The Economy of Murder: Capital, Crime, and Crisis in Peter Murphy’s and Rachael Moriarty’s Traders (2015)

Abstract

The abundance of contemporary Irish fiction dealing with crime seems hard to refute. While most works have been produced in the literary field, cinema has also explored Ireland’s contemporary situation through the lens of crime fiction. The aim of this article is to analyse the relationship between crime, crisis, and capital in a contemporary Irish thriller: Peter Murphy and Rachael Moriarty’s Traders (2015). The film creates a bleak and acidic depiction of Ireland’s financial world and how in times of crisis, crime and capital are negotiated and articulated. A brief introduction of what the Celtic Tiger era and its subsequent crisis meant for Ireland will be followed by an exploration of its relation to the crime thriller. By studying crime and its intersections with class structures, economic conditions, and the shaping of its space in the film, I will attempt to undertake an economic and aesthetic reading. Moreover, I will consider how the film delineates a portrait of Ireland’s post-Celtic Tiger society and all its consequences.