Insomnia (1997)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Robert C

  
  An interesting (if not a bit frustrating) film, about how one bad decision made in clouded state of panic / shock can quickly develope into a full-blown shit storm. I think that perhaps a little more development of the main character (Skarsgard) early on, would have made for a… More
  An interesting (if not a bit frustrating) film, about how one bad decision made in clouded state of panic / shock can quickly develope into a full-blown shit storm. I think that perhaps a little more development of the main character (Skarsgard) early on, would have made for a little better understanding as to why such poor judgement was used. I still don't fully understand "why", at least nothing that makes a whole lot of sense. I think the antagonist (Bjorn Floberg) summed it up best towards the end of the film when he asks "Why didn't you just tell the truth? A few months suspension and everything would be back to normal." Which is what I was thinking through the entire film.

• Cassandra M

  
  As is always the case when American producers decide to remake a relatively unknown foreign film, there are a lot of people that say this Norwegian film is better than the American one. In actual fact, there's not a lot in it; but this film deserves more credit for having the… More
  As is always the case when American producers decide to remake a relatively unknown foreign film, there are a lot of people that say this Norwegian film is better than the American one. In actual fact, there's not a lot in it; but this film deserves more credit for having the original idea, and it has to be said that the idea is a good one as this film carries off it's central theme and plot in style, and the two blend excellently to create a compelling and intriguing psychological portrait of both a criminal and the effects of not getting enough sleep. The film carries off an excellent reversal in the common psychological theme, in that this time; it's the daylight that causes all the horrors. Insomnia takes place in Norway where, for one half of the year it's light and the other half it's dark. It's currently light, and detective Jonas Engström has been assigned to a case involving a murdered girl. The plot thickens when the detective accidentally shoots his partner whilst chasing the killer, and then proceeds to cover up the murder he has committed while the search for the girl's murderer continues. The American remake adheres to the plot of the original rather closely, and that's a shame for someone like me who has seen the remake as I always knew what was going to happen next. But even so, while the plot didn't contain any surprises for me; watching the detective's descent into insanity owing to his insomnia makes for a great watch, and the as the plotting is expertly handled by director Erik Skjoldbjærg, watching it play out is always a pleasure. Stellan Skarsgård takes the lead role, and while he may not have the star power of Al Pacino, he manages to deliver a darker and all the more believable performance as the put-upon policeman at the centre of the tale. In fact, all the ensemble cast comes together well and the film feels very much like an A-class production at all times. Insomnia features a number of memorable scenes that help to ensure that the audience will remember it beyond just its central ideas; and overall, it's clear that the writing team have succeeded in making a film that transcends its cat and mouse formula.

• Aaron N

  
  Holt: He who sleeps, does not sin. A well made and well acted crime thriller involving a morally ambiguous lead, placed into a plot steeped in noir, despite the fact that the city is cursed with eternal sunlight. Similar to watching Infernal Affairs after The Departed, I was… More
  Holt: He who sleeps, does not sin. A well made and well acted crime thriller involving a morally ambiguous lead, placed into a plot steeped in noir, despite the fact that the city is cursed with eternal sunlight. Similar to watching Infernal Affairs after The Departed, I was beginning to feel that this film was going to be tainted by its remake. Now the remake is a good film (I mean it has Pacino and is directed by Chris Nolan, why wouldn't it be), but the original is better due to the treatment of its lead character. Stellan Skarsgard stars as Jonas Engstrom, a well regarded homicide detective with a bit of a dark side to him. He and his partner have been brought from Sweden to a small Norwegian town to investigate the murder of a young girl. As the investigation goes on it looks like there may be a break by holding a stakeout. However, this goes horribly wrong as Engstrom, within a deep fog, accidentally shoots his own partner, killing him. Even more of a problem is the fact that the killer the detectives are pusuing, witnessed Engstrom do the deed. Now, Engstrom and the killer face a battle of wits, as neither wants to be caught and the duality between them is tested. Engstrom also faces, as the title suggests, insomnia due to the everlasting daylight during the summer in Norway, causing him to dwell more on his guilt and character traits. The movie is very well made. It looks great in a depressing, washed out sort of way, which wonderfully reflects the mood of both the story and Engstrom's character. Speaking of which, Skarsgard is wonderful as Engstrom, conveying a number of different emotions as this detective who has so much going on under his confident detective exterior. Once again, the remake, which many have seen, certainly makes this film feel very familiar, but I certainly can appreciate this film more because of the way it develops itself and plays with the detective and the murderer. Holt: She just laughed. She laughed and laughed.

• Arash X

  
  An unsual dark thriller, So much better than Nolan's remake

• Michael S

  
  I loved the remake, but the original is better.

• Lauren D

  
  It was odd. It didn't really go anywhere, although it was ok. The title of the movie didn't really seem... played up and so it all seemed rather pointless. And there were some random things that the main character did (the dog, the girl in the car)...

• Anthony V

  
  Great. Better than the remake, which was also good.

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