SXSW 2024 REVIEW – It’s Christmas and things are great at the beginning of the fun new thriller Cold Wallet.  Billy (Raúl Castillo) and his pal Dom (Tony Cavalero) are partying at a bar, singing karaoke, and falling under the spell of crypto-currency. Yes, because drinking and investing is the perfect mix. Yet life has something else planned for poor Billy and things spiral wildly out of control in this crackling new thriller from writer direcgtor Cutter Hodierne and co-writer John Hibey. Buckle up kids, because Cold Wallet isn’t just entertaining, it’s unpredictable. This is a compelling, clever, and suspenseful movie shrewdly optimized for a modest budget without feeling like it.

After Billy snags his daughter a PS5 for Christmas and gives it to her, his plans to continue reaping the rewards of risky crypto-investments come to a screeching halt. The currency tanks and its creator, Charles (Josh Brener), has suddenly died leaving countless hopeful millionaires even further in debt than before. Billy, along with his friend and crypto-convert Dom, find themselves thousands of dollars in debt. That’s when fellow victim Eva (Melonie Diaz) reaches out. She knows that Charles is still alive and plans to flee the country. What’s more, Charles is only 20 miles away in an expansive mansion nestled deep in the wilderness. Eva suggests that the three of them get to him and return the millions of dollars to everyone before Charles has time to flee.

What I loved the most about Cold Wallet is the tense, almost claustrophobic timeline. Oh, they find Charles, they seize him, and they execute a plan. Yet it’s what happens on the way that is the most fun. The theft is a MacGuffin that allows Billy, Dom, and Eva to be tested both mentally and morally. As the three muddle through their half-baked idea, the bound Charles attacks the trio mentally. Where is the blame when three desperate investors have fallen for something that is way too good to be true? Will they be able to outsmart their aggressor before the night is over? Will they right countless wrongs?

John Hibey and Cutter Hodierne craft a compelling idea with three very different, very likable protagonists. Or maybe four protagonists depending on how you see Charles. Aside from the set-up scenes, we have a single, yet very opulent setting. We also have production values that match the talent on screen. On that note, I have to call out the acting ensemble that sells the movie. Cold Wallet works, to a large degree, because Castillo, Cavelero, Diaz, and Brener work so well together.

One of the things that tells me how much I have enjoyed a film is how long I sit and watch the credits. As I watched the credits roll on Cold Wallet I listened to the music and watched the countless names scroll by, basking in the memory of their fine work. This was a fun movie that didn’t cheat on storytelling. Then the credits seemed to end. Darn. Where’s the next twist?

7 out of 10