The Debt (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Raymond W

  
  John Madden has created a taut, suspenseful, smart thriller that featured an excellent cast. The time-shifting story may create some confusing and distracting casting problems, but I feel the film needed to be told in this way. Overall, after a great first-half, the story starts to… More
  John Madden has created a taut, suspenseful, smart thriller that featured an excellent cast. The time-shifting story may create some confusing and distracting casting problems, but I feel the film needed to be told in this way. Overall, after a great first-half, the story starts to turn slower, and may lose the interest of some viewers, but ultimately, The Debt is a supremely well-acted film that is smart, suspenseful and moves at a good pace.

• paul s

  
  I don't know about this version, but I enjoyed the Israeli film that is the source material. The story is an interesting one, involving both personal and national pride, and filmed and paced so matter of factly - almost like a play (which occured to me at one point - you could… More
  I don't know about this version, but I enjoyed the Israeli film that is the source material. The story is an interesting one, involving both personal and national pride, and filmed and paced so matter of factly - almost like a play (which occured to me at one point - you could put this on the boards and it would work quite well), that for long periods you'd swear you were witnessing it firsthand. The clumsiness of the entire affair is so very natural, which I'm guessing will be removed in the Hollywood version - whether that's a plus or minus remains to be seen. I'm very intrigued to see how this is handled in Hollywood - for in the right hands you could take the bare bones of the Israeli film and ramp up the tension even further (with better pacing, etc.).

• Film C

  
  This movie failed to hold my interest to finsh it till the end, i dont know why but the story just seemed mundane and slow, which just bored me! Your gripped for so long then it just starts to dwindle to the point that i couldnt finish it! Yes theres supense, twists and excitement… More
  This movie failed to hold my interest to finsh it till the end, i dont know why but the story just seemed mundane and slow, which just bored me! Your gripped for so long then it just starts to dwindle to the point that i couldnt finish it! Yes theres supense, twists and excitement but for a spy movie thats got regret and traitors id expect more action which it just lacked!

• Everett J

  
  "The Debt" is a good spy thriller that has enough twists to keep you interested. But not enough action to keep you from being bored. The movie revolves around a trio of retired Mossad secret agents. They've been celebrated for decades after carrying out a mission to… More
  "The Debt" is a good spy thriller that has enough twists to keep you interested. But not enough action to keep you from being bored. The movie revolves around a trio of retired Mossad secret agents. They've been celebrated for decades after carrying out a mission to track down a Nazi war criminal in Berlin. When news comes out that one of three has commited suicide, the mysteries surrounding their famous mission begin to unravel. Did they really do what they say they did? Moving back and forth between the mission and their retired lives, the movie has a good balance. The performances are good, but two really stand out as great. Helen Mirren and Jessica Chastain play Rachel(Mirren the older version obviously) and they are fantastic and completely believeable as the same person. Mirren is one of the best actresses today, and she continues to show it. They really anchor the movie and make their male costars seem almost inferiour. Running almost two hours long the movie drags and slows to a crawl in spots, but always remains intriguing. It's one of those movies you have to finish just to see what happens. Thriller fans will like it, action fans will be left wanting more. I thought it was ok for a watch.

• Justin Y

  
  John Madden's <i>The Debt</i> is an espionage thriller with much to be proud about.<p>While the story plays a part at making this film as intriguing as it is, it is the storytelling that deserves a lot of credit. Basically set in two time periods, and jumping… More
  John Madden's <i>The Debt</i> is an espionage thriller with much to be proud about.<p>While the story plays a part at making this film as intriguing as it is, it is the storytelling that deserves a lot of credit. Basically set in two time periods, and jumping back and forth between them, <i>The Debt</i> manages to dish out much in the way of intense thrills, despite a passive pace.</p><p>There is some disappointment when it comes to the action because the quantity is on the slim side; however, this picture still succeeds without it. The final half an hour thrives off the suspense and story without much use for all out violence and high octane action.</p><p>Aside from the strong sense of storytelling, the acting is on the money. Jessica Chastain puts on a great performance for the 1965 scenes, while Helen Mirren delivers in 1997.</p><p>For 110 minutes, <i>The Debt</i> is able to successfully mesh subplots spanning decades apart. Worth a viewing.</p>

