The Debt

Name: The Debt
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Released: August 31, 2011
Duration: 114 min
Rating: 65
Cast: Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Tom Wilkinson

2011

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 37 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 142 Ratings

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6.6

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6.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 142 Ratings

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The Debt

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Movie Details & Credits

Miramax Films | Release Date: August 31, 2011 | R

Starring: Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Tom Wilkinson

Summary: The Debt is the powerful story of Rachel Singer, a former Mossad agent who endeavored to capture and bring to trial a notorious Nazi war criminal—the Surgeon of Birkenau—in a secret Israeli mission that ended with his death on the streets of East Berlin. Now, 30 years later, a man claiming to be the doctor has surfaced, and Rachel must goThe Debt is the powerful story of Rachel Singer, a former Mossad agent who endeavored to capture and bring to trial a notorious Nazi war criminal—the Surgeon of Birkenau—in a secret Israeli mission that ended with his death on the streets of East Berlin. Now, 30 years later, a man claiming to be the doctor has surfaced, and Rachel must go back to Eastern Europe to uncover the truth. Overwhelmed by haunting memories of her younger self and her two fellow agents, the still-celebrated heroine must relive the trauma of those events and confront the debt she has incurred. (Miramax Films)… Expand

Director: John Madden

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller

Rating: R

Runtime: 114 min

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Critic Reviews

Betsy Sharkey

Aug 30, 2011

Bristling with dangers both corporeal and cerebral, The Debt is a superbly crafted espionage thriller packed with Israeli-Nazi score settling. Read full review

Bill Goodykoontz

Aug 30, 2011

This is real edge-of-your-seat stuff, in a throwback way - no booming special effects, just old-school timing and execution. Read full review

John DeFore

Aug 30, 2011

A more daring script might have found ways to tell the stories in parallel, doling out just enough information to keep viewers involved. But, as it is, The Debt grasps the viewer pretty firmly, delivering thrills without trivializing the moral quandaries that set it in motion. Read full review

Jordan Mintzer

Aug 30, 2011

The remake ups the adrenaline factor, and features strong performances across the board, yet feels bogged down by a weighty love triangle and a subject that merits more than the old-school good vs. evil approach. Read full review

Mike Scott

Aug 31, 2011

There are some nice surprises in store, as well, but the longer Madden's story goes on, the more manufactured things tend to feel. Read full review

Ella Taylor

Sep 2, 2011

The movie drowns the deeper questions it raises in a sadistic procedural, an endless circular motion of fight scenes whose only justification is themselves. Read full review

Keith Uhlich

Aug 30, 2011

Despite the chronological juggling, the film's stylistic debts (a Hitchcock flashback borrowed from Stage Fright, a Bertolucci-esque apartment sequence that could be titled Last Tango in Auschwitz) are simplistic to a fault; they lack the multifaceted suspense and sensuality typified by those directors at their best. Read full review

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User Reviews

showandtell

Jan 7, 2012

Excellent...across the board. Intense and complex ... well executed, superb acting. Not sure if those who gave this a lower rating watched the same movie. It's a 10...hands down.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MrsMcIntosh

Sep 17, 2011

I put up with a disgusting theater and muffled voice track to finish this film. It was excellent. The back and forth in time wasn't confusing. The emotions the actor portrayed really showed through. The story was well told. Very well-done. Excited for the DVD.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

deanthedream

Sep 23, 2011

Great thriller with a different twist. Character development is very unique. The entire show keeps you on the edge of your seat. It has a great conclusion one you won't expect.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

RyanPratt

Sep 12, 2011

Rent-it - Three retired Mossad secret agents find that an anti-Nazi mission accomplished in 1966 might not have been. Secrets and suspense ensue. Continue reading on Examiner.com: http://www.examiner.com/movie-in-national/see-it-rent-it-skip-it-top-10-best-movies-theaters-friday-september-9th

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TVJerry

Sep 2, 2011

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 '60sIt'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.… Expand

5 of 5 users found this helpful50

EludiumQ36

Apr 13, 2013

"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"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.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

txrangersfan72

Sep 5, 2011

In what had the potential to be a gripping thriller, The Debt takes way too long to get to its interesting plot twist, which turns out to be poorly overwritten, pathetically directed and mind-numbingly paced, even stellar acting pedigree cannot save this immensely bad film. Â

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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