The insider story often features protagonists who are already part of the world or culture in which the narrative takes place. Their stories often require them to adapt significantly while grappling with a changed understanding of their own world and its moral underpinnings. These protagonists may also have to bring skills or abilities from their old world into their new one.

The 1999 movie The Insider starring Russell Crowe is an excellent example of this type of protagonist. Based on a 1996 Vanity Fair article by Marie Brenner, it tells the true story of whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand who uncovered evidence that the tobacco industry had been intentionally manipulating nicotine. Eventually, Wigand risked his family’s welfare, legal action and a career in television to air the story.

In the movie, director Michael Mann creates a sense of intimacy with his viewer by using handheld camera work for the interview scenes. This technique adds a feeling of realism that helps the audience feel like they are on the ground with Wigand and Bergman as they struggle to expose the truth.

An interesting challenge with this type of protagonist is making sure that he or she doesn’t fall into the trap of the “Evil Empire” trope. If the protagonist starts the story completely comfortable with the Evil Foundation Upon Which Their World Exists, he or she will be very difficult to root for. Steven Gould’s futuristic thriller Blind Waves avoids this pitfall by pairing two narrators, salvage diver Patricia Beenan and INS officer Thomas Beckett, who begin the story with vastly different perspectives on the murderous actions of their employer.