• Manu G

  
  Good movie! The movie was pretty good and well made. Very good acting by everyone involved in this film. The espionage thriller begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stefan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David… More
  Good movie! The movie was pretty good and well made. Very good acting by everyone involved in this film. The espionage thriller begins in 1997, as shocking news reaches retired Mossad secret agents Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stefan (Tom Wilkinson) about their former colleague David (Ciarán Hinds). All three have been venerated for decades by their country because of the mission that they undertook back in 1965, when the trio (portrayed, respectively, by Jessica Chastain, Marton Csokas, and Sam Worthington) tracked down Nazi war criminal Vogel (Jesper Christensen) in East Berlin. At great risk, and at considerable personal cost, the team's mission was accomplished - or was it? The suspense builds in and across two different time periods, with startling action and surprising revelations.

• Julie B

  
  I really enjoyed this. Tense, well-acted and the ending surprised me.

• Cynthia S

  
  Well made, beautifully acted film without sensationalist trendy special effects, or plots, for miniature attention spans. Riveting, and tense tale. Excellent use of flashing back, and forth, between the two time periods make this very compelling. Helen Mirren is fantastic, as usual.

• Bruce B

  
  An outstanding espionage thriller that tells the story of a case the Mossad handles in 1965 to get a Nazi War Criminal.. Full of action to keep you on the edge of your seat as 3 Mossad agents attempt to get a Nazi Doctor across the East Berlin Boarder, mission fails and we see the… More
  An outstanding espionage thriller that tells the story of a case the Mossad handles in 1965 to get a Nazi War Criminal.. Full of action to keep you on the edge of your seat as 3 Mossad agents attempt to get a Nazi Doctor across the East Berlin Boarder, mission fails and we see the life of agents as truth is about to be reviled, 4 Stars.

• Shawn E

  
  The Debt has great moments of intensity and suspense, but the weak story and lack of character resemblance in it's time-shifting scenes make this film difficult to enjoy.

• Al S

  
  A gripping, nail-biting and intense edge of your seat thriller thats a must-see. A brilliant, well-crafted and superbly performend movie. A remarkable, sharp, effective and intelligent film from Director, John Madden. This is Madden`s best film in over a decade. One of the best spy… More
  A gripping, nail-biting and intense edge of your seat thriller thats a must-see. A brilliant, well-crafted and superbly performend movie. A remarkable, sharp, effective and intelligent film from Director, John Madden. This is Madden`s best film in over a decade. One of the best spy thriller`s in years, it has lots of raw power, great characters and sizzling suspense. An excellent movie. The all-star cast is absolutely amazing, they give strong and confident performances and have tense and thrilling development. Helen Mirren is magnificent, she`s at the top of her game. Jesper Christensen is brilliant. Jessica Chastain is remarkable, she`s a radiant and splendid young actress who shows undeniable star power. Martin Csokas is outstanding. Sam Worthington is incrediable, another great performance from this wonderful actor. Tom Wilkonson is terrific. A truly explosive and heart-pounding thriller. It`s spectacular and uinforgettable.

