A well-worn movie trope is the underdog finding a way to screw over a big corporation from the inside.
But that’s where Midas starts…
…Where it ends up is a different place, however.
Instead of just a wacky heist movie, we get a deep exploration of the healthcare system, the insurance industry, and how how two can work at opposing ends of the spectrum and still manage to squeeze the customer.
The heart of Midas is the relationship between Ricky and his mother, a one-time Midas Insurance employee who is now very sick and has lost her insurance through, you guessed it: Midas.
A comically unlively series of events leads Ricky into a high-profile job at Midas, where he stumbles onto a scheme which will reshape the insurance industry forever.
I don’t want to spoil that review, but it’s based in some real concerns of today.
The interplay between Ricky and his friends Sunita and Victor as they help him try to get his mother covered by Midas again to help with her punishing bills is wonderful, with the planning and execution both well acted and believable.
Well, as believable as they can be, of course.
The performances here are solid, even if the overall tone of the film meanders a bit between sit-com and full-on heist film, but the cast carried us through with their portrayal of three friends, all dealing with different life situations.
If you’re looking for a fun movie where the little guy gets to stick it to the man, then Midas just might be the movie for you.
Midas is in theaters now (limited release) and stars Laquan Copeland, Preet Kaur, Federico Parra, Lucy Powers, and Bob Gallagher.
And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.