Insomnia

2002 Drama

Director Christopher Nolan follows up his breakthrough sophomore film Memento with this remake of a stylish Norwegian thriller. Al Pacino stars as Detective Will Dormer, a Los Angeles Police Department legend who temporarily escapes an internal affairs investigation that may ruin his career by traveling to Nightmute, AK, the remote site of a murder that has the local authorities flummoxed. Along with his partner, Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan), and the small town's wide-eyed rookie investigator, Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank), the exhausted Dormer probes the brutal slaying of a teenage girl who was rumored to have a secret lover. A clever ruse quickly lures the killer into a police trap, but the suspect escapes and a tragic accident at the scene leaves Dormer at the mercy of the murderer, a pulp crime novelist named Walter Finch (Robin Williams). As Finch plays a dangerous game of extortion with Dormer, the detective's mental health deteriorates rapidly from guilt over his complicity in a crime and sleep deprivation compounded by the lack of darkness in the land of the midnight sun. Meanwhile, the bright and dogged Ellie continues putting the pieces of a complex puzzle together despite Dormer's skillful attempts to lead the investigation toward the right suspect, but away from his own malfeasance. Insomnia co-stars Paul Dooley, Nicky Katt, Maura Tierney, and Jonathan Jackson. more..

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Maura Tierney,Martin Donovan

Reviews

  • It's taut, tense and terrific.

    Peter Travers - Rolling Stone

    26 April 2013

  • A perfect fit between filmmaker (Memento's Christopher Nolan) and material (Norway's same-name psycho-chiller from 1997), this remake gets all there is to get out of a peculiar premise with promise.

    Mike Clark - USA Today

    26 April 2013

  • A rare case of an American remake that actually improves on a European movie.

    Lou Lumenick - New York Post

    26 April 2013

  • Superb psychological thriller.

    Lisa Schwarzbaum - Entertainment Weekly

    26 April 2013

  • Insomnia shows an equally welcome ability: a gift of creating intelligent, engrossing popular entertainment.

    Kenneth Turan - Los Angeles Times

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Best Supporting Actor

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (2003)

     
  • Best Motion Picture

    Edgar Allan Poe Awards (2003)

     
  • Best Actress

    Empire Awards, UK (2003)

     
  • Best Horror/Thriller

    Golden Trailer Awards (2003)

     
  • British Director of the Year

    London Critics Circle Film Awards (2003)