Apparently in the investing world, “dumb money” refers to the money the common man invests. The idea is that these “retail investors” don’t have the knowledge or resources to fully understand the complex world of high finance and thus don’t make wise investment decisions. Thus, hedge funds, investment banks, etc., can exploit these investors to make a profit by betting against the dumb money. And that’s how it typically goes. But not always. In 2020, the dumb money struck back in support of GameStop, sparking a revolution of sorts against the allegedly smart money. It is this story that Dumb Money, a fun, sharp, and yes, smart comedy about the whole affair.

There are a lot of characters here, but our main protagonist is Keith Gill (Paul Dano), a financial analyst for a smaller New England bank. With his free time, he posts videos about investing on the subreddit r/WallStreetBets under the name “Roaring Kitty.” He thinks that GameStop stock, which is falling in price, is undervalued—as he simply says, “I like the stock.” When the news emerges that a hedge fund managed by Charlotte Hornets co-owner Gabe Plotkin (Seth Rogan) is shorting the stock (i.e., betting on it to fail), a massive “eat the rich” movement emerges. Small investors everywhere—represented here by a nurse (America Ferrera), a couple of college students, and a GameStop employee (In the Heights’s Anthony Ramos)—started investing in and holding the stock, much to the amazement of the “experts” and chagrin of the big money folks. As the stock price multiplies exponentially, the retail investors all wrestle with whether to sell and make life-changing money or keep their stock for the cause.

I love movies about big finance and the stock market. The Big Short is one of my favorite movies of the last decade and I watch it every year. Wall Street is an absolute classic. Margin Call, Too Big to Fail, docs like Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room…all great. Dumb Money doesn’t quite reach those heights, but it’s still really good. The story is cool, with lots of great lines, big laughs, and an energy that mimics its social media roots. That energy sometimes works against it; the pace is uneven at times, alternative between too fast or too slow to let the story tell itself. But, hey, it can be hard making a period film about a period that was basically yesterday, so I have some grace for the attempt to capture mood within the plot. Even if it can be uneven, the tale itself is engrossing enough that I was engaged through the end.

That said, the biggest strength of the movie isn’t the story, it’s the strong character work. Dano is exceptional as Gill/Kitty, playing with a strong sense of humility that props up the underdog angle. Ferrera is also great as the nurse/single mom who almost seems out of place caught up in this frenzy. Pete Davidson’s schtick (he basically only ever plays himself) works well here as Gill’s ne’er-do-well brother. Even some small parts get great moments: Sebastian Stan (Bucky from The Avengers movies) plays one of the co-founders of retail trading site Robinhood.com with a fun new-money cluelessness. Character actors Kate Burton and Clancy Brown (you know him as the abusive guard from The Shawshank Redemption) get great moments at Gill’s parents.

Director Craig Gillespie has a knack for getting the work on film and staying out of the way stylistically. There is occasional flash with the internet references. But, for the most part, as in his exceptional Lars and the Real Girl, he knows to let his story and actors carry the day. And it does here. Dumb Money is a fun story well told. It’s definitely worth the investment.