Billy Bob Thornton has achieved significant success before becoming one of Taylor Sheridan‘s most recognizable leading men in <em>Landman</em>. Often overlooked among his filmography, which includes acclaimed features such as Sling Blade, A Simple Plan, and Monster's Ball, is the 2008 crime thriller The Informers. Composed of several separate but interconnected storylines following hedonists in 1980s Los Angeles who abandon their moral compasses in favor of their vices to fill their inner emptiness, the film has been poorly received by both critics and audiences, with scores of 13% and 18%, respectively, on Rotten Tomatoes. However, starting on January 1, it will seek redemption on Hulu when it joins the streamer’s catalog.
Thornton is just one small piece of a large, star-studded ensemble in The Informers that includes fellow Oscar winner Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder, Mickey Rourke, Amber Heard, Jon Foster, Austin Nichols, Rhys Ifans, and more. He plays a key role in several of the sex, drugs, and crime-filled storylines, portraying a film executive who is cheating on his wife with a local newscaster. Meanwhile, his son tries to navigate his messy open relationship with his girlfriend and his sexually active best friend as he develops feelings for the former. With rock stars and ex-cons involved in disturbing kidnap-for-hire plots, there is no shortage of characters allowing their immorality to guide them as they drift through life in the city, typically facing consequences for their aimlessness.
The Informers is based on the acclaimed series of short stories written by Bret Easton Ellis, best known as the author of the iconic horror novel American Psycho. That story transitioned seamlessly from page to screen, resulting in an adaptation starring Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman that remains widely acclaimed today, with a new version coming from Luca Guadagnino. Ellis was directly involved in ensuring that The Informers could achieve similar big-screen success, co-writing the screenplay with Nicholas Jarecki. However, the final version of the film, directed by Gregor Jordan, reportedly made significant tonal departures from what the author and Jarecki had originally written, resulting in a darker, moodier film that only grossed $382,172 at the box office against a reported $18 million budget.
‘Landman’s Divisive Season 2 Is Nearing Its End
On Paramount+, pressure has been mounting for Thornton’s struggling executive Tommy Norris, with only four episodes remaining in Landman Season 2. After a breakout first season that saw the oil tycoon trying to thrive amid the cutthroat West Texas fuel boom, he has faced greater threats than ever, such as M-Tex Oil, while secrets emerge that push him closer to his breaking point. While it’s been anything but smooth sailing for him, the same cannot be said for the Sheridan show, which saw its premiere attract 9.2 million viewers in 48 hours — the best ever for a Paramount+ original series. Even if viewers haven’t fully embraced Sheridan’s sophomore outing, as indicated by a 43% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes compared to a Certified Fresh 77% critic score, the buzz was sufficient to secure a Season 3 order. Thornton has fully embraced the world and words of the Yellowstone mastermind and is committed for the long haul, regardless of who makes it out of the final few episodes intact.
The Informers arrives on Hulu on January 1. Stay tuned here at Collider for more updates on everything coming to and leaving streaming platforms as we enter 2026.
