Crypto Boy may seem, at first, to primarily warn against the allure of cryptocurrency, but at heart, it’s a family drama centered around an ambitious man and his immigrant Egyptian father. The Dutch Netflix film is actually a whole family affair, with writer-director Shady El-Hamus casting his brother Shahine and their father Sabri Saad in a real and relatable struggle between generations. That being said, the film is definitely less interested in the actual cryptocurrency scam presented. It takes such a predictable route that the protagonist comes off as foolish, rather than understandably ambitious. With his parallel to the villain, the film seems like it wants its viewers to empathize with the rich Mark Zuckerberg-wannabe, rather than cathartically put him through the consequences. This makes the film feel as disappointing as the crypto promises, as viewers are lured into the film for this, but come out with another thing entirely.

While the film’s plot is driven by Amir’s crypto, Crypto Boy works best when focused on the family drama between father and son. Amir and Omar’s dynamic is a classic one – one where the son wants to prove himself to his father, to the point that he’s ready to risk it all, while the father is more cautious, but more controlling, and less open to his ideas. However, this classic dynamic is specifically informed by Omar’s immigrant background, as the originally Egyptian native started his life in the Netherlands from scratch. It’s an interesting subtlety, and it’s made more genuine given the director and casting. It gives the film some real heart, even if the crypto part doesn’t pan out.