Truth & Treason Review. Truth & Treason, directed by Matt…

Truth & Treason, directed by Matt Whittaker, tells the true story of Helmuth Hübener (Ewan Horrocks), a teenager in Germany during the rise of the Nazi regime who begins a counter-propaganda campaign after his friend, Salomon Schwarz (Nye Occomore), is taken to a concentration camp. At just 17 years old, Helmuth became the youngest member of the German resistance executed by the Nazis.

The first thing I noticed — and appreciated — about this film was its genuine, human approach to every character. The story doesn’t shy away from the evils of the Nazi party, but it refuses to depict its characters — even the antagonists — as mindless drones. They are human. The main cast grew up under Hitler’s influence, shaped by a culture that blurred patriotism and indoctrination. Helmuth’s own brother is a Nazi soldier, yet the film still captures the small, intimate moments of a family excited to see a son come home, and the heartbreak of sending him back out into danger.

It’s that very brother who brings Helmuth an illegal radio from France — one with the range to pick up broadcasts outside of Nazi control. That single act becomes the spark that ignites Helmuth’s hunger for truth and resistance against the regime’s lies.

The film’s most striking portrayal of humanity within evil comes through its antagonist, Erwin Mussener (Rupert Evans), an SS agent tasked with uncovering who is spreading the anti-Nazi pamphlets. Erwin is first introduced torturing a traitor, yet his brutality is later juxtaposed with quiet moments at home with his wife and children. His cruelty doesn’t follow him through the door — he’s shown as a loving husband and father. Even when he comes face-to-face with Helmuth, there’s a glimmer of conflicted respect for the young man’s courage and conviction. Evans’s performance anchors the film, embodying the unsettling duality of a man capable of both warmth and wickedness.

The plot itself doesn’t break new ground. It follows the familiar arc of the idealistic youth turned martyr: childhood, awakening, rebellion, capture, and downfall. I had hoped the film would dig deeper into Nazi ideology — and how Helmuth specifically countered it — but instead, it focuses more broadly on his stand for truth. That choice makes the story feel somewhat surface-level, missing a chance to explore how falsehood and propaganda corrupt a nation from within.

Had the film engaged more directly with how Nazi ideology distorted truth to justify violence and chaos, it might have felt more timely — and more resonant — in today’s cultural climate.

One unexpected element is Helmuth’s faith. He and his friends were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The film doesn’t dive deeply into their theology; rather, it presents a general faith rooted in Jesus and moral conviction, without venturing into the specifics of Mormonism. Perhaps this was a conscious choice — to make the story more broadly appealing across the faith spectrum — but I doubt most Christians will differentiate. Mormonism can be alienating in name alone, and the result is a message of platitudes rather than one grounded in the truth it claims to honor. That contrast becomes especially clear when compared to Angel Studios’ Bonhoeffer from last year, which explored similar themes with far greater conviction and clarity.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
— John 1:14

At its core, Truth & Treason reminds us that the pursuit of truth is sacred — and that any effort to suppress it is the work of darkness itself. Because the truth, ultimately, is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion
Truth & Treason is a familiar inspirational biopic — moving in parts, but too restrained to truly stand out. Its layered characters, especially through Evans’s nuanced performance, give it depth and heart, but the film stops short of saying something greater. It’s meaningful, but not memorable.

5.5/10