Share

Watch It

On DVD: Now | On Blu-ray: Now

Traitor Review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 3.0
    60

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Mixed or average reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 50

    out of 100

    Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

    A slippery entertainment that's all feints and few punches thrown at a fight card of indistinguishable terrorists, Muslim and otherwise.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    Wall Street Journal

    Ultimately, Traitor is a movie at war with itself.

    Read Full Review

  • 60

    out of 100

    Variety Todd McCarthy

    Brandishes physical verisimilitude and intelligent seriousness but proves unable to really get inside its chameleon-like central character.

    Read Full Review

  • 63

    out of 100

    USA Today Claudia Puig

    Can't seem to decide whether it wants to be an edge-of-the-seat action thriller or a more contemplative and intellectual drama about religion and terrorism. Somehow, in trying to have it both ways, it doesn't completely succeed at either.

    Read Full Review

  • 70

    out of 100

    The New York Times A.O. Scott

    A somber, absorbing and only moderately preposterous new thriller.

    Read Full Review

  • 75

    out of 100

    Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

    The movie proceeds quickly, seems to know its subject matter, is fascinating in its portrait of the inner politics and structure of the terrorist group, and comes uncomfortably close to reality. But what holds it together is the Cheadle character.

    Read Full Review

  • 80

    out of 100

    The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

    The film is a genuinely gripping tale about international terrorism that hopscotches across three continents.

    Read Full Review

  • See all Traitor reviews at Metacritic.com

For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 15+

Uneven political thriller mixes faith, terrorism.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this adult thriller revolves around lofty ideas and mature themes (including faith and terrorism) that may not interest kids, or even teens. The violence -- of which there's a fair amount, including an embassy bombing and gunfire that leads to bloodshed -- and discussions about terrorism might be upsetting to younger viewers. There's also some swearing, smoking, and drinking. All of that said, the main character seems like a man who struggles as much as he can to be true to his faith, and watching him navigate this quagmire is actually quite thought-provoking.

  • Families can talk about how the movie deals with both faith and terrorism. Can the two co-exist? What messages does the movie send about that relationship? Families can also discuss Samir's decision to join a group whose activities might run counter to his religious beliefs. Why does he take it on? How is he affected by the experience? Is this movie different from other political thrillers? If so, how?

The good stuff
  • message true0

    Messages: An American man deals arms to his country's enemies and later appears to have joined a group whose mission is to hurt the United States. A trail of bloodshed metaphorically follows most scenes, though as viewers get to know the main players in the story, it's clear that their beliefs are being tested somewhat. There are glimpses of friends taking care of each other, even in prison.

What to watch for
  • violence false4

    Violence: An embassy bombing kills a handful of people (a man is shown planting the bomb); blasts of gunfire sometimes result in bloodshed. Lots of discussion about ways to sabotage the stability of the American people. Beat downs in a prison yard; a man is thrown off an overpass; and more.

  • sex false1

    Sex: The lead character has a girlfriend, though they aren't seen in any embraces or clinches; mild joke about virgins.

  • language false3

    Language: A few uses of "f--k," as well as "s--t" and "damn." Not prevalent overall.

  • consumerism false2

    Consumerism: Nothing too glaring --- just logos for subway stations, GMC SUVs, and a few other products.

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false2

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some smoking and drinking in social situations.

Fan Reviews provided by

5

Excellent Movie...Stop rating movies you haven't seen by Mental1981
First of all THIS IS A SUSPENSE FILM, not a brainless Borne action film. As a suspense it was more than I expected. I went expecting Borne 4 but got Siriana from the standpoint of the righteous muslim and not the terrorists. It was smart, well acted on the part of Don Cheale, and Guy Pierce, who I loved in Memento. Don get's into his character and put's you on the edge of your seat and you almost feel like playing devil's advocate for a second, a wonderful protagonist is thrown in with a twist and the ending is simply rewarding. Yes there are explosions, even gun fights, but halfway into the film you don't even feel the need for any of it as it's so well played. Again, this movie received bad "pre-views" affecting it's rating on Fandango so I suggest that you ignore all review's from idiots who like to rate films before even seeing them and take the word of informed viewers who rate only after they see the films.

5

TRAITOR - GETS MY VOTE. GRADE: Solid A by MOVIES REVIEWER
Director/Screenwriter Jeffrey Nachmanoff (Day After Tomorrow) has come up with a winner in TRAITOR(based on an idea by Steve Martin) as evidenced by the advance press screening audience's confident ovation at the end of this thrilling/action/intense/suspense movie. Don Cheadle(awesome!), Guy Pearce, Jeff Daniels, Neal McDonough, Archie Panjabi, Alyy Kahn, and Said Taghmaoui comprise the principal cast - turned in superb riveting performances. TRAITOR is not the typical inane 'Hollywood-formula' movie. The plot, while simple, has depth - explored mature thematically-heavy issues such as revenge/vengeance, terrorism, morality/justice, honor/friendship, faith/religion, sacrifice... and presented to us the two complex sides of Islam - relevant to any religion for that matter. Very well-told story. The engaging camera-work/directing and brisk pace made the hour and 50 minutes go by very quickly. Recommendation: A truly positive experience. Highly recommended.

