The Debt

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The Debt

Released Jun 24, 2016

1h 39m

Mystery & Thriller

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44%

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9 Reviews

48%

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100+ Ratings

An American businessman is torn between helping a poverty-stricken Peruvian boy and helping his company's CEO secure more land.

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Brad Wheeler

Globe and Mail

Well-meaning but contrived ...

Rated: 2/4

Jul 8, 2016

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Jeannette Catsoulis

New York Times

Toggling between the breathtaking Peruvian highlands and the busy clamor of Lima, "The Debt" places three very different lives on a collision course freighted with moral and financial complexity.

Jul 7, 2016

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Linda Barnard

Toronto Star

Barney Elliott's The Debt deals in murky ethics and exploitation in this well-acted trio of connecting stories set in Peru.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 7, 2016

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

With a tortured structure, uneven pacing, and the specter of the oft-reviled "white savior," The Debt's narrative never rises to the level of its thesis about economic exploitation.

Rated: 2/4

Sep 9, 2018

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Chris Knight

National Post

The result is well meaning, well shot (especially the rural scenes) and well acted (you can't go wrong with David Strathairn), but ultimately a dramatic disappointment.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jul 8, 2016

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Norman Wilner

NOW Toronto

[Director] Elliott clearly cares about the exploitation of Latin American resources by rapacious foreign corporations, but his characters are one-dimensional mouthpieces for whatever point he wants to make in a given scene.

Rated: 2/5

Jul 6, 2016

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Cecilia L

It is vividly authentic (no apparent Hollywood sheen), skillfully written, acted, and tastefully filmed. The scenes in Peru, shot on location, are breathtaking. The characters are complex, each with unique depth. The plot digs down deep. I loved the scenes in Spanish. Subtitles enable one to follow the Spanish dialog whenever it occurs. Enjoy.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/29/23

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Dave M

Intersecting stories of desperation told with great acting, good cinematography, and interesting setting.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/27/23

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Audience Member

Very good and underrated. One of the best movies in the 2000's. Excellent actors, superb story and great pace.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Audience Member

Excellent story line, movie is for patient audience , not an action type. But a movie with a meaning,

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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Audience Member

Pure Llama dung!! Spoilers alert!! How does one slip on a relatively shallow river and die? And maybe the boy didn't have to lose his leg if papa didn't grab a fistful of llama poo and then thinks its a good idea to touch his son's wound...! there goes my night. ..!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It goes without saying in my opinion that this film stood on its own and succeeded with its subject matter and story structure. Up and coming director Barney Elliott took his experience from living in Peru and gave it life to share with others with his multi-narrative. Armed with this excellent screenplay and some clout that I may not be aware of, he was able to attract both Stephen Dorff and David Straithairn to join with him on this project. I think if this film were to leave audiences with any kind of takeaway, it leaves you with a sense of no matter how urgent your own situation may be, take the time to listen to your instinct or the advice of others before you really end up hurting yourself and those around you. That's a big lesson to drop on an audience but a lesson well delivered from Elliott. I would highly recommend it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

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Barney Elliott

Director

Stephen Dorff

Oliver Campbell

Elsa Olivero

María Ruiz

Amiel Cayo

Florentino Gamarra

Marco Antonio Ramírez

Diego Gamarra

David Strathairn

Nathan

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Synopsis

An American businessman is torn between helping a poverty-stricken Peruvian boy and helping his company's CEO secure more land.

Director: Barney Elliott
Producer: Ibón Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé, Darren Goldberg, Chris Marsh
Screenwriter: Barney Elliott
Distributor: Level 33 Entertainment
Production Co: Atlantic Pictures, Viracocha Films, Arcadia Motion Pictures
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 24, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 8, 2017
Runtime: 1h 39m

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