• Michael S

  
  As far as spy-thrillers go, "The Debt" is well above average and tackles a cliche subject interestingly; resulting in a very satisfying film. It is well paced and has confidence in it's actors; allowing them room to breathe. Action never takes away from the mood and… More
  As far as spy-thrillers go, "The Debt" is well above average and tackles a cliche subject interestingly; resulting in a very satisfying film. It is well paced and has confidence in it's actors; allowing them room to breathe. Action never takes away from the mood and interesting chemistry between our leads. In fact the performances are the standout here. Worthington, Chastain, and Csokas are all strong, and Mirren, Wilkinson, and Hinds (deserving of more screen time) all do a great job of linking the action taking place in the 1960s to the present. It's worth noting that Ciaran Hinds was a considerably odd choice to portray an older Sam Worthington. Without the slightest resemblance, this lead to some unnecessary confusion early on (since he looks considerably more like the character played by Marton Csokas). John Madden helms the film with a decidedly and refreshingly subtle approach. The film maintains a sense of grit without much of any manipulative technique. Having everything play out as realistically as possible works for such a restrained, methodical film, stylistically reminiscent of high caliber British television dramas. It's simplistic, ground-level storytelling and it works. As well as everything comes together in "The Debt," I was left wanting more. Not in terms of it's conclusion, but in terms of it's totality. At under two hours, I think more character development and more scenes with Mirren, Wilkinson, and Hinds would have made for a much more rewarding and impactful experience. The final scenes in particular would have really hit home. They do work, but lack a vital, emotional punch. That's not to say "The Debt" is a superficial film; it's actually a very meaty thriller chalk full of different themes and shifting perceptions. I just feel that a more fleshed out character dynamic and narrative would have made for a film that worked on a multitude of different levels and not just as a really good spy story. "The Debt" is a film that was unfortunately overlooked. It does everything it set out to do wonderfully, even if it doesn't reach it's full potential in the process. But it still sticks out as one of the stronger films of 2011; one that comes highly recommended to anyone looking for a more-than-solid thriller.

• paul o

  
  Its solid. The story seems a bit cliche until the end. The acting is alright except for Chastain and Mirren (who strangely enough look like each other so well) whose acting grabbed my attention all throughout the film. Sam Worthington kinda brought me down since....well come on its… More
  Its solid. The story seems a bit cliche until the end. The acting is alright except for Chastain and Mirren (who strangely enough look like each other so well) whose acting grabbed my attention all throughout the film. Sam Worthington kinda brought me down since....well come on its Sam worthington, you can't get much acting from the guy who was in avatar. Its a popcorn friday night movie with some nice action scenes on the side.

• Jeff "

  
  The Debt is one of those films that you think is going to be absolutely stunning, but unfortunately once you see it, it's not as strong a film as you thought it was. This film had so much potential, I mean look at the cast for this one. Director John Madden has assembled a… More
  The Debt is one of those films that you think is going to be absolutely stunning, but unfortunately once you see it, it's not as strong a film as you thought it was. This film had so much potential, I mean look at the cast for this one. Director John Madden has assembled a phenomenal talented cast here. Yet the end result of The Debt is a surprisingly average thriller. I thought the plot was good, but it lacked something to really make this film what it should have become. The Debt is an entertaining film, but it lacks in places, and the film doesn't keep you on the edge of your seat like a good thriller should. This film was good, but as far as a great thriller is concerned, you won't find it here. This film was entertaining, and the cast was great, and it's what saved this film from being a total dud. This film had the potential of being a phenomenal espionage thriller, but it ends up being fairly average. Director John Madden directs a great cast, but he doesn't seem how to develop his films potential with such a cast. The Debt is entertaining, but like I said, it lacks something to really make it a great film. This film manages to be good, but you also realize that the film could have been so much better than this. I think it's a great shame because the plot was very good, but it lacked the fire to really make it a memorable thriller. The Debt is watchable, but it could have been much better than this.

• Jose Z

  
  A story of three MOSSAD secret agents sharing a secret. The Debt in general is a good, interesting thriller although it began quite slow, in fact, I think the first hour was boring. But it gets better at the end. the performances goes from decent to good. Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson,… More
  A story of three MOSSAD secret agents sharing a secret. The Debt in general is a good, interesting thriller although it began quite slow, in fact, I think the first hour was boring. But it gets better at the end. the performances goes from decent to good. Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Jessica Chastain and Sam Worthington the best ones. To conclude, The Debt is a movie that will keep you interested with a good story and good performances.

