Plot Summary
Academy Award® winner Helen Mirren and two-time Academy Award® nominee Tom Wilkinson star in The Debt, “a pulse-pounding and politically charged suspense thriller.” (Karen Durbin, Elle) In 1966, three Mossad agents were assigned to track down a feared Nazi war criminal hiding in East Berlin, a mission accomplished at great risk and personal cost – or was it? Thirty years later, the suspense builds as shocking news and surprising revelations compel retired team member Rachel Singer (Mirren) to take matters into her own hands. Co-starring Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain and Ciarán Hinds, it’s the film critics call “an intelligent thriller with superb performances.” (USA Today)
Credits
Director
Screenwriters
Movie Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes
TOMATOMETER
76%- Reviews Counted: 162
- Fresh: 123
- Rotten: 39
- Average Rating: 6.5/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Rotten: There is an awkward, irresoluble tension between the movie's urge to thrill and the weighty pull of the historical obligations that it seeks to assume. How much, to be blunt, should we be enjoying ourselves?
Fresh: After a gripping first half, turns into one howler after another. And yet it's still gripping.
Fresh: The Debt roots itself in reality more plausibly than most contemporary spy films without sacrificing the genre's tense thrills.
Fresh: What really dazzles here are the action beats - the getaway gone wrong, the shocking moments of violence.
Customer Reviews
A SMART, GRIPPING DRAMA THAT MUST BE SEEN!
From one look of the trailer, I could already tell that "The Debt" was gonna be a fantastic movie. It had a captivating premise, not to mention it was based on a well-received Israeli film. Plus, how could I possibly pass up the chance to see Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds, and Tom Wilkinson in the same feature together? So I decided to see the movie on opening day. Much to my satisfaction, it was much more than the contemporary spy thriller it presented itself to be. Rather, it was an intensely thrilling and thought-provoking film that masterfully achieved the genuine authenticity of its characters and the scenario they're put into. The deeply rich story is told through a series of flashbacks from the mind of Rachel Singer (Mirren), a former Mossad agent, who recounts the 1966 espionage mission she took with two other undercover spies in order to track down a psychotic Nazi war criminal. What results is a heart-pounding, suspense-filled game filled with twists and turns that forces truths to be revealed and wrongs to be undone. It all leads up to a climatic ending that's as surprising as it is satisfying. I really have to give it up for the younger actors in this movie, especially Jessica Chastain, who plays Rachel Singer in her early twenties. Her portrayal as our main heroine is so gratifyingly genuine and hauntingly emotional, it'll simply leave you in awe. She's definitely a rising actress to look out for in the near future. I should also commend Sam Worthington for proving that he actually does have the acting chops to star in flicks that aren't all big-budget blockbusters. Between the film's amazing performances, the dialogue was extremely well written and the beautiful score by Thomas Newman fit in perfectly with the intense tone of the story. In a nutshell, if you love a good dramatic thriller with great character development, unpredictable plot twists, and Oscar-worthy acting, trust me when I say "The Debt" is the perfect movie for you.
So dissapointing!
With Helen Mirren and Tom Wilkinson in the cast, it should have been so much better than it was. The whole story about people hunting Nazi's....they hunted one person the entire movie, which made it such a bore of a story. Also the fight scene with the 2 senior citizens was just such a laughable scene it was hard to take the movie seriously after that. Boring movie, the young people in it couldn't act, and story went to a hilarious anticlimactic scene. Don't waste your time!
Such a great story, such a great cast and...
…they made such a boring movie out of it. A shame. It IS possible to combine suspense, drama, action and wit in one single movie but unfortunately the director/writer forgot the suspense and the action. Three stars for the cast and an interesting story but zero stars for the execution. This could have been such a great movie.
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