Tony Mucci’s MONEY TALK$ is the kind of short film that doesn’t just demand your attention, it grabs you by the collar and doesn’t let go until the final frame. Set against the gritty pulse of 1981 New York City, the most violent year in the city’s history, the film unfolds with the raw immediacy of a Scorsese classic and the social resonance of a Spike Lee joint. Through the ingenious conceit of tracking a single $100 bill as it passes from hand to hand, MONEY TALK$explores how currency connects, corrupts, and condemns everyone who touches it.

What makes MONEY TALK$ stand out as one of this year’s most talked-about Oscar contenders is its combination of ambitious storytelling and unflinching execution. Mucci, who writes, directs, produces, and even stars, delivers a cinematic tour de force that feels both timeless and topical. A veteran of high-profile music videos for artists like Lil Wayne, Drake, and Juice WRLD, Mucci translates his kinetic visual style and instinct for rhythm into a filmic language brimming with tension, texture, and authenticity. His direction is confident and cinematic, blending the grime and danger of 1980s New York with the humanity that lives beneath it.

The film’s ensemble cast is nothing short of electric. David Mazouz (Gotham) co-writes, co-produces, and stars with a quiet intensity, while Zolee Griggs (Wu-Tang: An American Saga) and Ethan Cutkosky (Shameless) turn in layered performances that belie the short format. Francesca Scorsese (We Are Who We Are) brings a magnetic, tragic grace, and Fredro Starr (The Wire), Bo Dietl (Goodfellas), and Sean Pertwee (Gotham) each ground the film with seasoned gravitas. Add in rapper 24kGoldn, Swoosh God, and pro wrestler Tyler Senerchia (“Hook”), and the result is a vibrant collision of cultures and personas—a cross-section of New York itself.

Visually, the film pulses with mood and menace. Every exchange of the $100 bill becomes a moral transaction, a reflection of how survival, power, and desperation intertwine. The editing is taut, the cinematography evocative, and the score underscores the film’s dark rhythm of fate and consequence.

Backing Mucci is a powerhouse producing team: Scott Aharoni, whose projects have lit up Sundance, Tribeca, and Cannes, brings an awards pedigree that underscores the film’s credibility as a serious Oscar player. Alongside rising producer Bryan Schmier, whose collaborations with icons like Wesley Snipes and DJ Khaled have defined a new wave of urban storytelling, the team behind MONEY TALK$ has crafted a short that feels anything but small.

In an awards season already crowded with contenders, MONEY TALK$ stands apart as a work of ambition, artistry, and grit. It’s not just a film about money, it’s a film about humanity, connection, and consequence. And under Tony Mucci’s brilliant direction, it feels destined to make noise far beyond the festival circuit.

Verdict: ★★★★★

MONEY TALK$ isn’t just a short—it’s a statement. A fierce, stylish, and emotionally charged ride that marks Tony Mucci as one of the most exciting new voices in cinema, and cements the film as a serious frontrunner in this year’s Oscar race.

Mark Damson