Insomnia

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2:23

Insomnia

R

Released May 24, 2002

1h 58m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

205 Reviews

77%

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100,000+ Ratings

From acclaimed director Chris Nolan ("Memento") comes the story of a veteran police detective (Al Pacino) who is sent to a small Alaskan town to investigate the murder of a teenage girl. Forced into a psychological game of cat-and-mouse by the primary suspect (Robin Williams), events escalate and the detective finds his own stability dangerously threatened.

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Critics Consensus

Driven by Al Pacino and Robin Williams' performances, Insomnia is a smart and riveting psychological drama.

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Adam Kempenaar

Filmspotting

Dormer has a weariness that Pacino wears perfectly, always finding some new depth to his exhaustion and despair without ever being a sleepy presence on screen.

Rated: 3.5/5

Apr 24, 2020

Full Review

Jami Bernard

New York Daily News

Insomnia is not so much about the murder mystery as it is about Will's internal struggle with what's right and what's possibly okay.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 25, 2014

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Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

The film represents a triumph of atmosphere over a none-too-mysterious mystery. Which is to say that Nolan makes you feel the end-of-the-earth bleakness of his setting, makes you feel the way it can discombobulate people once they internalize it.

Aug 5, 2013

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a methodically-paced yet increasingly absorbing drama...

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 29, 2024

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Akhil Arora

AkhilArora.com

The only remake Nolan has ever done and the only time he’s never written his own script—Insomnia was his first step in a studio system—this feels the least like a Nolan film, at least what we would come to expect of it based on what came after and before.

Oct 17, 2023

Full Review

Cory Woodroof

For the Win (USA Today)

An electric police procedural drenched in the terror of sleeplessness, Nolan’s remake of the 1990s Norwegian thriller is perhaps his most underrated film as it shows him coming into his own with his command of mood and atmosphere.

Jul 20, 2023

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Isa B

Atmospheric. Superbly directed. Christopher Nolan's remake of the 1997 Norwegian thriller with the same title. Robin Williams gives one of his career best performances. Al Pacino is fantastic as he always is. The story will keep you in a constant state of suspense. Insomnia is a very good motion picture. I recommend. 88/100

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/14/24

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Jon G

One of Chris Nolan’s best movies, a must see.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/13/24

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mr c

Nolan's most underated gem.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/24/24

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Faiz D

One of Nolan's and Al Pacino's best films. A really good crime thriller.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/29/24

Full Review

Pantera O

"Hard to keep focus". "Don't lose your way". Un policía mata accidentalmente a su compañero en la persecución de un criminal, y en un intento de ocultar la verdad todo se complica. Intrigante. Psicológica. Inmersa. Empieza narrando con una vista aérea y grandes paisajes. Mantiene una intensa fotografía, con buenos espacios junto un detallado diseño de sonido. Aisla al personaje enfocando los diferentes objetos y detalles de la realidad, intensificandolos, destacando la culpa que siente. Cuando el personaje de al pacino se pone a hablar con un sospechoso, por un momento hay una tensión donde ya no estan hablando solo de la película, si no de sus carreras en el cine. El desarrollo de una mentira y sus consecuencias, que se vuelve mas grande entre mas la encubren, y como persigue a la persona. El desarrollo de un asesinato. Una de las peliculas mas debiles del director, pero igualmente digna de su talento, manteniendo el constante interés sobre el conflicto, y llevándote por un camino de engaños donde hay que luchar por la verdad. Estoy satisfecho. "Why can you tell anybody you shot him, i mean, it was an accident right?" The truth is beyond Técnica: 8.0 Expresión: 7.2 Efecto: 6.5 Experiencia: 6.9 Calificación: 7.1/10

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/13/24

Full Review

Simon M

Didn't follow through on the primary moral question of the movie, felt like a cop-out ending

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

05/22/24

Full Review

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Christopher Nolan

Director

Al Pacino

Will Dormer

Robin Williams

Walter Finch

Hilary Swank

Ellie Burr

Maura Tierney

Rachel

Martin Donovan

Hap Eckhart

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Insomnia: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

From acclaimed director Chris Nolan ("Memento") comes the story of a veteran police detective (Al Pacino) who is sent to a small Alaskan town to investigate the murder of a teenage girl. Forced into a psychological game of cat-and-mouse by the primary suspect (Robin Williams), events escalate and the detective finds his own stability dangerously threatened.

Director: Christopher Nolan
Producer: Paul Junger Witt, Edward L. McDonnell, Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson
Screenwriter: Hillary Seitz
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Alcon Entertainment, Witt/Thomas Productions, Section Eight Ltd.
Rating: R (Language|Brief Nudity|Some Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 24, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $67.3M
Runtime: 1h 58m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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