THE INFORMANT! 4K review

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Review by John Larkin

I've always had a special admiration for Steven Soderbergh—a filmmaker who continues to work prolifically while continually pushing technical boundaries, often on a modest budget. Whether it's experimenting with digital cinematography, shooting on iPhones, or stripping down his crew to the bare essentials, Soderbergh embodies a kind of guerrilla filmmaking spirit that’s both inspiring and rare in Hollywood.

I was lucky enough to meet him in 2017 while he was filming UNSANE on location in White Plains, NY. At the time, he was shooting with an iPhone, standing behind a tripod, casually capturing a shot of THE CROWN actress Claire Foy exiting an office building. There were maybe four or five crew members total—it felt more like the making of a student film than a production by an Oscar-winning director. Despite the minimal setup, Soderbergh was focused, approachable, and extremely gracious when I had the chance to approach him and complimented his work.

As for THE INFORMANT! (2009), what I remember most is the transformation of Matt Damon. He reportedly gained over 30 pounds for the role, fully committing to the physicality and awkward charm of his character. The image of him devouring cheeseburgers and Doritos in preparation still lingers in my mind. Ironically, Damon appears only modestly out of shape on screen—limited mainly to a slight paunch around his midsection. If they were aiming for true “Dad Bod” authenticity, dialing him up to a solid fifty pounds heavier might have been the way to go!

The film itself is a dry comedy, based on the true story of Mark Whitacre, a high-ranking executive at agricultural giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). Set in the early 1990s, the plot centers around Whitacre’s decision to become an informant for the FBI, secretly recording meetings where top executives from around the globe are engaged in a price-fixing scheme for lysine, a food additive used in animal feed. While Whitacre initially presents himself as a whistleblower acting on principle, it soon becomes clear that his motivations—and his version of events—are far more complicated.

Soderbergh directs the film with a light, whimsical touch, undercutting the seriousness of the corporate crime story with an off-kilter tone and quirky internal monologues from Damon’s character. It’s a kind of comedic espionage film filtered through the lens of suburban mediocrity and mild delusion. The casting is pitch-perfect, with a supporting ensemble of comedic actors (Scott Bakula, Joel McHale, Melanie Lynskey) lending a distinctively oddball flavor to the whole thing.

As for the new 4K transfer, I think they went a little overboard with the HDR color grading. The film now has a harsh, overly saturated look, with crushed blacks that make certain scenes difficult to watch. The overall color scheme leans heavily into an aggressive orange tone, which I wish they had dialed back. Given that the film was already shot digitally, these issues are even more pronounced.

Interestingly, the problem here is the polar opposite of what I experienced with Criterion’s 4K release of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, which featured an overly exposed image that completely undercut the film’s noirish atmosphere. That was one of the rare cases where I actually kept the Blu-ray and traded in my 4K version.

Despite my disappointment with the image quality, this is still a solid release from Warner Bros.—and ultimately the best-looking version of this wry entry in the Soderbergh filmography.