Everyone Is Lying to You for Money
| Everyone Is Lying to You for Money | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ben McKenzie |
| Written by | Ben McKenzie |
| Produced by | Giorgio Angelini Ben McKenzie |
| Cinematography | Matthew Akers Giorgio Angelini Neil Brandvold Victor Peña |
| Edited by | Drew Blatman Jen Mackie |
| Music by | Martin Crane |
| Distributed by | The Forge |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English Spanish |
| Box office | $140,492[1][2] |
Everyone Is Lying to You for Money is a 2025 American documentary film which explores the cryptocurrency industry. It was produced, written, and directed by Ben McKenzie.[3][4] It was given a limited theatrical release on April 17, 2026.[4]
Production
Production took place over three years, helmed by the duo of actor-turned-filmmaker McKenzie and producer Giorgio Angelini.[5] The film was self-financed by McKenzie.[6]
A highly personal project (Morena Baccarin, McKenzie's wife appears in the movie as well), McKenzie directed, wrote, produced, and starred in the documentary. The film was initiated as part of research for the 2023 book Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud, which McKenzie wrote with journalist Jacob Silverman, building off McKenzie's efforts and growing profile as a cryptocurrency skeptic and critic.[7]
Release
The film had its world premiere on June 6, 2025, as part of the inaugural SXSW London festival.[8][9] It also played at the 2025 DOC NYC film festival, the 2025 Mill Valley Film Festival, and the Miami Film Festival in April 2026.[10][11][12]
In March 2025, the independent distributor The Forge acquired distribution and sales rights. The film received a limited theatrical release beginning April 17, 2026.[4]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 21 critics' reviews are positive.[13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 72 out of 100, based on six critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[14]
Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote that the film is "a lively, knife-sharp, impeccably researched and reported documentary that answers every conceivable question you've ever had about crypto, and does so in a way that's brisk and funny and illuminating rather than intimidating."[15]
References
- ↑ "Everyone Is Lying to You for Money". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
- ↑ "Everyone Is Lying to You for Money". The Numbers. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
- ↑ Carey, Matthew (April 16, 2026). "Ben McKenzie On His Crypto Documentary And Trump Family Coin Cash". Deadline.
- 1 2 3 Lang, Brent (March 5, 2026). "Ben McKenzie Cryptocurrency Documentary 'Everyone Is Lying to You for Money' Acquired by The Forge (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
- ↑ Wiseman, Andreas; Tartaglione, Nancy (2025-04-29). "'Gotham' & 'The O.C.' Star Ben McKenzie Makes Film Directing Debut On Crypto Doc 'Everyone Is Lying To You For Money', Which Will Launch At SXSW London". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ Solomon, Dan (June 13, 2025). "Best Documentaries in Years. Will Anyone Get to See It?". Texas Monthly. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
- ↑ Kemmerle, Karen (September 9, 2025). "'Everyone Is Lying To You For Money' Filmmaker Ben McKenzie Used His 'The O.C' Fame To Score An Interview With Scammer Samuel Bankman-Fried: "His Assistant Was A Fan"". Decider. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ "Everyone is Lying To You For Money | SXSW London 2025 Ses..." sxswlondon.comsession. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ Wiseman, Andreas; Tartaglione, Nancy (2025-04-29). "'Gotham' & 'The O.C.' Star Ben McKenzie Makes Film Directing Debut On Crypto Doc 'Everyone Is Lying To You For Money', Which Will Launch At SXSW London". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ "EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU FOR MONEY". DOC NYC. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ "Everyone is Lying to You for Money". Mill Valley Film Festival. 2025. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ "Everyone Is Lying to You for Money – featuring Ben McKenzie (Marquee)". Miami Film Festival. 2025-12-10. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
- ↑ "Everyone Is Lying to You for Money". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Everyone Is Lying to You for Money". Metacritic. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
- ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (April 20, 2026). "'Everyone Is Lying to You for Money' Review: Ben McKenzie's Knife-Sharp Documentary Takedown of Cryptocurrency". Variety. Retrieved April 21, 2026.