The Informant! is a 2009 American biographical-crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh. Written by Scott Z. Burns, the film stars Matt Damon as the titular informant named Mark Whitacre, as well as Scott Bakula, Joel McHale and Melanie Lynskey. It depicts Whitacre's involvement as a whistleblower in the lysine price-fixing conspiracy of the mid-1990s, based on the 2000 nonfiction book The Informant, by journalist Kurt Eichenwald.Released on September 18, 2009, The Informant! received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for Matt Damon's performance, although the film's comedic yet ironic tone received mixed reviews. The film was a commercial success, grossing $41.8 million on a $22 million budget.