--- title: "Informer" year: 2018 kind: "series" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/informer" fi1m_id: "informer" imdb_id: "tt7161312" tmdb_id: 83059 wikidata_id: "Q60774416" fi1m_score: 78 critics_score: 77 critics_reviews: 6 published: "2026-10-07T18:25:11.384991+00:00" updated: "2026-10-07T18:25:20.427823+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Informer (2018) Created by Sohrab Noshirvani, Rory Haines · 55m · MPA TV-MA · Drama, Crime ## Identity Informer - **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/informer - **Type:** Series - **Fi1m ID:** informer - **IMDb ID:** tt7161312 - **TMDB ID:** 83059 - **Wikidata ID:** Q60774416 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7161312/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/83059, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q60774416 **Fi1m score: 78** · Critics 77 from 6 reviews *In a sentence:* Nabhaan Rizwan deserves our attention; the plot occasionally demands a notebook > *Informer* is an absorbing East London crime series led by Nabhaan Rizwan and Paddy Considine. Its characters repay close attention, even when the tangled plotting asks for more patience than it deserves. ## Synopsis East London is the setting for a crime drama centred on Raza Shar (Nabhaan Rizwan), alongside Gabe Waters (Paddy Considine), Holly Morten (Bel Powley) and Dadir Hassan (Roger Nsengiyumva). Politically aware, Raza is part of a story involving terrorism and a wider cast that includes Emily Waters (Jessica Raine), Nasir Shar (Reiss Jeram) and Sadia Shar (Sunetra Sarker). Across six episodes, the series tells its story in fragments, making the connections between its characters and events part of what the audience has to work out. ## Review *Informer* is an absorbing crime series whose people are more convincing than some of the situations they are put in. Created and written by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, it gives a terrorism thriller the patience to develop characters beyond their immediate usefulness to the story. Across six episodes, that attention pays off, particularly in Nabhaan Rizwan’s Raza Shar. The plotting occasionally works too hard to keep us guessing, but the performances make it worth staying with. Raza’s political awareness is a substantial part of his appeal, and Nabhaan Rizwan makes it feel like something belonging to a person with a life outside this plot. We warmed to him more than we expected. The writing allows him enough individuality that his opinions do not seem to have been assigned merely to get a debate going. That matters when the subject is terrorism, which can so easily reduce characters to convenient representatives of opposing views. Paddy Considine gives Gabe Waters enough substance to keep the series steady when its narrative becomes awkward. Roger Nsengiyumva is similarly valuable as Dadir Hassan, and the strength of the supporting performances prevents the programme becoming a waiting game between appearances by its leads. We remain interested in the people around Raza. That breadth is important: a thriller needs someone to worry about once it has finished arranging its next surprise. Jonny Campbell’s direction gives East London a presence that helps the drama. The cross-processed images make the city look heightened, yet there is enough local detail to stop it becoming a collection of fashionable thriller locations. The visual treatment can feel insistent, but it is preferable to a crime programme that could be taking place anywhere. Ilan Eshkeri supplies the music; it is the faces and the sense of a particular place that stay with us. The broken-up storytelling is less consistently effective. It requires close attention, and for much of the series the effort is repaid by characters who become more interesting as we learn about them. Then the plotting adds another complication, and the work of keeping track begins to intrude on the pleasure of watching. Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani sometimes ask us to accept too much, leaving questions about credibility that brisk pacing cannot quite answer. Some dialogue is a smaller irritation. Familiar thriller phrasing sits awkwardly beside the care spent on Raza, and the performers occasionally have to make a stock line sound like something a particular person might say. They usually manage it, but those passages briefly expose how much the writing is relying on them. The series is better when it lets its imperfect characters hold our interest without having to keep announcing that this is dangerous business. Against the habits of terrorism drama, the attention to individual character gives *Informer* a useful advantage. Its suspense has people worth worrying about, and that carries it through the less persuasive turns. This is good television with a conspicuous weakness for complication. Choose it for the cast, and allow for a few objections along the way. *Fi1m score 78, published 7 October 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews are uniformly positive about Informer, with praise centred on its performances, layered characters and detailed portrayal of East London. Nabhaan Rizwan and Paddy Considine draw particular approval, while the supporting cast also receives credit for keeping the thriller engaging. Most critics find the series compelling even when its plotting demands patience. Empire is the most enthusiastic, singling out Raza as a politically aware, carefully drawn character and praising the drama’s fresh, authentic tone. The reservations concern how the story is told rather than a lack of interest in its characters. The reviews identify disjointed structure, excessive complication, plot holes and occasional thriller clichés, though none treats these as fatal. Variety questions the plotting and credibility but finds the series rewarding. Den of Geek’s positive assessment concerns the opening episode rather than the whole series. The spread is fairly narrow, with differences chiefly in how readily critics accept the narrative complications. ## Straight answers **Is Informer worth watching?