The Hummingbird Project with Alexander Skarsgård is an exciting trading tale that rings true

YOU’LL probably have seen the pictures of Alexander Skarsgård during production of this already.

The hilarious shiny bald bonce, the impressive Willie Thorne is in full effect here as he plays the socially awkward but brilliant coder Anton Zaleski, cousin to Jesse Eisenberg’s socially awkward but brilliant blagger Vincent.

The pair, working in stocks and commodities, come up with a brilliant yet relatively complicated plan to build a foot-wide tunnel from the Kansas Electronic Exchange Center all the way (in an absolute straight line) to the New York City Stock Exchange – approximately 1,400 miles, in which they can run a fibre-optic cable, giving them a millisecond long advantage over rivals, equating to millions of dollars profit.

All that stands in their way are rivers, forests, a granite mountain range, an Amish farm and the wrath of their old boss (played by Salma Hayek), who is livid at their disloyalty.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this was some kind of Wolf of Wall Street true story, as writer/director Kim Ngyuyen, plays it mostly straight, and the ludicrous, often farcical situations are just the right side of believable – but alas it’s entirely fictional.

The swapping between the frenzied and the more nuanced scenes are where the film jars – it felt like it wasn’t sure where best to sit – and it lacks the flair or guts of something like Wolf of Wall St or the level of detail seen in The Big Short. Perhaps the truth can often be more outrageous – could a writer have dreamt up Nick Leeson or Jordan Belfort? Doubtful. It’s great seeing Salma Hayek on screen, I just wish her character had a tad more depth – often she’s left to be a pantomime villain, even down to her silver hair and flamboyant screeching.

However, Jesse Eisenberg ramps up his neuroses and steals every scene – Vincent is a classic bull*****er, worming his way through life and bullying his cousin. A twist halfway through adds some much needed empathy, bringing the film around from a tale of greed to one of legacy and redemption. Skarsgård is also incredibly strong – really adding to his increasingly diverse portfolio.

I found the film funny, twisty and exciting enough to keep me watching, eager to find out of their mad caper would work in time.

The Hummingbird Project (15)

★★★☆☆