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Biographical drama

The Traitor (2020): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

The Traitor (2020) movie poster

The Traitor is a 2020 biographical drama directed by Marco Bellocchio, starring Pierfrancesco Favino as Tommaso Buscetta, Nicola Calì and Fausto Russo Alesi. It runs 2 hours 33 minutes and earned $8.9 million worldwide. Critics gave it 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and 64 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.

IMDb rating
7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes
86%
worldwide gross
$8.9M
Echo Score
69
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The Traitor (2020) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 33m (153 min)
Director
Marco Bellocchio
Genres
Biography , Drama , Crime
Original language
Italian
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Traitor About?

The premise of The Traitor without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

In 1980s Sicily, a violent conflict erupts between powerful mafia bosses during the heroin trade. Tommaso Buscetta, a prominent figure in the organization, flees to Brazil after witnessing the devastating loss of his family. Facing imminent danger, Buscetta is apprehended and returned to Italy, where he makes a pivotal decision: to break the Mafia's code of silence and assist Judge Falcone in pursuit of justice, seeking a path toward redemption.

The Traitor Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • cosa nostra
  • sicily
  • italy
  • 1990s
  • 1980s
  • mafia
  • year 2000
  • sicily italy
  • italian history
  • year 1984
  • year 1992
  • male full frontal nudity
+38 more
  • based on true story
  • trial
  • mafia boss
  • sex scene
  • female nudity
  • mutilation
  • shot in the chest
  • heroin addict
  • loss of son
  • dream
  • murder
  • rio de janeiro brazil
  • brazilian woman
  • torture
  • loss of father
  • judge
  • questioning
  • flashback
  • assassination
  • assassination attempt
  • title appears in writing
  • veiled threat
  • death threat
  • new identity
  • pentito
  • italian abroad
  • paranoia
  • strychnine
  • palermo italy
  • code of honor
  • prostitute
  • sex in a jail
  • fleeing the country
  • ex mafioso
  • sicilian mafioso
  • male nudity
  • southern europe
  • europe
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Cast & crew

The Traitor Cast & Characters

Pierfrancesco Favino leads the cast as Tommaso Buscetta, with Nicola Calì as Totò Riina and Fausto Russo Alesi as Giovanni Falcone. Directed by Marco Bellocchio; 15 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Traitor

· 11 more
Ratings

The Traitor Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave The Traitor 86% on Rotten Tomatoes and 64 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10. Our Echo Score gives it 69/100, strongest in character & emotion (80) and weakest in story & flow (55).

69 /100

The Traitor Echo Score Breakdown

In overall terms, The Traitor is a thoughtfully crafted drama that excels in visual style and character portrayal, though its pacing and narrative coherence can feel uneven. The film’s direction and cinematography receive frequent praise for their painterly compositions and deliberate framing, while its exploration of moral and familial themes adds depth. At the same time, the time-jumping structure and leisurely pacing prevent the story from fully engaging. Consequently, the film offers a rewarding yet slightly uneven viewing experience.

Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.

  • Art & Craft 75

    In terms of art and craft, The Traitor demonstrates strong visual ambition through sweeping camera movements and painterly lighting. Observers highlighted the director’s measured framing and dynamic compositions, though some noted moments that resemble a television-style dramatization more than cinematic spectacle. The editing’s deliberate pace underscores thematic weight but occasionally diminishes momentum. Overall, the film’s visual craftsmanship is compelling despite intermittent lapses in cinematic polish.

  • Character & Emotion 80

    When it comes to character and emotion, The Traitor benefits from nuanced lead performances that convey deep moral conflict. The cast’s restrained portrayals bring authenticity to familial bonds and betrayal, supporting the film’s thematic weight. However, some viewers found that the narrative stops short of fully resolving the protagonist’s inner journey. In sum, the performances foster empathic engagement even if certain emotional arcs remain unresolved.

