Matthew D
Chilling murder mystery with a phenomenally subtle lead performance from Stellan Skarsgård.
Norwegian director Erik Skjoldbjærg's Nordic noir mystery thriller Insomnia (1997) is haunting. I found the original just as eerie, atmospheric, psychological, and compelling as Christopher Nolan's underrated 2002 remake with Al Pacino and Robin Williams. Skjoldbjærg's direction is captivating with heavy fog enshrouding the detective all around Norway. The piercing white light of the endless Winter there and the isolating locale is all disquieting. The fog chase is thrilling and frightening like the disgusting conversations of a killer's fondness for underrage and vulnerable women. Insomnia will linger within you.
Writers Erik Skjoldbjærg and Nikolaj Frobenius craft a stark depiction of a detective without ethics or morals anymore after all the murders he's seen. Having his lack of sleep affect his daily decisions and make his look progressively more worn until Stellan resembles a dead man by the ending is brilliant. Insomnia is all the more chilling covered in fog and evil choices in the distant shores of Norway, away from humanity. It's truly like the serial killer and the hardened detective are very similar men, interested in young women, blaming accidents and the girl's weakness, and willing to cover up any crime to protect themselves. Insomnia is a chilling tale.
Editor Håkon Øverås cuts so carefully within scenes to give a dreamlike quality to each encounter. Cinematographer Erling Thurmann-Andersen shoots beautiful, icy blue wide shots of Norway to make each scene especially isolating for Stellan. How he gently pans across vast mountains and lakes or eerily lingers on Stellan eyeing a young girl is so unsettling. Insomnia is a gripping 96 minutes of shots of uneasy faces, awkward encounters, and uncomfortable conversations.
Production designer Eli Bø's near empty and all white rooms make for really dissonant sets for an even creepier setting. Special effects Pål Morten Hverven makes creepy corpses, dead animals, and a foggy world all the scarier. The glowing blue eyes for Stellan in the last shot are particularly cool and haunting. Stunt choreographer Dag Eliassen makes the wooden falls or watery grave fall haunting moments within Insomnia.
Swedish acting legend Stellan Skarsgård is incredibly nuanced as sleepless detective Jonas Engström. His haunted eyes show nervousness and doubt, but he also moves with determination. You can tell he wants to catch this serial killer, but Stellan plays Engström with a creepy fetish with young women, making him all the closer to the killer. Stellan is a master of subtle dramatic acting and he feels constantly paranoid, drained, inquisitive, and dangerous. You never know how far he'll go.
Norwegian actor Sverre Anker Ousdal is charming as the amiable policeman Erik Vik. Bjørn Floberg is genuinely disturbing as the coldhearted serial killer Jon Holt. His deadpan manner, taunting jests, unsettling confessions, and detached manner all make him one of cinema's scariest villains. Norwegian actress Gisken Armand is interesting as fellow detective Hilde Hagen, who is always suspicious of Stellan with her expressive face.
Swedish-Norwegian actress Maria Bonnevie is adorable and lovely as the welcoming innkeeper Ane. Bjørn Moan is sort of suspicious, but also just a regular guy as Eilert. He never really feels bad that Tanja has been murdered. Maria Mathiesen is eerie and sympathetic in her appearances as the murdered young girl Tanja Lorentzen.
Norwegian actress Marianne O. Ulrichsen is fascinating as the scared, nervous, lustful, jealous, and panicked Frøya. I felt real sympathy for her in this awful scenario. Kristian Figenschow is amiable as the nice other officer Arne Zakariassen. Frode Rasmussen is pleasant as the unsuspecting Norwegian Chief of Police.
Composer Geir Jenssen wields musical notes like knives in the dark. His chilling film score imbues Insomnia with an eerie atmosphere that keeps you on edge the entire time. Sound designers Randall Meyers, Erik S. Watland, Petter Fladeby, and Kari Nytrø do interesting sound editing for wooden planks creaking, watery splashing, or footsteps echoing out.
Costume designer Runa Fønne gives everyone cozy cable-knit sweaters and dark jackets for a dark and somber vibe. They all look cozy and warm for Norway's bitter Winter. Makeup artist Veslemøy Fosse Ree neatly makes Stellan look increasingly disarrayed and decomposing. He literally looks like a corpse in Insomnia's chilling final shot.
In short, Insomnia is well worth seeking out for Stellan's subtle acting alone.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
08/21/23
Full Review
Adam H
I watched this years ago, and I hadn't forgotten the ambiance or the basic idea of the plot. However, I had somehow remembered this as a story of a protagonist who does one horrible thing and can't deal with his guilt, when it is really a story about a descent into guilt that makes him compound his crime, becoming a worse person and a worse policeman as the movie goes on. Skarsgard's battle with the light makes it.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/02/23
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john m
Probably just as good as Nolan's. I'm thinking Nolan's is maybe better because Robin Williams puts such an interesting spin on the character that adds a level of eeriness not really seen in the performance here. But the tone and vibe is so good here, even if it kind of succumbs to a bland resolution.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
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Audience Member
I like slow narrative, it can take all the time in the world to develop its plot. Insomnia is slow...too much, and the plot isn't as interesting as could be.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/19/23
Full Review
dave s
Unsettling from the opening shot, Norwegian director Erik Skjoldbjaerg's debut film is a taut police procedural set in northern Norway, where the sun never sets during the summer months. Detective Jonas Engstrom (Stellan Skarsgard) and his partner are sent from the south to investigate the murder of a young girl. While the premise of the film is simple, it evolves into more than just a murder mystery when Engstrom's deeply rooted flaws become apparent. What starts as a whodunnit becomes a psychological profile on the police officer's declining mental health, triggered in part by the severe insomnia caused by the constant sunlight. Even in darkened rooms, the pervasive light seeps in through cracks in doors and gaps in blinds, shedding constant light on the deeply rooted shortcomings of the protagonist.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
Full Review
steve d
The first foreign film I absolutely loved. It is atmospheric with a great cast and engaging story.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
Full Review
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