Tejasvani Datta
‘The Informer‘ is a riveting crime thriller that takes a plunge into the spine-chilling world of Polish mafia in New York, revealing what really goes “under” in the underworld. It explores assorted narratives through an assemble cast, piecing together a violent, dangerous game of trust, and of course, betrayals.
The film is an absorbing thriller that brings together three powerful forces, the FBI, the Polish underworld, and NYPD, and follows one man’s fight against them all. ‘The Informer’, helmed by Italian actor-turned director Andrea Di Stefano, places the titular figure, Pete Koslow, as the spine of the narrative.
Pete, an ex-convict, works undercover as an informant for the FBI, infiltrating the Polish mob’s drug trade in New York. But when an undercover cop is shot during a sting, he gets caught in the crossfire between the two sides. Being forced to return to the Bale Hill Prison, Pete finds himself in threat of being exposed as a mule. He then comes up with a plan to escape both the law and the mafia to ensure his family’s safety.
‘The Informer’ is based on the novel, Three Seconds, by the Swedish crime-writing duo, Roslund and Hellström. But Stephano changes the setting of the story in the film, shifting it to New York. In case you’re wondering if ‘The Informer’ was actually filmed in New York, we’re here to help. Here’s everything you need to know.
Where Was The Informer Filmed?
In many ways, ‘The Informer’ can be considered an international production. It is directed by an Italian filmmaker, and features an ethnically diverse cast that includes Joel Kinnaman, Rosamund Pike, Clive Owen and Ana de Armas.
The film is set in New York, but it borrows from a Swedish story and explores the Polish mafia. While it has both British and American distributors, the production of the film largely took place in the UK. Due to this, a major chunk of the film was shot in parts of UK, despite its American setting. But certain parts of the film were also shot on location for authenticity. Read on to find out the details.
Pinewood Studios, Ivy Heath, UK
The production of ‘The Informer’ largely took place in Pinewood Studios. While the details for the same are not available, it is believed that several indoor shots from the crime thriller were filmed inside iconic studio. Pinewood Studios is located in Iver Heath on the outskirts of Slough, and has a long history with cinema.
The space has been used as a film studio since 1930s and has a legacy of over 80 years. Pinewood is best known to be the home of the ‘James Bond’ and ‘Carry On’ film franchises. But it has also been used for numerous great films including the final part of ‘Harry Potter’, along with ‘The Dark Knight’, ‘Maleficent’, ‘Fury’, ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘Aliens’, among several others.
Gloucester Prison, UK
The filming of ‘The Informer’ took place in Gloucester Prison in July 2017. The abandoned prison was used as a substitute of Bale Hill Prison that is actually located in New York. Several actors and background artists were spotted wearing tattoos and prison uniforms during the filming in July. Gloucester Prison has previously also featured in several films and documentaries, including ‘The Penitent Man’ and ‘The Eagle and the Daw’.
Brooklyn, New York, USA
‘The Informer’ is set in New York, which is undoubtedly the most iconic city in the world. So, while a large chunk of the production took place in the UK, several distinctive shots were filmed on location in New York.
Greenpoint neighbourhood in Brooklyn was a crucial site because of its working-class and immigrant population. In fact, the neighbourhood is commonly referred to as Little Poland and inhabits a large Polish immigrant and Polish-American community. Apart from Greenpoint, filming of ‘The Informer’ also took place in Bethesda Terrace and Fountain in Central Park. Ridgewood is another location that was used during the filming. However, the information for this is not verified.
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