Watch The Informers
- R
- 2008
-
4.9 (17,537)
The Informers, released in 2008, is an ensemble drama film directed by Australian filmmaker Gregor Jordan. The film is set in Los Angeles in the early 1980s and explores the lives of various characters whose paths cross amidst their personal struggles, anxieties, and indulgences. The film is based on a collection of short stories of the same name by Bret Easton Ellis, who co-wrote the screenplay with Nicholas Jarecki.
The star-studded cast features several well-known actors, including Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, Winona Ryder, Amber Heard, and Chris Isaak. Thornton plays William, an aging and successful movie executive who indulges in his darkest desires while struggling with his marriage to Laura (Basinger). His son, Graham (Jon Foster), an aspiring musician, is also struggling with his identity and relationships, while his best friend, Martin (Austin Nichols), is trying to understand his own sexuality.
Meanwhile, in another part of town, a group of young and affluent friends indulge in drugs, sex, and partying. Among them are Tim (Lou Taylor Pucci), an aspiring actor who is dating Christie (Heard), who is having an affair with the wealthy businessman, Peter (Isaak). Also in the group is Cheryl (Mel Raido), a depressed writer who is caught up in a dangerous love triangle with Graham and Christie.
The film is also interwoven with the story of Jamie (Robert Pattinson), a troubled and promiscuous young man who is struggling with his mother's death and his estranged relationship with his father, a famous music producer. Jamie becomes infatuated with a young woman (Anna Lynne McCord) who he meets at a club, but their relationship takes a dark turn.
Throughout the film, the various storylines intersect and collide, revealing the dark side of Los Angeles and the troubled lives of its inhabitants. The characters' hedonistic indulgences are contrasted with their deep-seated anxieties and struggles, leading to a tragic and haunting conclusion.
While The Informers received mixed reviews from critics, with some criticizing its detached and unemotional portrayal of the characters, others praised the film's realism and its portrayal of the dark underbelly of 1980s Los Angeles. The performances of the cast were also widely praised, particularly that of Thornton and Rourke.
Overall, The Informers is a dark and haunting exploration of the troubled lives of its characters and the shadows that lurk beneath the surface of Los Angeles. Through its gritty and often uncomfortable portrayal of sex, drugs, and vanity, the film reveals the desperation and vulnerability of those who are trapped in the city's hedonistic and self-obsessed culture.
The Informers is a 2008 drama. It has received poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 4.9 and a MetaScore of 20.