Everyone Is Lying to You for Money

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Everyone Is Lying to You for Money

Apr 2026

1h 30m

Documentary

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100%

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18 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

In Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, actor and author Ben McKenzie turns investigator, pulling back the curtain on the cryptocurrency industry and the culture of hype, misinformation, and speculation that fueled its explosive rise. What began as a promise of financial freedom has evolved into a volatile ecosystem rife with fraud and reckless gambling, carrying with it devastating consequences for everyday people. Through firsthand reporting, expert interviews, and a clear-eyed examination of major collapses and scandals, the film traces how crypto became one of the most aggressively marketed financial products of the modern era--and how warning signs were ignored, dismissed, or deliberately obscured. As fortunes are made and lost, Everyone Is Lying to You for Money asks a sobering question: who benefits from the chaos, and who is left to clean up the damage? Accessible, urgent, and often darkly ironic, the film is both a cautionary tale and a call for accountability--cutting through the noise to expose a system built on speculation, influence, and belief rather than truth.

Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

Apr 30

3/4

All of that might sound a little dense, but McKenzie’s fast and informative account of his deep dive into a blurry subject turns out to be one of the most entertaining, and yes, enlightening documentaries of the year.

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Kimberley Jones

Austin Chronicle

Apr 30

3/5

It’s an electrifying watch in its profound discomfort, and a testament to McKenzie’s ability to disarm with a smile, then land a righteous blow against the bad guys.

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Odie Henderson

Boston Globe

Apr 28

3/4

With this entertaining, funny, and informative movie, McKenzie can add documentary filmmaker to his CV

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Lady Jenevia

LadyJenevia (YouTube)

15h

It’s effective in how it enrobes educational material in humour. There’s stylish editing, animation, and graphics to be more visually arresting, but not at the expense of reporting important findings on the giant Ponzi scheme of cryptocurrency.

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

Apr 30

This engaging documentary, which is intended as a harsh critique of cryptocurrency, is more about confirmation bias than being hard-hitting investigative journalism. Director/producer/narrator Ben McKenzie injects some unnecessary scripted comedy.

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Stephen Silver

The SS Ben Hecht

Apr 30

An entertaining documentary that takes the crypto-skeptic side, while also heavily featuring Ben McKenzie as an on-camera subject. But it feels in some ways incomplete.

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Stacey S

@RT65680062 4d

I was impressed with McKenzie's book, Easy Money, and this doc is a great companion to it. (Not that you need to read the book before seeing the film.) I especially appreciated seeing Wilfredo in El Salvador, putting a face to a person who I came to care about from the book. The film is smart, thought-provoking, and yes, funny. Thanks, Ben!

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Tex S

@tschenkkan Apr 27

If you’ve ever wondered what’s REALLY going on with crypto, now you can find out. And guess what? It’s a scam. This is a funny, insightful, entertaining deep dive into the real world of crypto. That sounds like an oxymoron but it isn’t. McKenzie is knowledgeable and dogged in pursuit of the truth about something that seems too good to be true because it is. Economics and hilarity don’t usually go together but the former star of the OC, Southland and Gotham delivers.

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Manan J

@RT64452712 Apr 23

Everyone’s selling something. This film just stops pretending. Everyone Is Lying to You for Money doesn’t try to sugarcoat anything—it leans straight into the discomfort. The world it shows feels a little too real, and that’s exactly what makes it hit harder. What works is the honesty. It’s sharp, observant, and doesn’t waste time trying to be likable. Every scene feels like it’s exposing something—systems, people, or just the way things actually work behind the surface. The storytelling stays tight, with a tone that never loses focus. It knows what it wants to say—and says it without hesitation. It’s not perfect. At times, it can feel a bit too direct, almost like it’s pushing its point harder than needed. Final Verdict: Not here to comfort you. Here to call things out—and it delivers. Cinema wins. Mediocrity loses.

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Sean L.

@RT59957325 Apr 23

Surprising funny & slick for a documentary about how currency economic are (supposed to) work.

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Bella A

@RT31624380 Apr 22

Highly recommend this entertaining and informative film about an important subject matter. I’ve been a crypto skeptic for some time now, but even I learned a lot from this movie. Netflix should pick up this one!

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Anna O

@Anna135 Apr 22

In spite of being someone who’s never had any interest in crypto, this film had me engaged from beginning to end. Brilliant in its tone, direction, and message. Would highly recommend!

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Ben McKenzie

Director

Ben McKenzie

Self

Morena Baccarin

Self

Gerard Butler

Self

Alex Mashinsky

Self

Sam Bankman-Fried

Actor

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Synopsis

In Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, actor and author Ben McKenzie turns investigator, pulling back the curtain on the cryptocurrency industry and the culture of hype, misinformation, and speculation that fueled its explosive rise. What began as a promise of financial freedom has evolved into a volatile ecosystem rife with fraud and reckless gambling, carrying with it devastating consequences for everyday people. Through firsthand reporting, expert interviews, and a clear-eyed examination of major collapses and scandals, the film traces how crypto became one of the most aggressively marketed financial products of the modern era--and how warning signs were ignored, dismissed, or deliberately obscured. As fortunes are made and lost, Everyone Is Lying to You for Money asks a sobering question: who benefits from the chaos, and who is left to clean up the damage? Accessible, urgent, and often darkly ironic, the film is both a cautionary tale and a call for accountability--cutting through the noise to expose a system built on speculation, influence, and belief rather than truth.

Director: Ben McKenzie
Producer: Giorgio Angelini
Screenwriter: Ben McKenzie
Distributor: Eammon Films
Production Co: Easy Money Productions, Section Perspective
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 17, 2026, Limited
Runtime: 1h 30m