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The Informant! 4K Review: Matt Damon Movie Has Aged Well
May 5, 2025
Few directors are as versatile and reliable as Steven Soderbergh, who is still going strong, as the releases of Presence and Black Bag earlier this year show. No matter the genre, Soderbergh is able to deliver a compelling watch. 2009’s The Informant! is yet another example of his range as he reteams with Ocean’s Eleven star Matt Damon for a film based on a true story that is so bizarre that it defies easy categorization.
“Mark Whitacre is secretly rolling tape during a meeting of corporate honchos who are illegally fixing the price of food additives. Meeting after meeting, Mark rolls tape after tape. He’s sure the tapes will make him a U.S. hero. What went wrong?” reads the synopsis. “Director Steven Soderbergh reteams with one of his Ocean’s trilogy stars for a snappy skewering of big business based on the true story of the highest-ranking corporate whistleblower in U.S. history. Matt Damon portrays Whitacre, whip-smart and immensely likable even as his schemes become increasingly untethered. Pay attention to the fun and intrigue of The Informant! And be informed!”
Based on a corporate conspiracy revolving around the price of lysine, The Informant! doesn’t seem like the most interesting story on paper. What makes it so compelling is the man at the center of the case, as Mark Whitacre risks his career with no real motive or reason to do so. The unlikely whistleblower basks in the would-be glory of pretending to be a spy. Whitacre is a complex character with plenty of faults and a very likable charm, which is wonderfully portrayed by Matt Damon — who also provides some top-notch narration that is both hilarious and disarming at times.
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