Crypto (I) (2019) User Reviews

A good drama requiring patience

[ReeseCormac · 6/10 · 8 September 2019]

Martin Duran (Beau Knapp) is an auditor at OmniBank, a prestigious New York bank, who infuriates the bank's president by questioning the accounting practices of a major potential client and so gets demoted to their branch bank in the farming community of Elba, New York, where he grew up. There he not only must contend with the animosity of the townspeople, who view him as an outsider, but he also must try to reconnect with his estranged family--his father (Kurt Russell), a stubborn potato farmer facing foreclosure, and his brother Caleb (Luke Hemsworth), a damaged Iraq War veteran.

In auditing the books of Endelman Gallery, a client of the Omni branch, he notices accounting peculiarities, and with the help of his boyhood friend Earl (Jeremie Harris), now a local store owner who also is knowledgeable about cryptocurrencies and the Dark Web, he begins to suspect that the art gallery is laundering money through Bitcoin transactions.

As Martin delves further into Omni's relationship with the gallery, people he has interviewed start turning up dead He must find out who is behind the crime and alert authorities before the body count rises.

A solid, mostly well-acted drama, although its slow pacing and Knapp's one-note performance will put many viewers to sleep.

Three writers, and you'd think at least one would get it right

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 6/10 · 13 April 2019]

I get that all three writers are amateurs, but didn't the producers at least pick up on the need for a fine tune/re-write of this convoluted mess of a script?

There's little story that actually makes any sense amongst a ton of buzz words no one will understand in the entire 105 mins of this film, and for that length of time, certainly some unnecessary scenes could've been omitted and others (including the buzz word scenes) elaborated upon. It was never made clear what Martins full duty was, or why he left the big city head office, and so on. It's as if a 5+ hour decent screenplay was shredded, and random pieces put together to total the final runtime. I could go on and on, but it's such a shame no one invested in a seasoned screenwriter to at least fine tune the script, as this production had many decent values to it. The pacing was also slow for my liking, and this film needed to be trimmed down to 90 mins (with a proper script) or played back at 1.2x speed.

The directing/camera work was well executed. The acting by all leads was spot on and convincing, but casting Beau Knapp as Martin was another big mistake. He didn't suit that role/character, and his acting was way too bland. He'd been better off being cast as one of the thugs, instead of pretty much sleeping in his suit trying to act like a white collar exec.

The score was too outstanding for this film... I mean top notch, and created some great tension and suspense, but seemed overbearing next to the convoluted plot.

Aside from that, unless you have any idea about crypto currency and forensic accounting (luckily I do, and I was still confused), you'll lose interest in this film pretty fast.

Really too bad considering everything else was done really well. Sadly, it's only a generous 6/10 from me.

A Solid Meh.

[sellranger · 5/10 · 3 September 2020]

Not a bad movie but not a particularly good one either. Held my interest but was slow and hard to follow in some places. Will watch anything with Kurt Russell. Lead's acting was strong during the family stuff, but weaker in many other scenes. Suspect I will have forgotten about it by tomorrow but on the other hand I never turned it off or threw anything at the screen. I was expecting a smarter thriller like Shattered Glass so that didn't help. At least it wasn't super dumb.

not sure who this movie is for

[angeldust-84016 · 12 April 2019]

At least understand what you are making the movie about. Calling it 'Crypto' just to get attention... Crypto, money-laundering, the Russian Mafia... the writers literally looked at Google trends and slapped this POS together --- lol Keywords keywords keywords

Wooden

[birkby-70423 · 1/10 · 14 April 2019]

The main actor in this film had all the acting ability of a piece of wood, if he had actually opened his mouth now and again so we could tell what he was saying it might have made the film clearer, instead he mumbled through his teeth throughout the film.

No that bad, good entertainment and family drams

[azcaratealfredo · 7/10 · 12 January 2020]

I found this movie entertaining. The story of an estranged son who comes back to his hometown as an auditor, to uncover some crooked financial matters. There he finds family again, healing wounds of a painful past and rediscovering his father, brother, his roots. The actor mumbles with a horse face grin because it's part of the character. Nothing out of this world but then not as bad as some people say it is.

Misleading Title

[arcmdc · 2/10 · 20 April 2019]

This movie has very little to do with crypto. more of a family drama with very poor execution in all departments.

Don't waste your time reading bad reviews, watch the movie.

[minunimion · 7/10 · 23 March 2020]

The movie was good and in my opinion the pace was right. I enjoyed everything and never I was bored.

