The New Americans was well-received at its world premiere at SXSW Film Festival. It attempts to explain the world of grassroots day trading among a subset of younger Americans. It explores their world on forums like Reddit and their efforts to compete with the big hedge funds - particularly around Gamestop and Cryptocurrency. It also links this to the dark world white supremacy and January 6. The film paints a well-edited story in which finance has become a game driven by memes and message boards. It is unclear if the participants are pioneers of new world, hucksters making a fast buck, or a completely lost generation.
The problem is that the argument is messy and unclear. It is unclear at times whether they are cheerleading or critiquing this world and the outcomes. Sometimes they seem to be portraying it is a heroic attempt to take down the big hedge funds traders. Sometimes they seem to be painting much of it a corrupt pyramid scheme. While it is entertaining to watch, it is often baffling. In order to present in an accessible manner there are way too many anecdotal interviews with participants and far too little scholarly analysis. The connections between the retail traders, white supremacists, cryptocurrency and going off the gold standard remain a bit mysterious. In the end, the argument is confusing and troubling. The directors are well-intentioned, but the result while entertaining, is a bit unsatisfying. There is the potential for a good film here, but this one doesn't feel like it is finished.
The problem is that the argument is messy and unclear. It is unclear at times whether they are cheerleading or critiquing this world and the outcomes. Sometimes they seem to be portraying it is a heroic attempt to take down the big hedge funds traders. Sometimes they seem to be painting much of it a corrupt pyramid scheme. While it is entertaining to watch, it is often baffling. In order to present in an accessible manner there are way too many anecdotal interviews with participants and far too little scholarly analysis. The connections between the retail traders, white supremacists, cryptocurrency and going off the gold standard remain a bit mysterious. In the end, the argument is confusing and troubling. The directors are well-intentioned, but the result while entertaining, is a bit unsatisfying. There is the potential for a good film here, but this one doesn't feel like it is finished.