The Insider

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2:30

The Insider

R

Released Nov 5, 1999

2h 37m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

137 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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Critics Consensus

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

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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

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Louise C

Well portrayed events of a whistle blower.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/20/25

Full Review

Francisco S

Way too long, takes critical attention from an important subject.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/06/25

Full Review

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

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Michael Mann

Director

Al Pacino

Lowell Bergman

Russell Crowe

Jeffrey Wigand

Christopher Plummer

Mike Wallace

Diane Venora

Liane Wigand

Philip Baker Hall

Don Hewitt

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The Insider: Trailer 1

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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), Touchstone Pictures
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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