After reading the reviews from haters of their life (this is the real reason why they spit on the others), I understood that wasting time is not watching the movie, it's reading reviews from haters... I read even that Al Pacino is not good in acting... come on, where did you let your brain before writing something so stupid?

Everytime someone says... bad acting. Probably you don't even know what is acting, because you never acted and you'll never act in your whole life, but at your home... please, be smart... stop writing about something you don't know.

"Stay away, run away from this movie"... someone wrote that... to the intelligent people... stay away, run away from people who write something like that and watch the movie... you can't decide just after reading some reviews, it's not clever.

If you want to have a good life, stay away from negative people...

What the hell!

[southhills · 3/10 · 18 April 2019]

Extremely disappointing movie. Once again, giving crypto a bad name by basing it off money laundering. Acting was 3.5 out of 10, accuracy in facts about cryptocurrency is 4 out of 10, plot was stupid, conclusion was interesting will give it a 6 out of 10.

Decent, suspenseful thriller about moneylaundering with a small, but meaningful supporting role by Kurt Russell

[imseeg · 7/10 · 25 December 2020]

Despite the unknown leading characters this is quite a decent thriller,with good acting and a constant eerie suspense, which is quite mesmerizing. Definitely better than the Imdb rating would suggest.

The story is simple. A young employee working for a big corporation discovers a money laundering scheme. Now unknown criminal forces are out to get him. Will he survive?

Although Kurt Russell only plays quite a small supporting role, his role stands out and his role is quite meaningful to the story. Acting in general, despite a lot of unknown actors, is quite good to my pleasant surprise.

Recommended for the fans of smart and eerie thrillers, who dont want to see flashy action scenes, but who value suspense and a dark, ominous mood above all else.

Any bad? It is a slow burning thriller. Nothing much happens at the start. Character development is more important than shocking action scenes. For those who dont like that, this probably will not be your cup of tea...

Standard DTV fare

[ginocox-206-336968 · 4/10 · 13 April 2019]

Crypto (2019) is fairly standard DTV fare. The script tosses around a lot of buzz words about crypto currencies and money laundering. The plot involves money laundering, Russian mobsters, multi-million-dollar paintings that look as if they could have been mass-produced in a factory in Mexico alongside the paintings on velvet, murder, extortion, embezzlement, the dark web, kidnapping, and other nefarious activities, none of which makes much sense. The script offers a few clever lines of dialogue and a lot of well-worn tropes. Performances are often a bit wooden, but the camera is generally rock steady.

One problem is that financial audits, a significant element in the film, are simply not visually interesting. The Accountant made them more visual with Wolff (Ben Affleck) scrawling numbers all over the conference room windows. Lone Star made Sam's (Chris Cooper) research more interesting with cryptic notes about various people killed by Sheriff Wade (Kris Kristofferson). But this film takes a less creative approach.

The scene in Pulp Fiction in which Vincent Vega (John Travolta) injected heroin was visceral and a bit cringeworthy. A scene of drug use in Crypto shows how much talent it takes to film such a scene effectively.

The film is rated R, although it seems tame enough for primetime television. The violence is low-key. The one sex scene involves a woman wearing a brassiere that seems modest enough to wear at the beach without attracting notice.

Several scenes involving harvesting potatoes don't seem at all realistic, even to a city boy like myself. In one scene, Martin Senior (Kurt Russell) harrows a field which supposedly hasn't been harvested. He has a nice John Deere tractor, but can't afford even a simple potato harvester for a farm worth over a million dollars, which means it is probably over 400 acres. The potato stalks are missing. How they removed the stalks without harvesting the potatoes is the biggest mystery in the film. But three guys manage to harvest 400 acres of potatoes in an afternoon. The potatoes have no dirt clinging to them when they are harvested. It really looks as if somebody took a couple of sacks of potatoes and covered them with a little dirt in a freshly ploughed field. If harvesting potatoes is a significant plot element, producers really need to schedule production in the fall, rather than the spring.

Some of the minor roles are performed well and eclipse the major roles. Kudos to Jill Hennessy, Joseph Siprut, Malaya Rivera Drew (although major demerits for the bedroom scene), Marsha Dietlein, and Luke Hemsworth.

The film is watchable, but lends itself to multitasking. Without fight scenes (other than a television caliber shootout), chases, pyrotechnics or special effects, the film needs a strong script. This one seems a couple of re-writes short of completion.

Weird in a good way

[nealkattman · 9/10 · 21 July 2019]

Not having any knowledge of exactly what crypto currency is at all, coupled with missing the first 10 minutes of the film, I viewed blindly. I just decided to enjoy the acting and maybe pickup on the plot.