** *Informer* is worth watching for its character-led crime drama and strong cast, and we score it 78 out of 100. Nabhaan Rizwan and Paddy Considine keep us invested across six episodes, though the fragmented storytelling demands close attention and some complications are harder to believe than to follow. **How long is Informer, and what is it rated?** *Informer* has episodes of about 55m and is rated TV-MA by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and crime series. **Where can I watch Informer in the US?** *Informer* is streaming on BritBox, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV in the US. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Informer, and is it suitable for children?** *Informer* carries a UK 15 certificate and a US TV-MA rating, making it a choice for older teenagers and adults rather than children. Its terrorism storyline involves suspense and danger; we would not infer specific levels of violence or graphic content from those ratings alone. **How does Informer compare to The Lives of Others?** *Informer* is our choice for an extended, character-led crime series, while [*The Lives of Others*](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others) earns our warmer recommendation as a surveillance film. Both give us people worth caring about, but *Informer* struggles with tangled plotting; our reservation about *The Lives of Others* concerns how its faith in personal goodness simplifies a brutal political system. **What should I watch after Informer?** After *Informer*, try [*The Lives of Others*](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others) (2006, Fi1m 84): A surveillance drama that keeps the people under scrutiny painfully close. Then [*A Prophet*](https://film.one/film/a-prophet) (2009, Fi1m 86): A young man learns the cost of making himself useful to dangerous people; and [*The Battle of Algiers*](https://film.one/film/the-battle-of-algiers) (1966, Fi1m 93): A harsher examination of surveillance, political violence and the people caught between. ### Reviews we read (6) - **Empire**, Boyd Hilton (90/100, inferred): Hilton calls the series another BBC drama triumph, praising its fresh, authentic tone. He especially singles out Raza as a beautifully drawn, politically aware character. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/informer-series-1-review/) - **Evening Standard**, Alastair McKay (75/100, inferred): McKay finds Informer a compelling, beautifully made thriller with more complexity than comparable terrorism dramas. He especially praises the cross-processed London imagery and the nuanced, imperfect central characters. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/informer-beautifully-shot-london-thriller-with-two-heroes-fighting-a-complex-war-on-terror-a3963276.html) - **The Guardian**, Tim Dowling (75/100, inferred): Dowling finds the series gripping and engaging, despite a deliberately disjointed structure that requires close attention. He particularly praises the strong performances, especially those in the supporting cast. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/oct/16/informer-review-thriller-police-informants) - **Variety**, Daniel D'Addario (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the series compelling and ultimately rewarding despite overcomplicated plotting and uneven credibility. They praise its vivid portrayal of East London and the performances of Nabhaan Rizwan and Paddy Considine. [Read](https://variety.com/2019/tv/reviews/informer-review-amazon-1203103710/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Tim Goodman (70/100, inferred): The critic recommends the series as ambitious, tightly paced, and more believable than Bodyguard, despite some plot holes. They particularly praise the magnetic performances of Nabhaan Rizwan, Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, and Paddy Considine. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/informer-review-1174877/) - **Den of Geek**, Louisa Mellor (75/100, inferred): The critic calls the episode a strong start, despite some reservations. They praise its layered characterisation and lively, detailed portrayal of East London, while faulting some dialogue for sounding like thriller clichés. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/informer-episode-1-review/) ## Details - **Created by:** Sohrab Noshirvani, Rory Haines - **Creator:** Sohrab Noshirvani, Rory Haines - **Director:** Jonny Campbell - **Writer:** Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani - **Music:** Ilan Eshkeri - **Cast:** Nabhaan Rizwan as Raza Shar; Bel Powley as Holly Morten; Paddy Considine as Gabe Waters; Roger Nsengiyumva as Dadir Hassan; Jessica Raine as Emily Waters; Reiss Jeram as Nasir Shar; Fehinti Balogun as Officer Cooper; Arinze Kene as Sal Brahimi - **Runtime:** 55m - **Certificate (MPA):** TV-MA - **Release (the US):** 16 October 2018 - **Genres:** Drama, Crime - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nh-j9jdJXY ## Where to watch in the US - BritBox: streaming, hd - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - Apple TV: add-on, hd *Checked 2026-10-07.* Also available in: AT, AU, CA, DE, FR, GB, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *The Lives of Others* (2006), Fi1m 84: A surveillance drama that keeps the people under scrutiny painfully close. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others.md) - *A Prophet* (2009), Fi1m 86: A young man learns the cost of making himself useful to dangerous people. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-prophet.md) - *Shadow Dancer* (2012): An informer’s precarious loyalties give this restrained thriller its persistent unease. - *The Bureau* (2015): Patient French espionage drama with room for professional routines and private damage. - *The Battle of Algiers* (1966), Fi1m 93: A harsher examination of surveillance, political violence and the people caught between. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-battle-of-algiers.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/informer