The defence The Prestige Tourist
“Form is the argument.”
Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.
Back to trending 
The Insider
Drama · Thriller · 1999
A research chemist comes under personal and professional attack when he decides to appear in a 60 Minutes exposé on Big Tobacco.
Movie details
The Insider
“Two men driven to tell the truth … whatever the cost.”
1999 Drama · Thriller 2h 38m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.5 / 10
Community rating
A research chemist comes under personal and professional attack when he decides to appear in a 60 Minutes exposé on Big Tobacco.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over The Insider?
For the defence
The Prestige Tourist
“You like your greatness pre-approved.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
Nothing but the Truth
Drama · 2008
When reporter Rachel Armstrong writes a story that reveals the identity of a covert CIA operative, the government demands that Rachel reveal her source. She defies the special prosecutor and is thrown in jail. Meanwhile, her attorney, Albert Burnside argues her case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Unthinkable
Drama · 2010
The government gets wind of a plot to destroy America involving a trio of nuclear weapons for which the whereabouts are unknown. It's up to a seasoned interrogator and an FBI agent to find out exactly where the nukes are.
The Crush
Thriller · 1993
A precocious and obsessive teenager develops a crush on a naive writer with harrowing consequences.
Tyler Perry's Duplicity
Thriller · 2025
High-powered attorney Marley faces her most personal case yet when she is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the murder of her best friend Fela’s husband. With the help of her boyfriend – a former cop turned private investigator – Marley’s search for what really happened leads her down a treacherous maze of deception and betrayal.
The Experiment
Thriller · 2010
20 men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a psychological study that ultimately spirals out of control.
Veronica Guerin
Drama · 2003
In this true story, Veronica Guerin is an investigative reporter for an Irish newspaper. As the drug trade begins to bleed into the mainstream, Guerin decides to take on and expose those responsible. Beginning at the bottom with addicts, Guerin then gets in touch with John Traynor, a paranoid informant. Not without some prodding, Traynor leads her to John Gilligan, the ruthless head of the operation, who does not take kindly to Guerin's nosing.
The Infiltrator
Crime · 2016
A U.S Customs official uncovers a massive money laundering scheme involving Pablo Escobar.
The Hummingbird Project
Thriller · 2019
A pair of high-frequency traders go up against their old boss in an effort to make millions in a fiber-optic cable deal.
Argo
Drama · 2012
As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA 'exfiltration' specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.
The Company You Keep
Drama · 2012
A former Weather Underground activist goes on the run from a journalist who discovers his identity.
Where it lives
Watch in your region.
Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.
Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.
Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Michael Mann
Written by
Eric Roth · Michael Mann
Al Pacino
Lowell Bergman
Russell Crowe
Jeffrey Wigand
Christopher Plummer
Mike Wallace
Diane Venora
Liane Wigand
Philip Baker Hall
Don Hewitt
Lindsay Crouse
Sharon Tiller
Debi Mazar
Debbie De Luca
Court is in session
Put The Insider on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Technique in search of a pulse.”
Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.