'Everyone Is Lying to You for Money': Ben McKenzie investigated crypto. What he found left a pit in his stomach

A documentary titled Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, written, directed and produced by The O.C. and Gotham star Ben McKenzie, following the release of his New York Times bestselling book "Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud," written with journalist Jacob Silverman, should be something streamers knock down doors to get their hands on. Apparently, that's not the case when the subject is cryptocurrency, as U.S. President Donald Trump earned more than US$1.4 billion in crypto-related earnings in his first year back in office.

The film has a unique tone. There is a lot of humour, including McKenzie leaning into the initial reaction many had: Why is the guy who played Ryan Atwood on The O.C. talking about crypto? But his economics background, storytelling ability and unrelenting quest for truth have produced not just one of the most important films you'll see, but one of the most impactful and superbly crafted documentaries, among the best films of the year.

In Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, we see McKenzie expose the Ponzi scheme that is cryptocurrency, something the actor, who also has an economics degree, began diving into during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. He eventually hired a camera crew to document his investigation, attending a crypto convention in Miami, travelling to "Bitcoin City" in El Salvador, and conducting a particularly telling interview with Sam Bankman-Fried, who founded the global crypto exchange FTX, and is currently serving a 25-year sentence for fraud after stealing billions from customers.