It’s bittersweet to think back to the days of the early NFT boom. We were still in the thick of COVID-19 caution but slowly coming out of quarantine when TikTok and Tiger King monopolized the collective consciousness. Then comes NFTs, a revolutionary form of digital art that initially seemed like a fad but ended up becoming a cultural disruptor. In the new documentary Minted: The Rise (and Fall?) of the NFT, filmmaker Nicholas Bruckman charts the wild ride of the art world’s former darling.

From Astounding Cultural Movement to Biggest Financial Collapse

An artist named Beeple sits in his living room surrounded by loved ones as they all stare at his TV in disbelief. Beeple’s newly created NFT has sold for $69 million. This digital artwork, which is still in the infancy stage of popularity, has officially made Beeple the third highest-selling artist of all time. But what exactly is an NFT, and why are people spending thousands, if not millions, of dollars on art that can literally be saved on a computer for free? This is Bruckman’s starting point as he navigates the curiously bizarre trajectory of the NFT.

Watch the Minted: The Rise (and Fall?) of the NFT trailer here.

Bruckman does a great job of getting into the minds of these digital pioneers whose lives have changed forever by selling their art on the blockchain. After Beeple’s historic sale ignited an all-out frenzy, many artists found themselves living out their own rags-to-riches stories. But all good things must come to an end. Minted goes into stunning detail about the conspiracy theories, celebrity endorsements, and dark side of this controversial new frontier.

NTFs: Everything or Nothing?

Watching this film in hindsight, as the stock market is currently volatile, gives off an eerily uneasy feeling. Nicholas Bruckman could have never predicted the timing of this release to perfectly align with cultural events but it works so well in tandem. It forces the audience to question not just the monetary value of an NFT, but the very nature of art. This larger philosophical question is juxtaposed against composer Dan Deacon’s bright and forceful score.

Takeaway

The question remains: Are NFTs dead? Minted hypothesizes that they may not be raking in millions of dollars like they used to, but there is still a market for them. However, what has died are people’s hopes and dreams that this was sustainable. Minted made its World Premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and is coming to Netflix on April 9th.