Parents' Guide to Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain

This documentary is perhaps more speculative than factual, and it's sometimes confusing or contradictory, but it offers useful, even potentially exciting, nuggets of information on blockchain. As directed by Winter (likely still best known as "Bill" from the Bill & Ted movies), Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain attempts to reach viewers who wouldn't consider themselves tech geniuses. And while it doesn't speak down to its audience, it will still likely seem like gibberish to technophobes. Even smart viewers may wish for a few extra moments to process information -- or perhaps a few more charts or graphics to illustrate a point.

The movie does a fine job of separating the concepts of "bitcoin" and "blockchain," a confusion that has plagued many, but it's unable to say whether bitcoin is the future of currency or a bubble that will burst (like the infamous "tulip fever"). It's more enthusiastic about blockchain, citing examples that are hard to oppose. Per the film, blockchain can provide regular folks with energy, food, and other crucial things -- and it will change the currently flawed system by which artists make money from their art. Yet, in the narration, Dawson admits that all this will likely need some kind of regulation. The movie also provides a handy villain: greedy, powerful corporations, which -- it says -- will use all their might to squash any upstarts that threaten their position. Trust Machine does make a compelling argument for blockchain being something that could potentially save the world. We just have to wait to find out.