'The Debt' needs consolidation

“The Debt” and its characters are torn between the values of romance and honesty.
The story behind the former is a surprisingly convincing love triangle, and the details behind the latter are a generic, if not silly, conspiracy thriller.

Three Israeli agents in 1965 are tasked with apprehending a sadistic former Nazi doctor. In 1997, one agent’s suicide reveals that the specifics of their successful mission were not what they seemed. 

The plot demands the older versions of the characters maintain a troubling secret, but this truth is not all that life shattering. More interesting is the sexual tension between stars Jessica Chastain and Sam Worthington, which convincingly builds despite all odds of melodrama in this suspense story.

The closing fight scene is absurd, but “The Debt” is a fairly chilling film with a clever hint of romance.