When a manipulative sociopath discovers her passion for stock market trading, she sets out to conquer the financial world, all from the confines of her basement apartment.
Writer and director Corey Stanton‘s psychological thriller “Trader” is set in a solitary, confined location with only one actor ever seen on screen, but it’s not something that should be casually dismissed as just another gimmicky independent film. There’s a potent force both behind the camera and in front of it, and the end result is a shrewd and incendiary commentary on Wall Street, greedy corporations, lack of mental health resources, and a culture of violence that seems to run rampant in today’s society.
Trader (Kimberly-Sue Murray) is a sociopath. She lives alone in a dark basement, spending her days on the phone, grifting senior citizens out of their credit card numbers. She’s a master manipulator who is hell-bent on making her own fortune and luck. When she becomes intrigued by social media star and Wall Street broker Bob (voice of Shaun Benson), Trader decides to try her hand playing the stock market. A new passion for day trading blossoms, and the young woman uses her ambition, will, and determination to become a success story at any cost.
It’s a great story about a solo female antihero, and she’s a person you want to see win — within reason. With a penchant for gulping energy drinks and snorting wasabi, Trader is motivated and focused to a fault. She’s smart, savvy, and can accomplish anything she puts her mind to. Here, it means studying stacks of books about the stock market, studying and learning as much as she can, and then putting it to the test. She loses a lot of money at first, but her quest for the ultimate stock tip may just deliver that huge payday (and with it more freedom and power) she’s seeking.
Murray’s lead performance is powerful and compelling, and she commands attention in every scene. Her turn as Trader is terrifying but charming, and this paradox makes it an interesting experience for the viewer. It takes a lot of acting talent to single-handedly keep a movie going through phone calls and computer chats, as her only interaction with other characters comes through voice-only performances.
The ruthless nature of the story is unsettling, as is the main character’s sheer barbarity in the pursuit of her dream. In one scene, she literally prays for clinical trial patients to become consumed and eaten alive with cancer just so she can make a buck by short selling a pharmaceutical company’s stock. Stanton’s script perfectly symbolizes the seductive allure of a big, fat bank account and the willingness of some to bury their own morality to get it. His script is provocative, disturbing, and unforgettable.
“Trader” is a film with a unique vision that tests the limits of its audience with incendiary, button-pushing content. If you can withstand the emotional and mental stress of watching it all unfold, you’ll discover Stanton’s fresh and exciting voice in indie cinema.
