Truth & Treason

In the shadowed grip of Nazi Germany, as World War II tears the world apart, a sharp-eyed teenage boy named Helmuth Hübener grapples with the poison of propaganda when his beloved Jewish neighbor vanishes into the regime’s maw. Drawn to forbidden BBC broadcasts crackling through a hidden radio, he rallies two steadfast friends into a ragtag band of rebels, churning out leaflets that scorch the Führer’s lies and ignite whispers of defiance among the fearful masses. But with the Gestapo’s boots echoing ever nearer and his own bishop preaching blind obedience, Helmuth faces a gut-wrenching crossroads: cling to hollow patriotism or stake his young life on the raw fire of truth & treason.

Truth & Treason Review

As horrific a moment in human history as the Holocaust was, it was also a time of heroes. Men like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Sir Nicholas Winton, and many others risked, and often sacrificed, their lives to save their fellow man from Hitler’s demonic regime. Sixteen-year-old Helmuth Hübener’s story may not be as romantic as some others, but his courage is undeniable.

                   

Truth & Treason tells of Helmuth’s humbling defiance with the same proficiency as any major film studio, and better than most from the last twenty years. It is without a doubt the best film that Angel Studios has produced since 2023’s Sound of Freedom. The performances are solid, though the use of exclusively English accents in a story set in Germany can be slightly distracting at first. Still, the film also succeeds as both a technical and structural achievement.

The pacing is brisk and the storytelling strong enough that 2 hours fly by. The visuals, while perhaps not otherworldly, do an excellent job of transporting the audience to and keeping them in 1941 Hamburg. Writer/director Matt Whitaker should be commended. For a director with an incredibly limited history, he shows remarkable instincts in keeping a story cohesive and flowing. Christian films need more directors like him.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Truth & Treason is how expertly it weaves Christian themes into the narrative—avoiding both the heavy-handed and inorganic preachiness common in many faith-based films and the awkward vagueness of those that try too hard not to come across as such, whilst still imparting a Christian message. The mission of these types of movies is to touch the hearts of non-believers and bridge the gap between mainstream films and those of faith. In that, Truth & Treason is a triumph for Christian films.

Unlike most of Angel’s recent offerings, Truth & Treason’s writers, Ethan Vincent and Matt Witaker, don’t rely on momentum-breaking and unnecessary flashbacks as narrative crutches to substitute for subtext. Instead, they let the inherent drama breathe and unfold more naturally, understanding that giving us a sympathetic lead about whom to care will do most of the heavy lifting.

If there’s a criticism to be had, it’s that the filmmakers are a bit overreliant on History to provide context and evoke an emotional response from the audience. It is true that movies that stray too far from historical accuracy in the name of drama can be frustrating, especially when the reality possesses sufficient emotional weight. 2022’s The Woman King barely eked out a profit thanks to its wild deviation from the truth. In it, a group of noble and virtually unstoppable female warriors face off against evil foreign invaders possessing vastly superior firepower. In reality, the tribe represented in the film was among the chief tribes responsible for capturing and selling Africans to European slavers, and the female warriors were annihilated in their very first confrontation against the colonists.

However, it’s also possible to adhere too stringently to biographical accuracy in lieu of dramatic oompf— something that similar Angel Studio films like Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin have suffered from. Bonhoeffer’s short life was so full of harrowing events that its filmmakers tried to at least touch on as many as possible, which left little time for pathos. Truth & Treason sets a much better balance, but leaves the audience’s varying degrees of WWII knowledge to fill in a number of emotional blanks. A more fully developed villain to channel our fear and loathing, or a stronger central relationship to anchor the story, would have created a deeper and more visceral connection.

That said, the real-life story of one of the youngest dissidents in World War II Germany contains sufficient gravitas to make Truth & Treason Worth it, even if a touch more artistic license might have elevated it to the next level.

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