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The Insider

Play trailer 2:30 Poster for The Insider R Released Nov 5, 1999 2h 37m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 138 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
After seeking the expertise of former "Big Tobacco" executive Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe), seasoned TV producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino) suspects a story lies behind Wigand's reluctance to speak. As Bergman persuades Wigand to share his knowledge of industry secrets, the two must contend with the courts and the corporations that stand between them and exposing the truth. All the while, Wigand must struggle to maintain his family life amidst lawsuits and death threats.
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The Insider

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Critics Consensus

Intelligent, compelling, and packed with strong performances, The Insider is a potent corporate thriller.

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Critics Reviews

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Adam Nayman The Ringer Superbly shot and edited and boasting impeccable recreations of the 60 Minutes broadcast in which Wigand went public, The Insider matches Heat's intensity while raising the stakes. Mar 26, 2019 Full Review David Ansen Newsweek Powerfully and elegantly, The Insider reveals a chilling reality: how hard it is to tell a simple truth when big business doesn't want it told. Mar 6, 2018 Full Review Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online ... the movie goes on a nail biting tear... Rated: A- Sep 12, 2017 Full Review Chuck Klosterman Akron Beacon Journal As a piece of entertainment, it works amazingly well -- the story never drags and it seems to get a little more interesting with every scene. Rated: 3/4 Oct 27, 2023 Full Review Ray Pride Newcity In a century of obscene compromise, The Insider stands as a titanic moral enterprise... through image and sound and reserved yet deliquescent performance, captures men's wills. It's Heat, hushed. Rated: 10/10 Sep 11, 2021 Full Review Caffeinated Clint Moviehole Pacino and Crowe, powerful performers in their own, singular right, make for an extremely dynamic duo in this absolutely riveting, intricately plotted true account of a jaw-dropper case from a few years back. Sep 3, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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DanTheMan 2 I've been long overdue for a rewatch of The Insider, given Michael Mann's recent postings about it on his socials, they couldn't have been a better excuse. A sobering examination of corruption, courage, cowardice, and the sometimes catastrophic costs of telling the truth it's Mann's least physically violent film yet feels no less ferocious. Revelling in Mann's unparalleled ability to fashion taut suspense from unpromising material with its issues of corporate ownership interfering with respected news media resonating almost identically today as they did when it was first released. It's Heat, hushed. Turning a moral issue into riveting suspense and infusing wit into a film that easily could have been unbearably pretentious, Mann makes the mundane exciting, with his trademark blue/dark backlighting, hyper-kinetic editing and a haunting techno score, skillfully making every shot and every note of the soundtrack help shape the story. Not only is Mann's directing inventive yet down to earth, but the performances by the cast are truly excellent, ones that command attention, primarily the emotional relationship between Russell Crowe, as the conflicted Wigand, and Al Pacino, as the tenacious Bergman. With its masterful acting, strafing wit and dramatic provocation, The Insider offers Mann at his best... blood up, unsanitized, and unbowed, one with the power to absorb, entertain and anger. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/19/24 Full Review Audience Member watch full amazing movie online on https://glamcinema.com/ Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/25/24 Full Review N L I was so bored by this movie. Who cares? Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/31/24 Full Review efasd f This film is stunning. Everything works: the cinematography, the acting and the script are all amazing. It's deliberately paced so that the one-hundred and fifty minutes fly by in the blink of an eye. This is an absolute must-see. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/26/24 Full Review Kevin L Michael Mann is so skilled in matters of crime dramas, esp. witness silencing dramas, with more than a touch of thriller tension in them. As seen in "Collateral", "Heat" and "Manhunter", he shows prowess in writing smart, taut story lines with shrewd, natural dialogue, and the pacing to keep you invested even when some scenes requite more time and nuance. Actors must really enjoy working with him, too, cuz he really gets some damn fine performances from them. The acting here, lead by Crowe and Pacino, is stellar stuff. Both are equally authentic and compelling through their depiction of the very real case(s) the film's based on, and via Mann and Eric Roth's strong screenplay that birthed multi-dimensional, compex figures. Also strong were Plummer as Mike Wallace, Gambon, Crouse, Mazar, Hall, McGill, and Venora. It does all that stressing me out stuff mixed w/ boiling my blood a bit, but ultimately left me very satisfied and happy with having seen such a fine example of this type story/news event on the screen. And thankful again for those who put it on the line for a case like this. 4 stars Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/13/24 Full Review A B A top 10 movie seen by far too many people. It's just fantastic start to finish. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/08/24 Full Review Read all reviews
The Insider

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis After seeking the expertise of former "Big Tobacco" executive Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe), seasoned TV producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino) suspects a story lies behind Wigand's reluctance to speak. As Bergman persuades Wigand to share his knowledge of industry secrets, the two must contend with the courts and the corporations that stand between them and exposing the truth. All the while, Wigand must struggle to maintain his family life amidst lawsuits and death threats.
Director
Michael Mann
Producer
Michael Mann, Pieter Jan Brugge
Screenwriter
Eric Roth, Michael Mann
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co
Buena Vista (Walt Disney)
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 5, 1999, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$29.0M
Runtime
2h 37m
Sound Mix
Surround
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