Martin Tsai New York Sun Apr 22, 2023

“Traitor” plays it safe and, unfortunately, sells its audience short as a thinking man’s thriller.

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Jason Best Movie Talk Nov 21, 2020

Writer-director Jeffrey Nachmanoff bends over backwards to be even-handed, but his attempts at balance come over as earnestly unsubtle.

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Nikki Baughan Roll Credits Oct 29, 2019 4/5

[Traitor] is, however, a solid thriller, exhilarating when it needs to be and entertaining throughout, with another exemplary performance from Cheadle at its heart.

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Marcianne Miller Bold Life (Hendersonville, NC) Aug 26, 2018

The more I think about this movie, the better it gets.

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Julie E. Washington Cleveland Plain Dealer Aug 17, 2017 B+

Traitor succeeds in painting a multihued, nuanced picture that is much more satisfying than paint-by-numbers conclusions.

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David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Mar 13, 2016 3/4

...one can't help but embrace the slow-moving narrative to an increasingly palpable degree.

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Kelly Vance East Bay Express Aug 15, 2011

Simmers down into a reasonably smart little thriller with a moral conscience, yet.

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Mike Edwards What Culture Mar 13, 2011 3/5

If it doesn't succeed in challenging you perception of the war on terror, it might challenge your view on Steve Martin.

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Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal Nov 4, 2010 4/4

Surprisingly, Steve Martin created this story. In a decade of wild and crazy fictional terrorism, his was the most horrifyingly plausible - one that spun terrorism as drama into uncomfortable community theater, striking the country's friendliest corners.

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William Goss Cinematical Dec 17, 2009

We watch for the sake of the chase, and while it's a chase that certainly proves better than most, it's also one that is good enough to have been even better than that.

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Sonny Bunch Washington Times Aug 30, 2009 3/4

As a thriller, Traitor excels and feels especially relevant, considering the subject matter.

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Marshall Fine Star Magazine Jun 11, 2009

The action scenes will grab you, but there's an actual story here, too.

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Edward Porter The Times (UK) Mar 31, 2009 2/5

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

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Philip French Observer (UK) Mar 31, 2009

A certain interest resides in the film's even-handedness.

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Stella Papamichael Film4 Mar 28, 2009 3/5

As the eponymous terrorist, Cheadle makes a big impact without too much noise.

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Ben Rawson-Jones Digital Spy Mar 28, 2009 3/5

Traitor is undeniably an intelligent, watchable thriller that wisely steers clear of racial stereotyping, yet manages to fall short of delivering a wholly satisfying cerebral or visceral experience.

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Allan Hunter Daily Express (UK) Mar 28, 2009 3/5

The result is an absorbing, old-fashioned drama without the gung-ho rhetoric you might have expected.

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Jonathan Williams Little White Lies Mar 27, 2009 4/5

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.

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Neil Smith Total Film Mar 27, 2009 3/5

Strong turns from Cheadle and Pearce elevate an ambitious suspenser with a keen eye for the duplicities that propel the War On Terror. The risible ending, alas, is pure wish-fulfillment hokum, while the solitary female character is barely a cipher.

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Sam Toy Empire Magazine Mar 27, 2009 3/5

More carefully measured than many of its American contemporaries, Traitor doesn't match the heights of Syriana, but sits comfortably above, say, The Kingdom for mapping out the complexities of its issues .

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