Trader, 2022
Directed by Corey Stanton.
Starring Kimberly Sue-Murray, Shaun Benson, Stephen Bogaert
SYNOPSIS:
When a mysterious sociopath discovers a passion for stock market trading, they set out to overthrow the entire financial world, all from the confines of their basement apartment.
The high-risk world of insider trading is compellingly brought out in Corey Stanton’s imaginative psychological thriller Trader.
Illustrating the intense and volatile drama of the stock market, the film highlights the indiscriminate pursuit of profit over all else. The damage this unrestrained corporate ruthlessness does to individuals and society as a whole is creatively shown in a dream-like series of scenes.
Kimberly Sue-Murray is superb as the mysterious lead (billed only as Trader), showing off a range of responses to the ghost-like conversations they have with others in the financial world.
Most notable of these is the mercurial Bob the Broker (Shaun Benson), who acts as a gateway into the conspiratorial dungeons of the shadowy world of big pharma and stocks. The Trader is the only character that appears on screen, and Sue-Murray carries the whole movie brilliantly, displaying everything from bursts of rage to lost confusion.
In effect, the story is a nightmarish trip through adrenaline and paranoia, as the wasabi-snorting Trader delves into the murky underworld of online stock gambling. Stanton’s sharp writing offers Sue-Murray the chance to shine in the central role, presenting industry intricacies alongside total breakdown and vengeful attacks skilfully and dramatically.
Focusing on the lead’s mission to try and understand how far the reach of those at the top goes, the film shows them tirelessly working to become an expert at the game. As they become more and more embroiled in stocks, shares and dodgy pharmaceutical deals, they discover the secrets of the industry and see the workings of the dark arts of stacking the odds in the house’s favour.
As any experienced gambler knows ‘the house always wins,’ but the Trader falls upon a way of limiting that truth to their ends. The results of this knowledge are intriguingly played, and the tensely played movie brings out the essential strangeness and fear of risk-taking excellently.
Into this scenario is placed the plight of a family who fall foul to the worst effects of unsafe pharmaceuticals. The amoral Trader appears to take their case on as a rallying call and fights on for a perceived greater good.
Trader offers a burst of grim financial horror boosted by Sue-Murray’s stand-out performance. It is a dazzling and stylish piece, and the stark claustrophobia of the apartment works well as a metaphor for the dark ignorance most of society is deemed to be in regarding big pharma. Trader skilfully offers enlightenment and the possibility of release when armed with the truth.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★/ Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert W Monk
Originally published March 25, 2024. Updated March 26, 2024.
