Everyone Is Lying To You For Money Review

August 22nd, 2026

I just watched one of the most thrilling documentaries I’ve seen in a while, in which “the guy from The O.C.” all but proves crypto is the scam it appears to be.

Ben McKenzie just made Everyone Is Lying To You For Money available to rent on his website; the doc is based on his own book, Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud. Why should we listen to bad boy Ryan Atwood about economics? I can give you at least two: he’s got a degree in it (for real), and he has an easy-going ability to translate the complex bullshit that certain humans produce into something that’s simple for you and me to understand.

I’m not joking when I say scenes like his interview with Sam Bankman-Fried (yes, he actually sat down with him) and his speech on the U.S. Senate floor gave me as much adrenaline and goosebumps as any good chase scene. He grounds the film in the reality of his life and the lives of millions who have been defrauded by Bitcoin and its ilk. He doesn’t treat any of those victims of fraud as anything less than humans just trying their best.

Speaking of frauds! Tom Emmer, one of our Republican Congressmen, makes an interesting cameo in the film: he was actually one of the people who questioned Bankman-Fried about his policies with FTX. And guess what? He gave Bankman-Fried a big thumbs up to all the nonsensical bullshit he spoke about the “precautions” he and FTX were taking to “protect investors”. (In case you don’t know, spoiler alert: Sam Bankman-Fried is currently serving 25 years in prison.) That Tom Emmer: a real champion of making sure the average American citizen is safe from fraud. Ask him to tell you how much real money is in crypto next time you see him!

For real, though: I could not recommend this film enough. It should be required viewing for anyone who is even thinking about getting into crypto; for anyone who knows anyone who is thinking about getting into crypto.

Ryan Atwood — excuse me, Ben McKenzie Schenkkan — is an actual American hero. What he did here is unglamorous, gloryless, and largely thankless. I say “largely” because he has my gratitude for creating a genuine resource as thoughtful, brave, and entertaining as this.