Today’s quick review: Money. Mark (Kellan Lutz) and Sylvia (Jess Weixler), a wealthy young couple, invite Mark’s hotheaded friend Sean (Jesse Williams) and his girlfriend Christina (Lucia Guerrero) over for dinner. Unknown to the women, Mark and Sean have just brought home $5 million in cash from selling corporate secrets. But when John (Jamie Bamber), a dangerous thief, crashes the party in search of the money, the night devolves into a hostage situation.
Money is a minimalistic crime drama centered around a high-stakes home invasion. Money aims to be a tense, cerebral thriller that makes good use of its small cast and unpredictable plot. However, the movie’s abrasive characters and mediocre writing keep it from living up to this ideal. Though its basic story is fine and its execution is decent, Money delivers little that’s new or exciting.
Money relies heavily on its characters. The characters are deliberately flawed, but Money goes a step too far and skimps on their redeeming qualities. Poor decisions, infighting, and petty social quarrels all make it difficult to root for any of the characters. The plot suffers from similar missteps, with limp plot twists, arbitrary reversals, and a failure to capitalize on what should be the movie’s best moments.
Money gets enough right to be a decent pick for those with a hankering for tension. But its flaws are pronounced enough that most viewers would be better off skipping it. For a stranger but more interesting minimalistic cat-and-mouse game, check out Sleuth. For a black comedy hostage situation, check out Suicide Kings. For a darker, tenser crime drama, check out Reservoir Dogs.
5.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 for a decent premise and mediocre execution.