  • Story & Flow 55

    Regarding story and flow, The Traitor presents an ambitious narrative that explores betrayal and legacy through a non-linear structure. This time-jumping approach enriches thematic complexity but can also feel overstuffed and disjointed, with on-screen counters and episodic leaps interrupting momentum. Ultimately, the film’s conceptual depth is evident, though its pacing and coherence occasionally undermine engagement.

  • Sensory Experience 70

    In the sensory domain, The Traitor impresses with its cohesive visual style and carefully curated musical cues. The blend of atmospheric sound design and painterly lighting creates an immersive backdrop for the drama. A few sequences exhibit a restrained intensity that may feel subdued, yet the overall audiovisual presentation successfully enhances the film’s formal elegance and tonal consistency.

  • Rewatch Factor 60

    In terms of rewatch value, The Traitor offers enduring appeal through its thematic layers and directorial precision. Its contemplative tone and intricate moral questions invite further reflection on subsequent viewings. Nonetheless, the film’s deliberate pacing and occasional narrative density may limit enthusiasm for repeated watches. Ultimately, the work is rewarding but may not sustain broad replay interest.

Plot

The Traitor Plot Summary

What happens in The Traitor from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In the 1980s, during a time when mafia clans in Italy wielded significant power, the Cosa Nostra of Palermo and the Corleonesi factions, led by Nicola Calì, outwardly maintained a veneer of camaraderie and cooperation while vying fiercely for dominance in the drug trade. Among them was Tommaso Buscetta, portrayed by Pierfrancesco Favino, a figure known as the “boss of two worlds.” Sensing an impending war among the families, Buscetta opts to relocate to Brazil, adopting the alias Roberto Felici to conduct his business in peace. His foresight proves accurate as tensions escalate, leading to the unfortunate demise of two of his sons and his brother after his departure.

Full summary

The whole story of The Traitor, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

The Traitor Box Office

The Traitor grossed $8.9 million worldwide. $296,027 came from the US and Canada and $8.6 million (97%) from the rest of the world.

2020 box office

Worldwide gross

$8.9M

US & Canada
$296K
International
$8.6M
US & Canada 3% Rest of the world 97%
Videos

The Traitor Trailers & Videos

The trailer of The Traitor.

Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Traitor?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What alias does Tommaso Buscetta adopt when he relocates to Brazil?

Details

The Traitor Also Known As

25 alternative titles, including “Der Verräter” and “シチリアーノ 裏切りの美学”.

Also known as
  • Der Verräter
  • シチリアーノ 裏切りの美学
  • El traidor
  • Предатель
  • Le Traître
  • 배신자
  • 叛徒
  • Ο Προδότης
  • 黑金叛徒
  • O Traidor
  • Предателят
  • První zrádce
+13 more
  • Zdrajca
  • El traidor de la Mafia
  • Зрадник
  • Prvý zradca
  • Издајник
  • Hain - The Traitor
  • Az első áruló
  • Mafijas nodevējs
  • Mafijos išdavikas
  • Trădătorul
  • הבוגד
  • Il Traditore - Als Kronzeuge gegen die Cosa Nostra
  • Izdajalec

Seen The Traitor?

FAQ

The Traitor FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, post-credit scenes and language of The Traitor, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Traitor?

The Traitor runs 2 hours 33 minutes (153 minutes).

When was The Traitor released?

The Traitor was released on January 31, 2020.

Who directed The Traitor?

The Traitor was directed by Marco Bellocchio.

More films by Marco Bellocchio

Who is in the cast of The Traitor?

The Traitor stars Pierfrancesco Favino as Tommaso Buscetta, Nicola Calì as Totò Riina and Fausto Russo Alesi as Giovanni Falcone, among 15 credited actors.

How much did The Traitor make at the box office?

The Traitor grossed $8.9 million worldwide ($296,027 domestic, $8.6 million international).

How is The Traitor rated?

The Traitor has 7.1/10 on IMDb, 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 64 on Metacritic and 77% on TMDB.

Does The Traitor have a post-credit scene?

No. The Traitor has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is The Traitor in?

The original language of The Traitor is Italian.

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