The latest directorial effort from Cutter Hodierne is an odd beast – a cold, crisp tech thriller that finds its focus on a trio of desperate people. Since the late 2000s explosion of the crypto market, it has been something that has offered the world winners and, more often than not, losers. Hollywood has grappled with this subject over the last few years, notably with the David vs. Goliath true story of Dumb Money (2023). But Cold Wallet feels like the darkly hued yang to Dumb Money’s crowd-pleasing ying.
Believing he’s on to a sure thing, Billy heavily invests in a new cryptocurrency, but it turns out to be a scam. And so, he sets out with friends, both real and online, to find a tech White Whale and steal their cold wallets (where the real cash is stored). You’re going to hear terms thrown around for the film’s 90-minute running time that may be new to you and Hodierne rarely hands over time to explain what these are. And yet Cold Wallet offsets a denseness of subject matter by keeping the focus resolutely on the human impact of the crypto bubble. We may not fully understand all the terms being flung around but we do grasp the stakes for the trio who are pulling off this ill-fought out heist.
The film’s quartet are a wonderfully engaging centre for the film. Raul Castillo’s Billy is the heart of the film, the one who believes the group’s antics are for the greater good. Castillo beautifully plays a desperate man, seeking the better life the American Dream promises. He plays well off Tony Cavalero’s Dom, ostensibly the troupe’s muscle but with a sweetness that reminds of early performances from Steve Zahn. Cavalero deftly handles both the initial comedic scenes and the darker turn the film takes as it moves into home invasion territory. There is a risk that Melonie Diaz’s Eva falls into a ‘Cool Tech Girl’ stereotype but manages to bring enough nuance to the part. These three are in a desperate situation and the film never loses sight of this. Which is where Josh Brener’s monstrous cryptobro comes in. Brener has form here, an alumni of the TV show Silicon Valley, and his Charles is a wonderfully slippery proposition.
There is real depth and nuance to Cold Wallet that, while it doesn’t fully satisfy as a thriller, feeling a tad stuck in the second act, does compel as an exploration of the victims of a modern world addicted to an artificial tech high. Even when their acts hue towards increasing violence you can’t help but hope Billy, Dom and Eva get the payday they so richly deserve.
4 Screams out of 5
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