Insomnia

Name: Insomnia
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Released: May 24, 2002
Duration: 118 min
Rating: 78
Cast: Al Pacino, Hilary Swank, Robin Williams

2002

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Generally favorable reviews based on 37 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 582 Ratings

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8.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 582 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: May 24, 2002 | R

Starring: Al Pacino, Hilary Swank, Robin Williams

Summary: From acclaimed director Christopher Nolan ("Memento") comes the story of Will Dormer (Pacino), a veteran LAPD detective who travels to a small Alaskan town with his partner Hap (Donovan) to investigate the disturbing murder of a seventeen year-old girl. (Warner Bros.)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 118 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Lou Lumenick

A rare case of an American remake that actually improves on a European movie. Read full review

100

Shawn Levy

About as good a movie as you could have hoped for. Really good. Hole-in-one good. Read full review

Todd McCarthy

Gripping, highly dramatic thriller that more than confirms the distinctive talent of young Brit helmer Christopher Nolan. Read full review

David Edelstein

Sensationally made and in patches pretty nerve-jangling. Read full review

Jami Bernard

Pacino is masterful as the sharp-witted, seen-it-all detective.

Mick LaSalle

Haunting psychological drama. Read full review

Michael Sragow

Nolan pushes the twilight-zone atmosphere so hard that it loses its capacity for mystery. When it's not assaulting us with jolting audiovisual expressions of fatigue, this movie plays like a pedestrian response to David Lynch's effortlessly eerie "Twin Peaks." Read full review

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User Reviews

A.Stevens

Jul 22, 2006

An excellent director combined with amazing actors(williams and pacino in particular) and a compelling script combine to make a highly successful and thrilling film.

1 of 2 users found this helpful

gregors.

Oct 31, 2005

A very well made movie: the progression of the plot, the rythm, the images, the music. A super note to Al Pacino's high acting. With Donnie Brasco and the Heat 'face_à_face' scene with De Niro, it's, imo, of his reallly best work here. Full of nuances, small A very well made movie: the progression of the plot, the rythm, the images, the music. A super note to Al Pacino's high acting. With Donnie Brasco and the Heat 'face_à_face' scene with De Niro, it's, imo, of his reallly best work here. Full of nuances, small things in the way he reacts to some lines, his intonation, ....Very impressive artist. Robin Williams offers a very convincing 'counterpart', and the dialogues between Pacino & him work totally. David Julyan's score is of great quality, following the tone of Memento. Insomnia and Memento have many links, besides (flashes, camera moves, music, the ambiguity of the 'hero', etc...) A real good work, anyway; Thank you Christopher Nolan.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

StevenF

Oct 8, 2013

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The humble beginnings of Christopher Nolan became quite popular after he took over the Batman reigns, 'Insomnia' offers a thoughtful and intriguing concept in a typical story of homicide. Al Pacino plays the gruff and seasoned detective sent to the mountainous regions of Alaska to investigate the murder of a young teen girl, but we immediately begin to understand the life of Pacinos character, Will Dormer. He knows the ins and outs of how to study a crime scene, looking for the little details, but he also seems exhausted, soaking up life through routine as a man who has seen it all, tired, possibly bored but still able to show up the young blood at any given turn. His younger partner Eckhart (Martin Donovan) respects the decisions of his superior, but he also has the opportunity to give evidence against his older counterpart to Internal Affairs, but their motive in the film is to help out with the murder, where Dormor finds a fan on young and motivated cop Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank), hangs onto every word of the ageing detective. But we he an unexpected and thrilling introduction to the person responsible for the crime, ***SPOILERS*** Dormor and his men stakeout a clue and tragedy strikes when Dormor shoots and kills his partner, this was an accident, right? Dormor is overcome with guilt to the point where he cannot admit his mistake, but one person knows what he did, that person is the man responsible for the young girls death. Robin Williams plays the calm and sophisticated writer, who tells Dormor that it was all an accident, we now have a cat and mouse game, the scenes Pacino and Williams share are excellent, two fine actors, Williams in particular, who proves his talent yet again for dramatic roles, but this style of storytelling is truly fascinating because of its revelations halfway through the film, which are brought down by simplistic and routine Hollywood chase sequences and silly throw-ins to give that blockbuster touch, which are unnecessary, especially when the thrill of the chase, all through dialogue and performances, is already so interesting. Pacino is excellent as the now sleep-deprived cop, who can't even rest away from the world, while Williams plays a cunning adversary who has it all worked out, as he keeps telling us, but its rough justice which wins out, Nolan sets it in remote parts to capture the essence of being alone with your thoughts, while still not escaping the ramifications of something that makes you run away.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

StaticSpine

Mar 26, 2014

Good director, great actors, a story with some twists and a lot of moral dilemmas. The movie keeps in tension. Overall, a decent detective/thriller/drama movie.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

BrianMcCritic

Jun 19, 2013

Probably my least favorite Christopher Nolan movie, which says a lot for Nolan. Al Pacino and Hillary Swank give good performances, but the stand out is Robin Williams.

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

FilipeNeto

Dec 17, 2018

I had some expectations when I saw this movie. Its almost impossible not to create them, when we have before us a film by the prestigious Christopher Nolan, with actors as strong as Al Pacino, Hillary Swank and Robin Williams (the latter - rare case - in a role of dramatic villain). OnlyI had some expectations when I saw this movie. Its almost impossible not to create them, when we have before us a film by the prestigious Christopher Nolan, with actors as strong as Al Pacino, Hillary Swank and Robin Williams (the latter - rare case - in a role of dramatic villain). Only later did I come to discover that this was a remake of another Norwegian film, which I never saw.

The script is based on a police investigation into a crime in Alaska, where the Sun has the peculiarity of, at the peak of Summer, never to disappear from the horizon. Will Dormer, a Los Angeles cop, goes there, but he's not used to the environment or the white nights, so he cannot sleep. Something that worsens as the remorse for his past haunts the investigation.

Nolan is a skilled director with unquestionable ability. However, this movie is far from his best. In fact, if we didn't know that he was in, this movie could perfectly well be any other good American director. But there are moments of brilliance: the way insomnia was portrayed, the way the white Alaskan landscape was used to make the place oppressive, mysterious and inhospitable... The script, in turn (in one of the rare films where Nolan avoided getting involved in writing), has more of a turnaround and can get our attention. Although we know very early on who is the criminal and the great villain, the film focuses on the figure of the policeman, calling into question his way of doing justice, avoiding making him a hero, just as he avoids making the victim an innocent figure. The murdered young woman, in fact, was not a choir girl.

Al Pacino was perfectly up to the challenge and along with Williams dominates the entire film. This duo of striking actors is fundamental and was able to do what it took to make their characters strong and domineering. Right behind, we can appreciate Hilary Swank, an actress whose performances have not always appealed to me in other films, but who was very well here.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

noob328

Dec 9, 2020

Like the title, Insomnia will keep you awake and tuned in because of the directing but an incomplete and sub par ending make you wish you didn't have to focus so hard the entire film.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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37	#37 Best Movie of 2002
18	#18 Most Discussed Movie of 2002
65	#65 Most Shared Movie of 2002