Worth: $13.50
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Treymane Collins, Lisa Branganca, David Lauer, Kat Stryker, J. Brown, Dennis Kelleher, Vince Tran, Pedro Cati, Austin Tobitt, Alexander Cohen
Intro:
… allows you to follow the complex web of corruption and greed, but by the end, you feel as if the documentary has a lot more left in the tank.
The cryptically titled Apes Together Strong probes a formidable Goliath, a hub of controversy and corruption since anyone can remember: Wall Street and hedge fund giants, culprits behind multiple financial collapses that have caused worldwide devastation.
And then GameStop happened.
The GameStop Short Squeeze was a rare win for the little guy. A concentrated revolt by a collection of small investors, saw the stock price of GameStop increase, effectively causing a large loss of capital for Wall Street hedge funds.
It’s a convoluted topic that requires mental gymnastics to get your head around, and this unconventional documentary, directed by twins Finley and Quinn Mulligan, tries to explain the whole event as clearly and entertainingly as possible. Although it succeeds, it does so at the expense of a strong human connection.
That is not to say that there is no human connection. There is a definite empathy for all those who fell victim to Wall Street’s antics and a feeling of hopefulness that comes from seeing an expertly coordinated rebellion.
However, the multiple and constantly changing talking heads make it hard to connect with any particular character on a meaningful level.
The benefit here is that the lack of a sturdy human connection allows you to follow the complex web of corruption and greed, but by the end, you feel as if the documentary has a lot more left in the tank.
Apes Together Strong has a style to it. The beginning feels straight out of the irreverent political films of Adam McKay (The Big Short), using quirky explanations that make complex stock market mechanisms more palatable.
The struggle comes in maintaining that throughout the film, while interweaving more emotional moments. Here, the filmmakers find themselves falling into a more typical talking head documentary that sustains for a large portion of the film.
Despite leaving with a yearning for more, there is a lot to glean here, especially its insight into a newfound power that can be wielded by the common man.