Both happened... The people who are vilifying the acting in this move are either BRAIN DEAD or chronic complainers. The acting is what kept me tuned in; especially not knowing a damn thing about movies subject matter.

I liken it to: Watching a sporting event just because you like the sport. Not having a rooting interest or a wager; just plain viewing and listening enjoyment.

Then toward the conclusion I started to grasp the plot and BINGO... Im here on the IMBD site, telling you all that CRYPTO was a pretty damn good flick.

Have no idea what type of movie I just watched

[thejdrage · 7/10 · 10 April 2022]

The one thing it isn't is funny, though the slivers of humor are kinda brilliant.

BUT! It is an easy watch. Nothing you'll take away from it or remember in a few days, but it's a movie to cleanse your mental palate.

Kurt Russell certainly isn't afraid not to be pretty!! And while the main character doesn't have the "looks" we would normally attribute to a person in his position, who cares!!!?? (Some reviewers mentioned his looks in a negative way. UNACCEPTABLE!) He plays an individual who is distanced from people, but that's kind of in his job description; and I think he is flat out brilliant given his past and where he wound up as an adult.

There are several story lines running through, of course - and all are tied up nicely at the end.

Frankly - the ending alone is worth the watch.

bad

[anne07876 · 2/10 · 13 April 2019]

Bad casting, bad acting, bad editing. omg, the lead is supposed to be a super sleuth but he looks like a boxer! don't waist your money.

negative image for cypto

[padokevin · 12 April 2019]

I was really hoping that this movie would be educational for many people but unfortunately it will paint a negative image for crypto in general...that crypto is used for shady purposes like drugs, prostitution, porn and money laundering. But the fact is that the total market cap of the entire crypto market at the moment (April 2019) is around $134 billion and the banks have been FINED since 2008 for an of $243 BILLION!!! The main problem is that majority of the people don't understand how the monetary system works and what is broken in our current system and what exactly crypto is trying to fix. Only if people could understand or educate themselves about it, poorly realized movies like these wouldn't fool us about crypto anymore!

Horrible acting - an advertisement for bitcoin

[nharan81 · 1/10 · 18 April 2019]

ICOs are represented as legitimate investment vehicles, which goes to show the idiots that wrote this script didn't do any research. The main actor isn't an actor, actually, anyone who hasn't suffered a stroke could act better.

Slow burning fraud investigation

[Keeksta1976 · 6/10 · 22 April 2019]

If you like films which are easy to watch, bank/fraud type of corruption then this is for you. Dont expect a fast actioned film but storyline is ok. Obviously, not Oscar material, but I think the acting wasnt as bad as everyone is making out.

Terrible. Huge Waste.

[jaiksmith · 1/10 · 21 April 2019]

This movie was originally crowdfunded and I contributed thinking it would make for a better movie. I was wrong. Not only did they release it online and in theaters, but I have yet to receive my digital download. I rented a copy on Amazon...and regretted putting so much money into it, even the time that I spent talking to co-workers about it. The characters are ridiculous. Main character, he's either risk assessment or an internal auditor. Either way, they hire an internal auditor to 'look into the company'. This wouldn't happen, because the internal auditor would be a risk themselves. You would hire an external auditor. This main character. He only wears a suit. He doesn't have clothes to relax in at the end of the day. He doesn't even have clothes to farm in. Always wearing a suit. It's (sarcastic) because he works in the city, and that's how they dress. They made it seem like cryptocurrency is either for major corporations, thieves or guys in small towns that are strung out on something. Sure, perhaps some of the Russian mafia does use cryptocurrencies. They also use cash. Also, what's with making movies that are basically saying that Russia is our enemy? Isn't the cold war over? There's one point in the movie where they find a tongue that's been cut out. They assume it's from someone, but it wasn't. Then they never explain where it came from. Does the Russian mafia have a freezer full of tongues reserved for this occasion? Where is the supply coming from? About two hours of buzzwords and bank terms that don't go together later, I was done. It's been a few days and I can't stop thinking about how bad this was. They really should have done some consulting with people that actually know what they're talking about. Source: I work for a cryptocurrency exchange and came from a small industrial/farming town that is going under.

I liked it!

[grahammitchell-76333 · 7/10 · 2 January 2020]

Can't understand the reviews saying bad acting, I don't agree. I do agree that the lead does mumble a bit and I found myself rewinding a couple of times. It built nicely and towards the end it was exciting. Worth a watch.

Russia, Russia, Russia....YAWN.

