The Dark Money Game

Last updated

The Dark Money Game
GenreDocumentary
Directed by Alex Gibney
Production
Production company HBO [1]
Original release
Network Max
ReleaseApril 15 (2025-04-15) 
April 16, 2025 (2025-04-16)

The Dark Money Game is a 2025 two-part documentary miniseries directed by Alex Gibney which explores the use of dark money in United States politics. [2] [3]

Contents

The miniseries comprises the following films:

Production

The project was inspired by Jane Mayer's book Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right . [4] It features interviews with journalists, lawmakers, judges, FBI investigators, whistleblowers, and insiders. [4]

Release

The first film, Ohio Confidential, premiered on April 15, 2025. [5] The second film, Wealth of the Wicked, premiered on April 16, 2025. [5]

Reception

Eric Deggans of NPR stated, "For anyone worried about how gerrymandering and one-party dominance of legislatures may have made it easier for politicians to ignore the will of the people, Gibney's films offer a potent argument tracing the problem to an avalanche of dark money easily hidden from the public's view." [6] Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter commented that "This is important stuff, but unfortunately it is not good storytelling from a filmmaker who, far more often than not, knows from good storytelling." [3]

References

  1. "The Dark Money Game". HBO . Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  2. Smith, David (April 15, 2025). "'We're on a knife edge': Alex Gibney warns about the dangers of dark money" via The Guardian.
  3. 1 2 Fienberg, Daniel (April 15, 2025). "'The Dark Money Game' Review: Alex Gibney's Two Feature-Length HBO Documentaries Tackle Urgent Issues in Uninspired Ways". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Morfoot, Addie (April 7, 2025). "Alex Gibney Talks HBO's 'The Dark Money Game' And Upcoming 'Musk' Doc: 'We Have a Lot of Information I Know That Nobody Else Has'". Variety . Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Carey, Matthew (April 15, 2025). "Doc Talk Podcast: Oscar Winner Alex Gibney Opens Secret Vault Of Political Cash In 'The Dark Money Game'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 24, 2025.
  6. Deggans, Eric (April 14, 2025). "What's on TV: 2 new documentaries, a Western, a comedy, and 'The Rehearsal'". NPR . Retrieved April 24, 2025.