5

Smart, Gripping Grown-Up Movie by TedK817
After a great summer of lightweight fun, it's good to see a movie for the mature-minded here for the Labor Day weekend. A great story, terrific acting and tight screenplay. You're never sure (for awhile) who's really on what side or who knows whom, or what is actually going on. Lots of mature political, religious and social messages, pro and con, neatly tacked into a taught thriller. And enough surprises to keep even the most jaded moviegoer paying attention. Don Cheadle continues to prove he's the the best under-appreciated actor around, and Guy Pearce (who is really hit-and-miss for me) is just spot-on as the pursuer. And one the biggest surprises behind this great thriller: the originator of the screen story: Steve Martin (who also is one of the producers). I'm reminded of the 1980's when Mel Brooks' company was responsible for such great dramas as The Elephant Man. TRAITOR is a welcome surprise, and one that will clear the summer Milk Duds out of your brain.

4

Not action packed, but really good by WCinLV
Well written, thought provoking and wonderfully acted. This movie shows how terrorists use the Muslim faith to get young victims to become martyrs and how orthodox Muslims are good God fearing people. The trailer should never have compared this movie to The Bourne series because it is not an action packed movie at all.

5

EXCELLENT! by jujubeep
Excellent movie! AND GUESS WHAT, THEY DIDN'T SAY AND CUSS WORDS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE MOVIE, NO BLOOD AND GUTS, NO GRATUITOUS SEX, just a very intelligent movie. We need more of this type of movie.

5

Define traitor... by ithrah
Exceptional film. The dialogue is first rate and the subject matter is handled with honesty, integrity, sincerety and above all intelligence. The acting, by the entire cast, is supurb. If you are looking for fun action with mindless explosions, then this movie is NOT for you. If you want to begin or continue a complex and intelligent internal dialogue about the state of our world and our place in it, then see this movie.

5

Traitor doesn't disappoint by momdoc60
TRAITOR was not your usual spy flick. It takes you into the heart of Islam and further, into the dark heart of religious fundalmentalism. It was unusual to have a Muslim protagonist, a true believer, that understood the dangers of wrong thinking within his religion. It managed to also show the vulnerability of the wrong thinking of the Christian West without pounding the audience with the message. It was subtle and disturbing as only provocative and intelligent film should be. This one is a must see. Don Cheadle, never a favorite of mine, really did a fantastic performance and could even be an Oscar contender.

5

Finally, a thought-provoking movie. by April Baby
I'll be honest, I didn't want to see it---I thought it was Bourne Identity redo. In just a few minutes, I knew that this movie was different. Deeper and not so frenetic. The Post slammed the movie, squeamish about the plot and providing spoiling details. They slammed it because of the theme, which involves events of the day. Yes, it was disturbing, but these are disturbing times. The movie provided insights into why strong feelings provoke strong action. As Cheadle's character said, "It's complicated." The bottom line is that the movie has an excellent, tight cast of actors who excel in their portrayals of contemporary characters. We don't see enough of these fine actors. The script makes for an exciting, entertaining, and riveting thriller. This is a REAL summer action drama. Not appropriate for children.

5

Traitor - an atypical exploration of Muslims in the U.S. today by GaelicLady
From a Christian point of view, this film is extremely intelligent, intriguing, thought-provoking, challenging, and a must-see with older children. It challenges our preconceived notions about Islam, and the whole concept of religious loyalty to whomever God is for someone. My husband and I talked about it for a long time afterwards ... forces you to think outside the box, and re-evaluate the entire 'terrorist threat' we live under in the U.S. The star is, as usual, amazing. You leave the theatre wondering if Don Cheadle is truly a Muslim, or if he's just such a terrific actor, you buy into it to that extent.

4

go see it! by meccassault
they claimed it was the Bourne Ultimatum of this year...well, that says a lot to me since that movie and series is absolutely amazing. My conclusions after seeing Traitor are as follows... It was a very well made movie. Very well acted. Don Cheadle is the man, but i definitely don't think it should be compared to The Bourne series b/c it's not the same type of film as it appears to be in the previews...its similar, yeah, but not enough to compare the two. The movie has a lot of depth and i was interested the whole time. Def. worth seeing. Bourne worthy, not in my book but its up there with the better films in the past year for sure

Advertisement