Get ready to feel a rush of nostalgia! Forget everything you thought you knew about millennials being disengaged and lazy because the mind-blowing documentary The New Americans: Gaming a Revolution is here to challenge those assumptions. Ondi Timoner’s latest masterpiece is so timely that it premiered just as the collapse of SVB made headlines worldwide. While the film doesn’t predict that specific event, it can easily be updated to reflect the current state of affairs. After captivating audiences with the emotionally charged Last Flight Home last year, Timoner returns to her forte of immersing herself in pop culture as it unfolds. With awards season on the horizon, it’s uncertain if The New Americans will stand the test of time, considering what happened to Laura Poitras’ once-promising film in just six months. However, the world Timoner uncovers in this documentary is here to stay.
Prepare for a wild ride as the film kicks off with a visually stunning and in-your-face introduction, using retro gaming graphics that will pay off in the end. It starts with an interview excerpt featuring Jordan Belfort, the original Wolf of Wall Street, followed by comments from the infamous Anthony Scaramucci, who briefly served as Donald Trump’s Director of Communications. Surprisingly, these two voices might just be the voices of reason, especially when The Mooch asks, “How much crazy can you accept?” You can’t help but be captivated.
Belfort makes an astute observation early on, stating that the USA was founded by settlers fleeing from reality. He notes that a key aspect of the “American Dream” is the opportunity to start over if you fail. This unintentionally reflects the main thesis of the film, which explores how gaming culture has blurred the lines between the physical and digital worlds. In this sense, The New Americans could be the first post-pandemic film to truly capture the impact of the Covid lockdown on American culture. It provides context not only for the SVB meltdown but also for the January 6 insurrection, both of which were influenced by communities formed in isolation.
For a deeper understanding of America’s financial institutions, check out Michael Moore’s 2009 film Capitalism: A Love Story, which offers a surprisingly non-partisan perspective. However, if you want to stay in the present, The New Americans is the way to go. It delves into the rise of “retail traders,” ordinary citizens who navigate the stock market using information from websites like Wall Street Bets and Robinhood. This subculture gained attention when GameStop’s share price skyrocketed two years ago, but even this accessible and breezy film struggles to fully explain the intricacies to the average viewer.
The film’s visual style may take some getting used to, with its abundance of cartoonish CG visuals and memes that initially seem like comedic relief. However, as Marshall McLuhan, the visionary Canadian philosopher, once said, the medium truly is the message. Our current state is a result of the fragmented way we consume information, where a tweet can have the same impact as a headline. The New Americans also sheds light on cryptocurrency, its strengths, and its vulnerabilities in a surprisingly human way, which resonates with the SVB situation.
How we navigate through all of this remains uncertain. But amidst the overwhelming influx of information, it’s comforting to know that Timoner is always one step ahead, just as curious and open to the questions raised by her film as the audience. Plus, the music is absolutely fantastic.
Title: The New Americans: Gaming a Revolution
Section: Documentary Spotlight
Director-screenwriter: Ondi Timoner
Running time: 1hr 42 mins
