$POSITIONS - Friends Don't Let Friends Do Crypto
Film
$POSITIONS had its World Premiere at SXSW 2025
$POSITIONS is one of those films that doesn't waste any time. From the moment you press play, you are thrust into a manic odyssey through the highs and oh-so-very-lows of crypto trading. Brandon Daley's feature film debut as a writer and director is highly effective in its breezy 97-minute runtime as multiple tonal shifts carry you along as if you're riding the very candlestick chart that Mike Alvarado (Michael Kunicki) is obsessively checking. You see, Mike is something of a crypto genius, and by genius I mean he's sunk his life savings into a random crypto coin called XMUN. The only reason he has his blue-collar job is to get more money to sink into his monkey pictures, as they're so affectionately referred to by Mike's friends and family. But as Mike sinks deeper and deeper into the addictive thrill of chasing gains, while spiraling further into disarray, his sanity, friends, and family all suffer the consequences in Daley's tremendously hilarious and anxiety-inducing comedy.
Striking quickly with an introduction that seamlessly introduces Kunicki's Mike, his developmentally disabled brother Vinnie (Vinnie Kress), and Mike's fiscally irresponsible relationship with crypto, Daley's sharp writing establishes the foundation for $POSITIONS effectively and hilariously before the title credits even run. Paired with a buzzing, nerve-rattling score from Brock Chart, $POSITIONS transforms from a hopeful get-rich-quick story into a nightmarish descent—from the bright lights of financial freedom to the struggle of affording your next meal. That underlying tension aligns perfectly with the setting of the rural Midwest, where Daley creates a feel of a "black hole" town. One with no way out. When Mike starts liquidating his family’s assets for more XMUN, the absurdity of his actions is undeniably funny, thanks to Kunicki’s comedic delivery. But beneath the humor lies a darker, more sobering theme—the inescapable cycle of poverty that makes financial desperation all too real.
Bound to draw comparisons to films like Good Time and Uncut Gems, $POSITIONS feasts on its atmosphere of anxiety, driving the audience's paranoia and disgust in Mike's actions to heights that beget incredibly engaged empathy. You can't look away because you need to know if Mike is going to pull himself out of the mess he’s made. Where Daley's film strays from the Safdie Brothers' formula is rather intricate layering of characters, giving more complexity to Mike's environment. Sometimes that results in biting off more than Daley can chew, especially with Mike's trauma with his mother and father (Guido Z Cameli), and his cousin Travis (Trevor Dawkins) who's fresh out of prison and battling addiction, but there's enough holding it all together that really works.
Despite a few narrative threads that fray, Daley never lets $POSITIONS spiral out of control. The film mirrors the market it skewers—chaotic, unpredictable, and, above all, wildly entertaining. With its sharp comedic timing, frantic energy, and biting critique of crypto as modern-day snake oil, $POSITIONS cements itself as one of the funniest and most anxiety-inducing films of the year.
Froth
I'll cut right to the chase here, Brandon Daley style and just jump in. Urban Family Brewing has some of the best beer names in Seattle and the more intriguing the name, the more likely I am to give it a whirl. Which is exactly why I ordered a Sandwich Theory! No, Sandwich Theory is not an algorithmic approach to investing in the crypto market, but is in fact a delightful New England style Hazy IPA. Brewed with Simcoe, Strata and El Dorado hops, this beer is bursting with their combined tropical fruit, citrus, and herbal notes with the latter being a little more subdued than the others. On top of that, the dankness from the Strata gives it a little more bang-for-your-buck in the aroma, making it a solid all around hazy. The kind you crack open and drink with confidence after selling your mother's heirlooms to pay for 1.347 Ethereum.
That's not a spoiler for $POSITIONS and nor is it based on personal experience.
You believe me, right?
