Written by Matt Swanson
$POSITIONS is an indie thriller-comedy that follows the chaotic ups and downs of a blue-collar Midwesterner gambling his life savings on a cryptocurrency. On its surface, it may appear to share similarities with Uncut Gems, as both films are chaotic studies of gambling addiction. However, this film carves out its own niche with its balance of emotional grounding, vivid characters, and contemporary comedy.
The movie opens with a simple premise. Mike (Michael Kunicki) is struggling to care for his brother with Down syndrome, Vinny (Vinny Kress), after the passing of his mother. His luck takes a turn when his crypto investments make him $35,000. Seeing his new wealth, he immediately decides to quit his job and ask his girlfriend for an open relationship. Already, there is so much irony in the opening act. To begin with, his investments quickly plummet, leaving him unemployed and broke. The open relationship doesn’t go too well either, as it just means his girlfriend Charlene (Kaylyn Carter) now has (many) other boyfriends. What Mike thought was the fulfillment of the American Dream quickly becomes a nightmare.
As Mike struggles to claw himself out of the hole that he dug, he continues to bet more and more of his life on digital assets, making the pit even deeper. He’s comforted by his cousin, Travis (Trevor Dawkins), a recovering heroin addict who was just released from prison. The film follows a pattern of highs and lows as Mike, thinking he must have hit bottom, puts more at risk for the chance at life-changing wealth. However, every time he buys back in, the floor drops lower as the stakes get higher in Mike’s chaotic spiral. The constantly overlapping dialogue, fast-paced editing, and electronic score pull the audience along this relentless rollercoaster with Mike.
Throughout all of the turmoil, there are some genuinely hilarious moments. The film masterfully balances its most depressing scenes with some shocking humor. Some of the crudest jokes effectively play on the naivety and insecurity of the protagonist Mike. Other characters such as Vinny and Mike’s niece Sequoia (Reagan Fitzgerald) both have endearingly wholesome comedic moments that are extremely memorable. The film contrasts sharply with many modern action comedies, which often jettison their emotional weight with comic relief one-liners. $POSITIONS takes the tragic comedy approach and finds humor in the tragedy, finding a way to fit a joke into some of the heaviest moments without surrendering their power.
The story would lose its impact if it were solely an investigation into a character’s self-destruction, so $POSITIONS relies on emotionally moving performances to ground the characters. Kunicki’s performance shows Mike as equal parts manic and naive. He always has a wild look in his eyes, as he’s willing to risk everything to achieve the wealth that will make him loved. Kress’s performance as Vinny is the real glue of the movie, though. Vinny gives his brother a real outlet for his love and caring nature, giving him a reason to risk it all but also a reason to cut his losses.
Dawkins as Travis is memorable in his humble expression of sobriety and frightening embodiment of addiction. There is a moment in the emotional climax of the film where Travis confesses that he’s spent his whole life searching for God and treating himself badly. It’s after looking in the mirror after a tumultuous struggle that he weeps, saying that Jesus was within him the whole time. Travis provides a mirror for Mike, as he struggles with addiction of another kind. Travis shows Mike that addiction isn’t something that can be conquered. The drug addict will never be satisfied with a euphoric high, and the gambling addict will never be fulfilled by a big enough payout. Both Travis and Mike are given the option to accept their nature and adjust, or to keep seeking an ultimate hit that doesn’t exist. The film isn’t fatalistic; it does not suggest that both characters will perpetually be tormented by their nature. Instead, it proposes that fulfillment doesn’t come from utter euphoria or a massive payout, but a life of gratitude and humility.
