Movie Reviews

‘Trader’ review: Neat idea hard to get invested in

Greed is good.

August 13, 2023

Thrillers about trading stocks and doing anything to make the most money tend to be chaotic affairs filled with over the top characters. Trader from writer-director Corey Stanton boils everything down to one person. The film follows a woman (Kimberly-Sue Murray, voice of Gamora in Square Enix’s Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy) who stumbles across news of a huge pharmaceutical trade. She quickly decides to do what it takes to get everything she wants.

Trader tries to create the hectic atmosphere found in similar films to mixed results. Since there is only one on-screen character much of the mood has to be manufactured through knowing glances and nods. There are also constant shots of the main character writing down their plan. It is a disjointed mix of too much hand holding but not enough meaningful exposition.

Murray’s character (simply credited as “Trader”) is interesting to watch. It is established very early that she is manipulative and uncaring. There are some uncomfortable moments that show just how far she is willing to go to attain more money. Once she discovers the world of stock trading, her obsessive nature begins to control her life. Stylized shots and nice use of reds and greens add to the mood.

Trader quickly runs out of steam, however. What is at first compelling and imaginative becomes silly and repetitive. The script begins throwing reveals at the audience that come off as attempts to draw out the thin script. Murray does her best to carry things, but there just is not that much to work with.

It would not be fair to call it bad, but it is disappointing. Writer-director Corey Stanton has put together a story that is incredibly entertaining at times. And though it runs too long, it is actually well paced. Trader shows off a lot of potential. Ultimately, there is just not enough to get invested in.