• c0up  

  
  'The Debt'. Worked really well as a spy love triangle thriller, but lost me in its weak, present day scenes that carried too much value.

• Candy R

  
  Warning spoilers - This movie reminds me of 'The Reader' with horrifying reminders of the Holocaust. Helen, Sam and Tom were agents sent to capture the surgeon who experimented on Jews during the Holocaust. They claimed to have caught and killed him but in fact he escaped.… More
  Warning spoilers - This movie reminds me of 'The Reader' with horrifying reminders of the Holocaust. Helen, Sam and Tom were agents sent to capture the surgeon who experimented on Jews during the Holocaust. They claimed to have caught and killed him but in fact he escaped. Helen's character Rachel goes on to take the credit for the murder and becomes a famous speaker, but then Sam commits suicide and a man claiming to be the surgeon surfaces. You don't feel much sympathy for Rachel as she contrastly makes mistakes, she must be the worst agent ever.

• William S

  
  This is Jesper Christensen's film. While everyone else is busy hamming it up (or. if you're Sam Worthington, just looking blank) and/or impersonating each other, while failing to convince us with hoky accents, Christensen is scaring the Hell out of us in one of the greatest… More
  This is Jesper Christensen's film. While everyone else is busy hamming it up (or. if you're Sam Worthington, just looking blank) and/or impersonating each other, while failing to convince us with hoky accents, Christensen is scaring the Hell out of us in one of the greatest pieces of cinema villiany I have ever seen. Laurence Olivier had a drill for Dustin Hoffman in 'The Marathon Man' - Christensen manages to be equally terrifying with a speculum for Jessica Chastain!

• Matheus C

  
  I can't say the ending lives up to what came before, but this is a smartly crafted adult thriller - the kind that Hollywood is sorely lacking. Uncharismatic Sam Worthington is the impressive cast's only faux pas, which has the always reliable and impressive Helen Mirren in… More
  I can't say the ending lives up to what came before, but this is a smartly crafted adult thriller - the kind that Hollywood is sorely lacking. Uncharismatic Sam Worthington is the impressive cast's only faux pas, which has the always reliable and impressive Helen Mirren in 007 mode (without the sex).

• Nate Z

  
  A tense and mature spy thriller that's as well written as it is acted, The Debt is a thriller that even stops to ponder some serious moral ambiguities along the way. Back in 1965, a group of Israel agents (Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, Marton Csokas) were sent to Berlin to… More
  A tense and mature spy thriller that's as well written as it is acted, The Debt is a thriller that even stops to ponder some serious moral ambiguities along the way. Back in 1965, a group of Israel agents (Jessica Chastain, Sam Worthington, Marton Csokas) were sent to Berlin to capture a notorious ex-Nazi doctor (Jasper Christensen) and bring him back for justice. When things don't go according to plan, the group must decide what is justifiable in the name of moral cost. In 1997, the aged former agents (Helen Mirren, Cirian Hinds, Tom Wilkinson) have to deal with the full consequences of their actions. A far majority of the film takes place in the 60s, and it's for the best considering that's where most of the tension and interest reside. As a thriller, drama, and non-linear mystery, there's always something going on. The film is not without its genre clichés, but the sequences of holding Christensen (Quantum of Solace) hostage rise beyond genre mucking. He is a true monster and his dialogues with the various agents are chilling, reminiscent of Hannibal Lector's tête-à-têtes. The cast is uniformly good, even Worthington, but the real star is Chastain (The Help, Tree of Life). She is magnetic. It's a shame that The Debt felt it needed to tie up its loose ends in a conventional ending that discards the film's more ambitious moral quandary. I suppose the toll of false identities and moral relativism just doesn't make audiences happy like good old-fashioned vengeance. I guess that's a debt everyone would rather have paid. Nate's Grade: B+

Read all 20 featured audience ratings