New Money
Two normal people wake up with inordinate wealth.
Filmed on location in nouveau riche’s paradise Miami, his Estonian film gives a new definition to so-called “new money” when two normal people wake up with inordinate wealth. Taavi (Märt Pius) is a modest IT specialist for a bank and his wife, Liisa (Steffi Pähn), is an even more modest school teacher. How they got their money is a story told in 2023’s crypto-comedy Free Money. The satirical sequel picks up the premise and asks what would two absolutely ordinary people do with that money? Both films are directed by Rain Rannu, an incredibly wealthy businessman turned filmmaker and founder of the rising Estonian production company Tallifornia.
Their new wealth changes them. Or, to be more accurate, it turns Taavi into a less pleasant version of himself. He starts e-flirting with women on Instagram, perhaps empowered by his new monetary status, despite not being particularly dissatisfied with Liisa. In the beginning, they make decisions together: their vacation plans, how much money to give friends, how to invest (or not) their money, etc. By the end, Taavi assumes the role of a patriarch and starts making their decisions unilaterally. Liisa still wants to live their same life—she doesn’t even want to give up teaching, but Taavi makes that harder and harder.