Traitor
Overture Films | Release Date: August 27, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
61
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
14
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
The film is a genuinely gripping tale about international terrorism that hopscotches across three continents. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleJosh Rosenblatt
If you're looking for a few hours of mindless, uncomplicated, air-conditioned escapism to get you through a hot late-summer's evening, I'd recommend you look some place other than Traitor. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger 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
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
An uncommonly intelligent espionage thriller that explores the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by agents who go deep undercover in the service of their country. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
A tough, taut, mostly well-executed morality parable and thriller that explores some of the bitter ironies of this strange religious vendetta in which America unwittingly finds itself. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
Problems aside, this is a good, twisty, absorbing work. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy Burr
The film's a propulsive international espionage thriller, built on the hurry-scurry bones of the "Bourne" movies. Read full review
75
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
A thriller that's frequently implausible but almost always thoughtful. It asks us to rethink the way we see Muslims Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
The best end-of-August movie I've seen in years. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
Without its mesmerizing lead performance, Traitor easily could have devolved into direct-to-DVD fodder. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
The film's greatest asset is its performances. Read full review
70
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
A somber, absorbing and only moderately preposterous new thriller. Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia 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
63
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
Traitor is "Syriana" for dummies, a globe-hopping, multi-character look at the war between America and Islamic terrorists that keeps things as relatively simple as an episode of 24. Not that there's anything wrong with that: 24 is a really good show. But it doesn't pretend to be something it's not, either. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Don Cheadle, wiry and wired, delivers an electrifying performance in Traitor. Read full review
60
VarietyTodd McCarthy
Brandishes physical verisimilitude and intelligent seriousness but proves unable to really get inside its chameleon-like central character. Read full review
60
SalonStephanie Zacharek
Pearce may be the other big star in Traitor, and while his performance is serviceable, it doesn't cut deeply. Taghmaoui, as a radical motivated by moral certainty, is the real actor to watch here. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsJoe Neumaier
Nachmanoff fills the movie with a sense of gripping, '70s-style grittiness that helps undercut the web-of-evil tone. Read full review
58
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
It's Cheadle's rich emotionality and sense of humor that have gone seriously missing in Traitor. Read full review
58
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
Its easy to see why Don Cheadle wanted to play Samir Horn, the hero of the post-9/11 thriller Traitor. Cheadles face is basically a perfect delivery system for woe, sadness and internal conflict. And Samir a deep-cover operative trying to infiltrate a terrorist outfit has to make brutal Sophies Choices roughly three times a day. Read full review
50
Village VoiceChuck Wilson
The movie's first hour is well-done, but realism and insight go out the window as soon as Samir crosses the U.S. border. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleReyhan Harmanci
The film is stylishly shot, although the current action-movie look might be dated in a few years. Read full review
50
Washington PostPhilip Kennicott
Traitor traffics in the cliches of the terrorist chase film -- including the usual stereotypes of Muslims -- while trying not to succumb to outright bigotry. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyLisa 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
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Based on a story by Steve Martin of all people, the script seldom rises above formula (Guy Pearce and Neal McDonough are especially ill served as a pair of starchy FBI agents), but its respectful treatment of Islam is both unusual and welcome. Read full review
50
Wall Street JournalJoanne Kaufman
Ultimately, Traitor is a movie at war with itself. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Jennie Punter
Traitor becomes too busy, ultimately frustrating, and never delivers on its tantalizing promise of offering a little insight into terrorists' motives – and it's even got an inside man. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorRobert Koehler
Cheadle's innate goodness is the film's main dilemma, since the truth under the story's surface (which we won't reveal here) can be contained for only so long, and with ever-diminishing dramatic returns. Read full review
40
The New YorkerDavid Denby
The filmmakers, I think, got in over their heads and couldn't decide whether they were making an action thriller or a drama of conscience; they wound up flubbing both. Read full review
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