The Debt
Metascore
65 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 37 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 37
  3. Negative: 0 out of 37
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  1. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    Aug 31, 2011
    83
    The Debt is basically an entertaining riff on "Munich." It's about a (fictional) operation of top secret Israeli revenge, carried out by three highly trained agents whose plan goes off the rails in ways that are more fascinating than the mission itself.
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Betsy Sharkey
    Aug 30, 2011
    90
    Bristling with dangers both corporeal and cerebral, The Debt is a superbly crafted espionage thriller packed with Israeli-Nazi score settling.
  3. Tampa Bay Times
    Reviewed by: Steve Persall
    Sep 7, 2011
    83
    Christensen plays him with Lecter-like intensity; the unsettling calmness of someone capable of anything.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 112 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 38
  3. Negative: 4 out of 38
  1. TVJerry
    6
    It's a bit deceptive to give Helen Mirren star billing, because she's only onscreen for the first and final few minutes (although she IS a star and the fulcrum character). The majority of the film follows three Mossad agents with the mission of capturing a Nazi war criminal living in '60s East Berlin. It's bookended 30 years later, when the trio deals with their shameful secret. Although the story is interesting, the pacing is lax and the few mildly tense scenes aren't worth the payoff. The uniformly strong cast enhances the narrative, but a shorter, tauter film would have been more effective.… Full Review »
  2. EludiumQ36
    5
    "The Lie" would've been a more appropriate title. It's a decent enough film but doesn't raise the bar in any area. I'm not a fan of temporal-settings (ie, jumping from settings in the past and present) because it does more to upset the viewer than to tell a coherent story. And sorry, but the fight between two ancients at the end was comically reminiscent of the "Family Guy" episode where Mr Herbert fights the old nazi that lives next door.… Full Review »
  3. Bruce722
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. This was an absolutely fantastic movie. The acting was great, the way the story flowed, while I didn't love it initially, was perfect once the movie unravels, and the plot and character development was superb. It didn't try to overdo it but you felt like you understood the characters ideals and perspectives by the end of the film. Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington do great jobs but Jessica Chastain steals the screen. She's not just gorgeous but she shows the full range in this movie. The movie didn't have anywhere near as much "action" as the previews eluded to but that was both a weakness and a kind of strength of the film so that's not entirely why I knocked the rating down. The main thing I wasn't a fan of was the ending. It felt like the entire film was building to something and then it completely spins in a different direction and that was awesome. However, they didn't seem to finish that direction well and some of the decisions made by Mirren's character in the end seem a bit suspect. Nonetheless, this is a great movie and while everyone certainly won't enjoy it, I think those that can appreciate it will.… Full Review »
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