Actor and noted crypto critic Ben McKenzie is set to make his directorial debut at SXSW London with the June premiere of his documentary, “Everyone Is Lying to You for Money,” according to a report by Deadline.
The documentary follows McKenzie—best known for roles on “The O.C.” and “Gotham”—as he investigates the cryptocurrency world and interviews key figures, including during a trip to El Salvador to examine President Nayib Bukele’s regime, which made Bitcoin legal tender in 2021.
“When I started warning people about crypto fraud in the fall of 2021, I caught a bunch of flak from the bros online,” McKenzie told Deadline. “Now, a lot of those guys are in jail, and sadly, millions of investors lost their shirts to these conmen.”
“Everyone Is Lying to You for Money” also features interviews with disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and Celsius co-founder Alex Mashinsky. Both interviews were filmed before their companies collapsed into bankruptcy in July and November 2022, respectively.
McKenzie began exploring cryptocurrency in 2021, while the world was still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, he has been a vocal critic, including testifying before the U.S. Senate Banking Committee on the collapse of FTX.
Released in 2023, McKenzie’s book with journalist Ben Silverman, “Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud,” explored many of the same themes that the documentary will touch on.
“Why is the false story of crypto still spreading? That’s the question I set out to answer with this film,” McKenzie said. “I cannot wait for audiences to see ‘Everyone Is Lying to You for Money,’ a comedy that treats crypto and the creeps shilling it with the respect they deserve: zero.”
Edited by Andrew Hayward
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