Watch The Informant: Fear and Faith in the Heartland

The Informant: Fear and Faith in the Heartland is a gripping true-crime docu-series that recounts the harrowing story of a twisted informant, Keith Cooper. This Hulu original miniseries is a six-part tale that brings to light the webs of deceit that Cooper spun, which led to wrongful convictions of four people.

Through riveting interviews, footage from courtroom trials, and audio recordings of phone calls, the show manages to paint a haunting picture of the rural Midwestern town where Cooper operated. The series is set in Lebanon, Indiana, where Cooper worked as a police officer in the 1990s.

In the mid-2000s, Cooper became an informant for the FBI, securing drug busts and other criminal convictions in exchange for leniency in his own criminal history. However, being an informant became his true calling, and he went above and beyond what was asked of him, making up evidence and manipulating people he targeted, all for the thrill of achieving greater success.

The series follows the story of four people - Stephanie Neff, Will Smith, Omar Askia Ali, and Ronnington Hester - who found themselves on the wrong side of Cooper's schemes. The first episode is dedicated to Stephanie Neff's story, who was wrongly convicted of drug trafficking and spent years in prison. Neff's story is book-ended by the final episode, which details the lives of the other three men who were wrongfully convicted without any legit evidence and narrates their battles for justice against Cooper and the Indiana State Police Department.

Through the testimonies of the people who were wronged by Cooper, it also shows how one person's lies and manipulations can have severe consequences on the lives of others, and raises questions about how informants are used in law enforcement. It's also a reflection of racial injustice, systemic corruption, societal biases, and how people in power in smalltown America feel they are above the law.

The series is produced by one of America's best documentary filmmakers, Nanette Burstein, who's the mastermind behind documentaries like 'On The Ropes', The Kid Stays In The Picture, and Hillary. Burstein co-writes and directs the series with Robert Kenner, known for creating documentaries like the award-winning Food, Inc. and Merchants of Doubt.

The series is filmed in a documentary style, but it's not dry or impersonal. Through the use of reenactments, personal accounts, and original footage, it delves deep into the psyche of Keith Cooper and his handling by the Indiana State Police Department. At the same time, it manages to develop a better understanding of the motives of Cooper's targets and how the scandal unfolded.

Overall, The Informant: Fear and Faith in the Heartland is a suspenseful and thought-provoking docu-series that explores the dark nature of deception and its consequences. It exposes the systemic flaws of the legal system and highlights the importance of being vigilant when ordinary citizens are put in the crosshairs of law enforcement. It's not just a true-crime miniseries; it's a depiction of a pivotal moment in recent American history that will keep you hooked till the end.

The Informant: Fear and Faith in the Heartland is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (1 episodes). The series first aired on November 3, 2021.