As with many investments in life, you think you can predict what is around the corner, yet what you find is not always what you expect. Trader is a well-paced thriller that weaves its narrative through the viewer’s lens. However, this interpretive dance-like approach, while being its target style, is its greatest weakness.

In this Canadian film, directed by Corey Stanton, the viewer follows a nameless woman (Kimberly-Sue Murray) and her demanding endeavor toward greatness in the stock trading world. The film opens to a stairway, with the camera slowly moving down its steps. There is a silent ambiance that is periodically interrupted by a phone ringing. The atmosphere is soon met with a whirring of an electrical generator. The noises pair together and begin to generate a sense of discontent but also curiosity. Finally, we find the voice, or should I say, one of the many voices of our Trader, the woman who we will soon follow. What is to come next is an exhilarating yet, admittedly confusing experience.

To begin, I will state. There was no moment I found myself feeling bored. The pacing, the execution, and the performance were engaging enough to keep my attention at its height. However, as I was further engaged, I was able to notice certain aspects that were not as appealing or well executed within the production and direction of the film. Thematically, Trader made a noticeable and successful effort to connect sound, design, and lighting with what it was trying to convey in moments; however, that was not the case overall.

The dimensionality of the combined effects of sound, light, and set brought a decent but not abundant amount of anxiety and simultaneous anticipation throughout, which was not a weakness but a feature. The music and the atmosphere blended well to provide a thematic emotional rollercoaster of intrigue, thought, and sensation. At times I would be able to match whether a soundtrack was included to accompany a targeted emotion such as dread, suspense, or curiosity. The lighting complimented the sound design immeasurably. The visual creativity was a sight to behold that I do not wish to spoil with words, but instead recommend you view yourself. All of this, however, brought together a semblance of near-perfect dimensionality that was only heightened by the actors’ performance.

Kimberly-Sue Murray’s performance of the Trader was probably the height of the film overall, next to the pacing. Paired with the set and audio design, I felt more emotionally engrossed in the story. The performances of the other characters, although overly eccentric at times, did help as well. The non-interpretive elements of the film were able to keep my attention, but it was the interpretive elements, including the occasional interpretive dances, that I would repeatedly tell myself were too much and lead to a noticeable decline in my regard for Trader.

As such, I’d recommend it for casual watching. However, due to a poor attempt at merging film with interpretive dance, I must sadly move Trader from great to okay.