[radektx · 1/10 · 22 April 2019]

What a pathetically desperate propaganda piece. In due time this will be found at the bottom of a Walmart bin. I actually thought it was joke until it ended and nothing funny had happened. Russia, Russia, Russia....YAWN.

Crypto Currency, money laundering and banks

[lisalyn · 7/10 · 27 April 2019]

I work at a bank and have often wondered if they are or are not turning a blind eye to crypto currencies. This opens my eyes and makes me think. I can understand how it may be harder for most to understand the terms and what the lead does. I discerned that he works for the comp,Janice department of a bank. More like a paralegal for the bank lawyers to review accounts and loans the bank gives out, to whom, etc. If a bank learns that you're laundering what they lent you, the bank is also liable because they did not fully review the company. The lead investigates companies. The first scene describes this but in a quick way.

The movie just scratches the surface but makes me want to find out more about how corrupted it must be when you need at least $5000 US dollars (if not more) just to get a dollar of bitcoin. I enjoyed it

Auto-generated screenplays must be a thing now

[framersqool · 2/10 · 8 May 2019]

Seriously: I think there must be some software now being used by whoever it is that mass-produces this stuff, where they punch in a series of keywords (separated by commas), and whatever the combination, the machine whirs and clicks and lights flash and in a few minutes spits out a movie script. This is one looks like: Evil Banks, Cryptocurrency, Gay Black Business Owner, Small Town Burnout, Weirdo Gallery Owner, Family Farm, Traumatized Veteran, Russian Mafia.

Yeah. Seriously. Try and imagine how to staple all those together into a plausible story with believable characters, and it turns out it can't be done. Which is, of course, why they came up with this Magic Movie Script software, which can be used to write the thing anyway. This really is that incoherent and disjointed, but of course having the (mythical version of the) FBI on standby to portray The Cavalry is always one way to try and save a really stupid motion picture.

Usually, as a longtime student of propaganda, I watch films with a view to spotting the subtexts and premises in them which betray their ideological intent, which usually isn't that hard to do. This one, though, never even gets that far. It is so lame, and so further weakened throughout with that Canadian-miniseries-styled excess of earnestness in the acting styles, that if this had been somebody's idea of fulfilling a mission to produce propaganda, their handlers would probably send them to the gulag for failing at it so badly.

Basically just a really, really dumb movie.

Most of your critics are too slow to have picked up on the subtleties and nuances in this movie.

[jsmith91527 · 8/10 · 13 May 2019]

I just finished watching this movie, while I won't give any details of the plot Etc, the movie itself was very solid. Regardless of all the poor reviews that I've seen on here how about I disagree with 95% of them in the sense that I thought this was a very good movie. It was a little bit slow at times but it made up for it in abundance by the quality of the overall movie. If you only watch bits and pieces of it and try to write it you will never understand it what it was very in-depth in the details cryptocurrency and Bitcoin and things like that. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and don't understand why critics is a whole very seldom ever have their finger on the pulse of what the majority of moviegoers are looking for. Movies that get the worst reviews oh, i e the marvel universe, transformers, Etc end up being billion dollar movies and or series' or more in many cases. I have taken the mindset that any time I see a movie that is show me poorly with the critics oh, that is a sign of a good movie in about 90% of my experiences. no longer will I ever look at critics reviews of a movie and decide whether or not to see that movie based on there educated or they're supposedly experienced opinions. I fail to see that in the majority of the bad reviews that I read. Thank you for taking the time to hear my opinion I'm sure a large portion of you will disagree with it but I love movies of all types and sometimes they're not as good as we want them to be but I still love movies and will continue to go to see them and to watch them in my own home as well. I hope that the current and Future fmovies does not change as drastically as TV series and programs has because I sail to connect with but a few of the current TV shows boats subscribed and unsubscribed. I do not understand the humor that is so rampant in popular right now and I don't mean that to sound like I'm an old fogey sayings you young whippersnappers don't know what you're doing type scenario but I absolutely do not like or enjoy most of what is popular on television now a days. Please Don't judge me too harshly I just have different viewpoints than most people but I'm still a consumer and I enjoy movies and television but I've been struggling with a lot of these and the route that entertainment as a whole is taking.

Main protagonist is really, really unlikable...

[scorch429 · 4/10 · 16 April 2019]

I'm not sure if the actor is just a douche, or if the char was written that way, but he comes off as a douche, and we are supposed to be rooting for him? Perhaps just bad casting, but he is really unlikable. This movie had potential if they would have not just used what looks to be a first draft of the script...

Big Disappointment

[moviebuff-50523 · 12 April 2019]

Some movies go straight to DVD, while others go straight to the trash can. I think this is one of the latter...