'Tales From The Crypto' Tries Mining for Laughs at DWF:LA - Review
“Tales From The Crypto,” at DWF:LA feels dated only being five years removed from the digital coin craze, but still offers up some laughs.
Every generation has its get-rich-quick scheme. During the pandemic, it involve cryptocurrency, decentralized finance and enough online jargon to make Boomers, Gen X and Millennials reach for Google.
Making its world premiere at Dances With Films: Los Angeles (DWF:LA), “Tales From The Crypto,” is one of those films that immediately feels familiar and dated at the same exact time. Writer, director and producer Marcus Niehaus dives headfirst into the chaos of the cryptocurrency boom, when Discord, Telegram, Reddit and Twitter were filled with self-proclaimed financial gurus discussing Bitcoin, NFTs and the next version of real estate moguls.
The film follows Ravi (Aryaan Ohri), a young programmer who turns to cryptocurrency trading in hopes of saving his parents’ farm in India after the COVID-19 pandemic destroyed the global economy. Along the way, he encounters every type of personality on 4Chan.
Fortunately, “Tales From The Crypto,” understands that the funniest part of crypto has never really been the technology. It’s the people convinced they had cracked the code to instant wealth.
Ohri sadly makes us want to watch Ravi fail. Niehaus clearly knows this world, and the screenplay is packed with references that will resonate with anyone who followed the crypto boom, but no one else. The jokes about influencers, overnight millionaires and endless hype cycles often land caricature instead of comedy. By the time it reaches its conclusion, “Tales From The Crypto,” has plenty of observations but few surprises.
That’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable, but film doesn’t ask audiences to understand the tech world as much as it asks them to remember a moment when everyone seemed convinced financial freedom was just one more token away…like the guy on the boat selling real estate videos at 2 a.m. on cable.
“Tales From The Crypto,” offers a nostalgic moment no one really asked for or wants to remember. It is dated but for viewers who spent the pandemic watching markets rise and crash in real time, the film will likely earn enough laughs. For everyone else, it’s an amiable indie comedy that never quite reaches the same highs as the phenomenon it satirizes.
To purchase tickets for “Tales From The Crypto,” at Dances With Films: Los Angeles visit: https://danceswithfilms.com/2026-tales-from-the-crypto/.
“Tales From The Crypto,” shows at DWF:LA Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at 8:45 p.m. at the TCL Chinese Theatre.
TCL Chinese Theatre is located at:
6925 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
3 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️