Parents' Guide to

The Traitor

By Danny Brogan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Italian mob biopic is courtroom drama with bloody violence.

Movie R 2020 153 minutes
The Traitor Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Part biopic, part courtroom drama, this is an Italian Mafia -- or "Cosa Nostra" as the central character keeps reminding us -- movie of epic proportions. The action takes place on the island of Sicily, Brazil, mainland Italy, and later the U.S., spread over a period of 30 years. As such the running time is little over two and half hours. Not unheard of in films from this genre -- both The Godfather and Goodfellas are longer. However, whereas those movies warranted this attention span, The Traitor could have spent more time in the editing room. But trim away the excess fat, and you'll find a meaty biopic of a man who was directly responsible for the conviction of over 400 members of the mob during the 1980s and 1990s.

Favino plays the titular role of a real-life Mafioso Tommaso Buscetta -- or Don Masino -- who turns informant after what he perceives a portrayal to the "values" of the Cosa Nostra. It's a role that allows Favino to show his full range -- for the most part stoic, but also with flashes of pain and anger. Director Marco Bellocchio demonstrates his own skill set with some breathtaking set pieces, most notably the moment Buscetta decides to turn informant and another where a car bomb is shown from the point of view of the victims, spinning in slow motion as their vehicle is catapulted into the air. Audiences have always had an appetite for Mafia movies and The Traitor provides a pivotal chapter in the Cosa Nostra's history -- albeit one they'd like to forget.

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate