues the film is neither smart enough nor dumb enough, failing to capture the meme culture or fully explain the events while overemphasizing dramatic family beats at the expense of the story's internet roots. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23868918/dumb-money-review-gamestop-stonks-saga/) ## Paste — Tara Bennett Rating 8.4. 18 September 2023. The critic finds the film an accessible and rousing take on the events that humanizes the story through everyday characters and effectively critiques capitalism without overcomplicating the financial details. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/paul-dano/dumb-money-review) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/dumb-money.md