One of the largest concerns on the minds of people these days seems to be the same worldwide. No matter where you live or what your current situation may be, I feel as though it is always on our minds, at least to some degree. What I’m referring to is financial security. You have a great paying job, a beautiful home, and everything you ever dreamed of having, but what happens if that is all taken away overnight? You lose your job, so what do you do to maintain that quality of life you’ve grown accustomed to? That’s exactly the type of scenario that Rachael Moriarty and Peter Murphy present in their film, Traders.
Harry (Killian Scott) and Vernon (John Bradley, television’s Game of Thrones) are jobless after the company they work for loses millions of dollars overnight. With every 1% increase in unemployment, there is a 0.8% increase in suicides. It is referred to as ‘econocide.’ Vernon decides to start-up a new business, which capitalizes on this kind of tragedy and he attempts to enlist the help of Harry to do so. Thinking him a madman, Harry kicks him out, only to call him back some days later, ready to go through with his first ‘trade.’ Things don’t go as planned, but that doesn’t mean the itch to go through with it doesn’t return to Harry. He’s in desperate need of the money and when he realizes that he has a real knack for killing, he sees no need to stop anytime soon.
While Traders may not necessarily be a horror film, it does get pretty dark. How can fighting to the death for financial gain not be horrifying? It isn’t excessively bloody, but there is just enough of that glorifying red stuff, along with tons of violence, to get horror fans excited. It isn’t necessary, however, as the story progresses smoothly and without hiccup. I was intrigued by Traders for its entire 90 minute duration.
The cast featured in Traders is small, yet effective. Supporting roles are portrayed beautifully by Nika McGuigan and Peter O’Meara, among others, while the lead roles of Harry and Vernon are masterfully executed by Killian Scott and John Bradley, respectively. I am familiar with Bradley’s work from his continuous time on HBO’s hit series, Game of Thrones, but the rest of the cast were strangers to me. This was not a problem, however, as every single performer was a delight to watch.
The character of Harry Fox is a fascinating one, starting out as a guy just trying to find another job to help pay his mortgage bills, ending as one of the greatest ‘traders’ around. He didn’t know he had it in him, but once the victories started rolling in, he began to be driven by the high of actually being alive and the nice cash reward, as well. Or, is it the act of killing in and of itself that he finds the most rewarding? This is the part of the character development that seems so captivating.
Traders is not the typical horror flick released by Dark Sky Films, but it is an enjoyable thriller and should be checked out by all genre fans, nonetheless. It features an original and creative script, outstanding acting performances, and plenty of dramatic violence, and I highly recommend it for these reasons. Be sure to pick up a copy on DVD and Blu-ray, or watch it on Digital EST and Cable VOD on July 11, from Dark Sky Films.
I give this one 4 severed fingers out of 5.