Traitor

2008

Traitor

Critics Consensus

Despite another reliable performance from Don Cheadle, Traitor suffers from too many cliches and an unfocused narrative.

65%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 168

64%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 64,186
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Movie Info

When straight arrow FBI agent Roy Clayton heads up the investigation into a dangerous international conspiracy, all clues seem to lead back to former U.S. Special Operations Officer, Samir Horn. A mysterious figure with a web of connections to suspect organizations, Horn has a knack for emerging on the scene just as a major operation goes down. The inter-agency task force looking into the case meets with Carter, a veteran CIA contractor who seemingly has his own agenda and Max Archer, a fellow FBI agent. The task force links Horn to a bombing in Nice and a raid in London, but a tangle of contradictory evidence emerges, forcing Clayton to question whether his quarry is a man without loyalties--or something far more complicated. Obsessed with discovering the truth, Clayton tracks Horn across the globe as the elusive ex-soldier burrows deeper and deeper into a world of shadows and intrigue.

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Cast

Don Cheadle
as Samir Horn
Guy Pearce
as Roy Clayton
Saïd Taghmaoui
as Omar
Neal McDonough
as Max Archer
Alyy Khan
as Fareed
Aly Khan
as Fareed
Jeff Daniels
as Carter
Archie Panjabi
as Chandra Banks
Raad Rawi
as Nathir
Hassam Ghancy
as Bashir
Mozhan Marnò
as Leyla
Adeel Akhtar
as Hamzi
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Critic Reviews for Traitor

All Critics (168) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (109) | Rotten (59)

  • Much harder to see coming is the film's denouement, but that's only because of its extreme silliness.

    Mar 31, 2009 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

    Edward Porter

    Times (UK)
    Top Critic

  • Traitor has its faults. It's overlong, contrived in parts and ultimately resorts to some predictable tactics. The irresistible question is whether the US would be making films like this if 9/11 hadn't happened.

    Mar 27, 2009 | Rating: 4/5

    Jonathan Williams

    Little White Lies
    Top Critic

  • Once the pieces fall into place, it loses momentum, meandering towards a contrived climax in which all ambiguity is swept aside and the forces of righteous democracy prove reassuringly triumphant.

    Mar 27, 2009 | Rating: 3/6 | Full Review…

    Tom Huddlestone

    Time Out
    Top Critic

  • The moral maze is not quite as murky as it should be, a suspicion that we may have misjudged the hero whisks the film back into the realms of fiction, and detracts from the issues it raises.

    Mar 27, 2009 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

    James Christopher

    Times (UK)
    Top Critic

  • Some well-meant but fantastically flaccid and perfunctory gestures of friendship towards the Muslim world are the foundation of this empty thriller.

    Mar 27, 2009 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

    Peter Bradshaw

    Guardian
    Top Critic

  • It isn't often that you see a thriller about international terrorism as even-handed as Jeffrey Nachmanoff's Traitor.

    Mar 27, 2009 | Rating: 3/5

    Derek Malcolm

    London Evening Standard
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (168)

Audience Reviews for Traitor

  • Jan 06, 2012
    Not bad...just really generic. There's just nothing that noteworthy about Traitor, which is exactly what I believed when I first heard about it. So this movie lived up to my expectations lol.
    Stephen S Super Reviewer
  • Sep 14, 2011
    A very hit or miss action/suspense film that stars Don Cheadle who I think is a decent, albeit boring, actor and he can very do little with the script and in the end we are left with a rather bland film. While there are some good chase sequences and well done action scenes the majority is rather underwhelming cohesively. A decent rental or lazy afternoon film but one that I wouldn't highly recommend.
    Chris B Super Reviewer
  • Jan 09, 2011
    More than halfway-decent, Traitor attempts to tell an objective tale, the struggles of an extremist from his side of the story. Don Cheadle delivers a magnificent performance, as the troubled Samir, unsure of where his loyalties truly lie. Traitor is mostly formulaic, but the intensity of the performances from Cheadle, Said Taghmaoui, Guy Pearce and the other actors definitely draws one in. The action sequences are definitely not thrown in for the sake of some random thrills - when something does explode, the effect is startling and even thought-provoking.
    Jedd Y Super Reviewer
  • Oct 01, 2010
    Below average movie. I didn't hate it or anything but I didn't really like a whole lot about it. Sure Don Cheadle is completely fine in this movie, but it's not like this script is really a showcase for him to show off his talents. Like I said, he's fine but it just felt like a very uninspired performance. It's like Don Cheadle probably knew this movie wasn't going to be good so he didn't even try. I don't necessarily BLAME him per se, but it's not something that I would do if I was an actor...a good one at least. I'd at least try to give it my all, to hopefully raise the quality of the movie a little bit. The thing also is, while it does deal with a very timely matter, the movie doesn't feel new at all. I feel like I've watched this movie millions of times before with a different actor as the lead. The story also muddled. There plot isn't exactly the most coherent, so that dragged the movie down. The entire movie just felt really uninspired, there was really no reason for this movie to be made other than...well I'm not exactly sure what the executives expected from this movie. It wasn't well promoted, it didn't have a huge star, and it got average reviews. It kinda sucks for Don Cheadle, because I would guess that if it was Will Smith or Denzel Washington in the role, more people would have watched it. Don Cheadle has never been a proven box-office draw so that hurt the movie's appeal. So I don't know, this movie is really just a failure on all grounds. I didn't hate it, butt there's absolutely no reason for why this movie was ever made. I'm going to forget about this movie a week from now.
    Jesse O Super Reviewer
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