By Jane Fitzgerald

In MONEY TALK$, director Tony Mucci delivers a gripping and uniquely structured short film that grips you from the first frame and doesn’t let go. Set in the gritty, chaotic heart of 1981 New York City, the most violent year in the city’s history, the film tells its story not through a single protagonist, but through the journey of a $100 bill. This inspired narrative device transforms the bill into a silent witness, threading together a constellation of interconnected lives, each desperate, flawed, and heartbreakingly human.

Mucci, whose background spans viral music videos for icons like Lil Wayne and Drake and technical work on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, brings a striking visual and narrative command to his latest project. This is no ordinary short, it’s a masterclass in tone, pacing, and atmosphere. With its saturated textures, smoky color palette, and kinetic camera work, MONEY TALK$ plunges the viewer into a raw, pulse-pounding portrait of urban survival, systemic inequality, and moral ambiguity.

The ensemble cast is nothing short of stellar. David Mazouz (Fox’s Gotham), who also co-wrote and produced the film, delivers a haunting performance that belies his age and cements him as a major creative force. Zolee Griggs, Ethan Cutkosky, Francesca Scorsese, and Fredro Starr each inhabit their roles with authentic grit, while Bo Dietl and Sean Pertwee lend weight and menace to the film’s darker turns. Even cameos from 24kGoldn and Swoosh God feel grounded, adding texture rather than gimmickry.

What’s truly remarkable about MONEY TALK$ is its thematic cohesion. Each character is a cog in an unseen machine, driven by the same economic desperation and bound by the invisible threads of transactional survival. The film captures the harsh truth: in a broken system, even the innocent are complicit. A pimp holds a child’s life in his hands. A mother depends on a prostitute. The bill itself, silent and bloodstained, is the great equalizer, exchanged, stolen, spent, and sacrificed.

Scott Aharoni’s involvement as producer only heightens the film’s pedigree. With a track record that includes a 94th Academy Awards shortlist and the recent Tribeca-winning feature starring Steve Buscemi, Aharoni’s eye for boundary-pushing, award-caliber projects is well-established. MONEY TALK$ feels like a continuation of that trajectory, a short film that punches far above its weight class and positions itself as a serious contender for the Academy Awards’ Best Live Action Short category.

Producers Bryan Schmier and Mazouz himself, along with Aharoni, have crafted a film that feels urgent and unforgettable. Schmier’s influence, honed through high-impact commercial and music video work, is evident in the film’s slick, stylized grit, while Mucci’s direction balances cinematic flair with a deep emotional undercurrent.

In just minutes, MONEY TALK$ does what many features fail to do in two hours: it leaves you breathless, questioning, and moved. It’s the kind of film that haunts you in the best way, not because of what it shows, but because of what it implies.

With its audacious storytelling, powerhouse performances, and pitch-perfect direction, MONEY TALK$ is not just a standout on the festival circuit, it’s a legitimate Oscar contender. If there’s justice in the world (or Hollywood), this won’t be the last we hear of Tony Mucci and his unforgettable, blood-soaked $100 bill.