Trader

Before I begin, I want to clarify that I have no personal connections with anyone involved in this movie. An actress I know recommended the film to me, knowing my affinity for low-budget, single-location movies. I am always intrigued to see how filmmakers execute a story in one location with a limited cast, and whether they can keep the audience engaged. This is a significant challenge, and I have a considerable amount of experience in this area. I produced a single-location film that was licensed as a Netflix Original in 2022, which reached the Top 10 in 60 countries within five days of release. That project was a collaboration with a first-time female writer-director and an almost entirely female cast. Our film received a 100% rating from critics and 85% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. So, I understand the process and execution of low-budget films intimately. First, Kimberly-Sue Murray, who plays Trader, is an outstanding actress. I was thoroughly impressed by her performance-absolutely five-star! She was the glue that held the entire movie together. I'm surprised I haven't seen her in more projects. For aspiring actresses, this is the kind of film you want to be a part of, where the camera is focused on you throughout. It will either showcase your talent or expose your weaknesses. This is how you get noticed by other producers and directors. Second, the cinematography was excellent! For a small-budget indie film, it was very well executed. In my opinion, Murray's acting, the cinematography, and the music were the elements that kept the movie compelling. The only reason I'm giving the movie an 8 instead of a 10 is that the writing and directing could have been slightly better. I know how challenging it is to maintain audience engagement with just one character, and I think writer/director Corey Stanton did a decent job, but that's where the film fell a bit short for me. Perhaps an experienced producer by his side could have made the film tighter. Additionally, besides producing, I have been a professional money manager and trader on Wall Street for 27 years. There were some inaccuracies and gaps in the depiction of how the market operates. Market manipulation happens, but SEC and FBI are usually all over this kind of situation quickly. Also, the opening sequence, it is not that easy to get someone to give you their credit card numbers, so for me, the opening part, needed more attention in the script. That part could have been better written. However, anyone interested in the trader's life will enjoy this movie. Overall, nice job Corey, great effort. I hope your investors saw a return on their investment. I enjoyed the film, and I appreciate you bringing Kimberly-Sue Murray's talent to my attention. By the way, I watched the film on Tubi.

To appreciate this movie you need to be somewhat familiar with the stock market (I am). If you are a tech person and/or investor you may find some redeeming qualities in this movie. Extra points if you are also a lonely person living alone (I am). So if you are in the 0.1% of the population that can relate a bit to the protagonist you may not find this movie a total waste of time. (Personally i was watching it while exercising) Two things that alienated me and I found quite silly: 1) the drugs (Are they implying you need to do drugs to do well in the stock market?! :P ) 2) the papers! So many papers!!. On one hand she codes trading bots on the other she writes down phone numbers on paper?!! That was beyond silly. The actress was ok, adequate. I liked that she was not wearing bra and you could at times see her nipples, i was hoping for some nudity, there is none sadly. 5/10 for a decent effort. It could be a 6 or even 7 if it had no drugs and no papers.

I knew absolutely nothing about trading when I went into this film and had no idea what to expect but WOW - this film blew me away. One character one location feature films are not easily pulled off well but Corey takes it in stride, adding quirky and unexpected twists along the way to keep you engaged and at the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Corey doesn't just teach you about trading in this film though, he takes you on a mind-bending psychological journey. Trader is a rollercoaster of a story that will leave your heart pounding long after the credits have rolled. Worth a watch any day.