Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard
By Alistair Lawrence,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Financial fraud docu has greed, perseverance, some language.
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Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard
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What's the Story?
SKANDAL! BRINGING DOWN WIRECARD tells the story of a group of journalists whose investigation into the German tech giant revealed widespread fraud.
Is It Any Good?
It's notoriously difficult to make the worlds of financial trading and tech cinematic. However, Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard, a documentary about the Financial Times newspaper's investigation into disgraced German payment company Wirecard, does its best to tell its story in a lively and engaging fashion. Based on a book by FT journalist Dan McCrum -- a likable and energetic investigative journalist -- it details how and why he became interested in the Wirecard case, flanked by a variety of players from the world of the media and finance.
There are no real surprises about the reasons that caused Wirecard's fall from grace -- a mix of greed and face-saving quickly spirals out of control. Likewise, the way in which McCrum and other journalists are bullied, slandered and, in some cases, attempted to be bribed to stop looking into Wirecard's dealings, is another depressing reminder of how so many big businesses who present themselves as respectable are not above some underhand practices. Especially if it helps them protect their profit margins and reputation. As often with true-crime documentaries, there are a few frustrating loose ends, and with some legal cases ongoing the last chapter in this story is not yet written. Still, this documentary is a brisk and insightful overview, for anyone who doesn't know the case.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the role of the press in Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard. What character strengths did the journalists show in revealing what had been happening? Did it change your opinion of the press? If so, how?
Had you heard of this case before? Did it remind you of any other scandals? How did it compare to other true crime documentaries you've seen?
Talk about the financial industry. How does the way in which large companies invest in others sometimes create problems? Why is it difficult for authorities to track and expose any criminal behavior?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: September 16, 2022
- Cast: Dan McCrum , Lionel Barber , Markus Braun
- Director: James Erskine
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Documentary
- Character Strengths: Curiosity , Integrity , Perseverance
- Run time: 92 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: May 14, 2023
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