Rogue Trader | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

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Where to Watch Rogue Trader What to Know Critics Reviews Audience Reviews My Rating Cast & Crew More Like This Photos Rogue Trader

30%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

This drama, based on a true story, follows Nick Leeson (Ewan McGregor), a young British man working at Barings, a major investment bank. Sent to Singapore and placed in a position of authority at the bank's branch there, Leeson takes advantage of the thriving Asian market to make risky trades. Before long, he's in over his head and tries to hide the losses. Fleeing the country with his beautiful wife, Lisa (Anna Friel), Leeson eventually has to face the consequences of his actions.

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Rogue Trader

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Critics Consensus

Rogue Trader tells its headline-grabbing true story too late to really have much of an impact - and too clumsily to take advantage of Ewan McGregor's game performance.

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Critics Reviews

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Rogue Trader is a terrible waste of the talents of Ewan McGregor.

Mar 11, 2015

Full Review

Rebecca Thomas

BBC.com

Nick Leeson, as the tale goes, was the man who had everything -- intelligence, charm, dream wife and job -- and spectacularly lost it. Unfortunately, Rogue Trader fares little better.

Mar 11, 2015

Full Review

Keith Phipps

AV Club

Its plot alone is potentially fascinating, but as it stands, Rogue Trader remains notable only for the potential it squanders.

Mar 11, 2015

Full Review

Total Film

Both McGregor and Friel turn in excellent, sympathetic performances.

Mar 11, 2015

Full Review

Robert Pardi

TV Guide

Succeeding neither as a dissection of rampant egoism nor as a critique of the British class system, and rooting shamelessly for its notorious protagonist, this not-so-cautionary tale about the perils of white-collar crime is a piece of cinematic puffery.

Rated: 2/5

Mar 11, 2015

Full Review

Film4 Staff

Film4

Patchy but worthy.

Mar 11, 2015

Full Review

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Audience Reviews

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Steve D Really hard to care about any of it. Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/30/24 Full Review Justin R It's a fairly entertaining drama and it's a shame this movie has almost been lost to time. I thought it was destined to be a cult classic. The cinematography isn't great and it feels like the lower budget movie that it is. You also get the feeling it isn't as taut as it should be and it falls short of other stock market classics like 'Wall Street' and 'The Big Short'. However, Ewan MacGregor delivers an engaging performance and it's very watchable. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/29/24 Full Review Shoriful S Loved it. I work in derivatives imo this is must see and then watch Trainspotting after Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/01/24 Full Review Frances H I cannot imagine anything worse than owing money, and such amounts as this guy was losing bogles the mind. My stomach was in a knot just watching it. Excellent acting by McGregor, who manages to make you like him despite the damage he's doing. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/10/18 Full Review Audience Member 'Rogue Trader' is an unappreciated gem. It basically works as a biopic mainly focused on the final days of Nick Leeson's considerable employment. McGregor shines in this fun character study. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie highlights how you can feel sorry for somebody who is clever, aimed to high, and became to proud to admit his mistake. It's down to McGregors likeableness that wins the audience over. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

James Dearden Director Ewan McGregor Nick Leeson Anna Friel Lisa Leeson Yves Beneyton Pierre Beaumarchais Betsy Brantley Brenda Granger Caroline Langrishe Ash Lewis

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Rogue Trader

Rogue Trader (1999)

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Synopsis This drama, based on a true story, follows Nick Leeson (Ewan McGregor), a young British man working at Barings, a major investment bank. Sent to Singapore and placed in a position of authority at the bank's branch there, Leeson takes advantage of the thriving Asian market to make risky trades. Before long, he's in over his head and tries to hide the losses. Fleeing the country with his beautiful wife, Lisa (Anna Friel), Leeson eventually has to face the consequences of his actions.

Director: James Dearden
Producer: Janette Day, James Dearden, David Frost, Paul Raphael
Production Co: Buena Vista (Walt Disney)
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 15, 2018
Runtime: 1h 41m