The Hummingbird Project (2018)

A pair of high-frequency traders go up against their old boss in an effort to make millions in a fiber-optic cable deal.

Director:

Kim Nguyen

Writer:

Kim Nguyen

Stars:

Jesse Eisenberg, Alexander Skarsgård, Salma Hayek

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jesse Eisenberg	...	Vincent Zaleski
Alexander Skarsgård	...	Anton Zaleski
Salma Hayek	...	Eva Torres
Michael Mando	...	Mark Vega
Johan Heldenbergh	...	Amish Elder
Ayisha Issa	...	Ophelia Troller
Mark Slacke	...	Tasso Casilieris
Sarah Goldberg	...	Mascha
Frank Schorpion	...	Bryan Taylor
Kwasi Songui	...	Ray
Conrad Pla	...	Agent Santana
Julian Bailey	...	Elliot
Jessica Greco	...	Dr. Bloom
Robert Reynolds	...	KAX House Owner
Anna Maguire	...	Jenny

Storyline

In this modern epic, Kim Nguyen exposes the ruthless edge of our increasingly digital world. Cousins from New York, Vincent (Eisenberg) and Anton (Skarsgård) are players in the high-stakes game of High Frequency Trading, where winning is measured in milliseconds. Their dream? To build a fiber-optic cable straight between Kansas and New Jersey, making them millions. But nothing is straightforward for this flawed pair. Anton is the brains, Vincent is the hustler, and together they push each other and everyone around them to breaking point on their quixotic adventure. Constantly breathing down their necks is their old boss Eva Torres (Hayek) a powerful, intoxicating and manipulative trader who will stop at nothing to come between them and beat them at their own game. No matter what the cost, Vincent and Anton are determined to cut through America, only to find redemption at the end of their line, not through money, but through family and reconnecting to the land.

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Plot Keywords:

stock market | amish | line | stock exchange | hacking | 

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Taglines:

Everything Is On The Line.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language throughout

Did You Know?

Trivia

Not all fiction, pretty much based on Michael Lewis' Flash boys novel based on high frequency trading (HFT) and a real line built for the exact purpose portrayed in the movie. Probably added parts for dramatic quality and to move the story along. Michael Lewis is also responsible for The Big Short, Moneyball and The Blindside P

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Goofs

About 30 minutes: A mileage sign to various cities is shown, including Columbus (Ohio). Columbus is misspelled as Colombus.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bryan Taylor: How long does it take to drive from Kansas to New York?
Vincent Zaleski: Uh, two days.
Bryan Taylor: You wanna do this in 16 milliseconds?
Vincent Zaleski: Yeah, but round trip.
Bryan Taylor: We're talking about a lot of money here, Vincent.

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Connections

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

User Reviews

The Skarsgard Project

The movie is projecting modern society's hunger to grasp more from life, to get richer and faster. While the story and pace of the movie is fast enough to keep our interest in it,the script however, feels a little dry. Imagery is just captivating and production design is on top. The highest praise I can think of the movie is Alexander Skaarsgard's acting - which is smart, emotional, funny and nothing he has done before. A supporting actor nomination is a possibility if the movie gets wider recognition and release.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

Canada Belgium

Language:

Russian English Spanish Hebrew Italian

Release Date:

22 March 2019 (Canada)

Also Known As:

The Hummingbird Project

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$34,202, 17 March 2019

Gross USA:

$371,784

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$876,980

Company Credits

Production Co:

Item 7, Belga Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Dolby 5.1)

Color:

Color Black and White (archive footage)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1