Insomnia

"A tough cop. A brilliant killer. An unspeakable crime."

2002 1h 58m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 5,575

ThrillerCrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.

“A tough cop. A brilliant killer. An unspeakable crime.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

Apple TVSubscription

Apple TV Amazon ChannelSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Fandango At HomeRent

Spectrum On DemandRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Al Pacino
Will Dormer
Robin Williams
Walter Finch
Hilary Swank
Ellie Burr
Maura Tierney
Rachel Clement
Martin Donovan
Hap Eckhart
Nicky Katt
Fred Duggar
Paul Dooley
Chief Nyback
Jonathan Jackson
Randy Stetz

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Hillary Seitz, Nikolaj Frobenius, Erik Skjoldbjærg
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 24 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Christopher Nolan, shot by Wally Pfister. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by David Julyan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dody Dorn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Al Pacino and Robin Williams and Hilary Swank carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A tough cop. A brilliant killer. An unspeakable crime.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0278504 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Christopher Nolan directs. Wally Pfister behind the camera. David Julyan scores. Dody Dorn cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 24 years ago.
2Directed by Christopher Nolan, shot by Wally Pfister. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by David Julyan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Dody Dorn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Al Pacino and Robin Williams and Hilary Swank carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "A tough cop. A brilliant killer. An unspeakable crime.".
7IMDB entry: tt0278504 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 27 themes, including "hotel", "small town", "homicide", "confession".
9Released under 29 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Wally Pfister
Original score: David Julyan
Editing: Dody Dorn
Production design: Nathan Crowley
Costume design: Tish Monaghan
Makeup / hair: John Caglione Jr.
Sound: Myron Nettinga
Stunt coordinator: Ken Kirzinger
Runtime: 118 min · 1h 58m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $46,000,000
Box office: $113,714,830
Return: 247% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Insomnia (2002)

Also by

Christopher Nolan

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

talisencrw2016-05-16
★ 9/10
Definitely not Nolan's best but probably my favourite (at least tied with 'Batman Begins') because I love the Norwegian original so much AND the subtle changes Nolan made with it, as well as what the three stars (Al Pacino, Robin Williams--in his first villainous role, I believe, and Hilary Swank--in probably my favourite performance of hers, next to the downright decadence and naughtiness she displayed in 'The Black Dahlia') bring to the table here. I greatly enjoyed the five short extras on my DVD (a double-sided disc I bought years ago that has 'The Devil's Advocate' on the other side, yet unwatched): a conversation/interview of Nolan with Pacino; 'Day for Night: The Making of...'; 'In the Fog' (which interviewed cinematographer Wally Pfister); Nathan Crowley: production designer; and 'Eyes Wide Open' (which interviewed sleep disturbance experts), which thankfully I viewed before I watched the movie, to enhance my experience. Greatly recommended to fans of contemporary crime thrillers, regardless of whether you watched the Norwegian original or not. There are enough differences to still make it worth your while as a cinephile.
Gimly2017-06-02
★ 6/10
Captures some human sentiment incredibly well, coupled with the unique setting and great acting, this makes Insomnia a good watch, worth every minute of its two hour runtime. That said, I was not as enamoured by it as others might be. Perhaps if was unaware of what Nolan, Pacino or Williams are capable of at their highest levels, or if I didn't realise five minutes before the end that I'd actually seen it as a kid and could exclusively remember the ending, then it would have had a higher impact on me. But even taken for me as is, Insomnia is still a very solid bit of filmmaking. Final rating:★★★ - I personally recommend you give it a go.
John Chard2019-05-21
★ 9/10
A good cop can't sleep because he's missing a piece of the puzzle. And a bad cop cant sleep because his conscience wont let him. Insomnia is directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Erik Skjoldbjærg and Nikolaj Frobenius (1997 screenplay). It stars Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, Maura Tierney, Martin Donovan and Nicky Katt. Music is scored by David Julyan and cinematography by Wally Pfister. It's a remake of a 1997 Norwegian film of the same name. LAPD detective Will Dormer (Pacino) and his partner Hap Eckhart (Donovan) travel to the remote Alaskan town of Nightmute to aid the local cops investigating the savage murder of a teenage girl. But Dormer leaves behind an Internal Affairs Investigation that gnaws away at him, and when a potential bust of the murder suspect goes tragically wrong, his conscious gets attacked on two fronts. By lack of sleep and by the killer himself. It's a House of Cards. Viewing from afar it's easy to be cynical and suggest that Insomnia is just an American remake cash in. Bigger budget, bigger stars and directed by an indie darling of the critics moving into the big league. While on the surface the plot looks to be another in a long line of cops and villains thrillers where procedural unfolds and evil is ultimately brought down at the end. Yet Insomnia is so much more than that, it's a deep movie dealing in complex psychological issues, a blanc-noir of some character substance, a picture clinically put together around one mans descent into a private hell, with the beautiful Alaskan backdrop perversely claustrophobic and Anthony Mann like in being at one with Will Dormer's fragmented state of mind. Killing changes you. You know that. From the opening moments as we observe a biplane flying over the Alaskan glaciers, accompanied by David Julyan's nerve tingling score, there's a looming air of disquiet. Nolan knows his noir onions, mood is everything and the dense psychological atmosphere is never once breached for the entire movie. Much of the picture is dialogue heavy, gratifyingly so, with the hushed conversations between Pacino and Williams begging the viewer to hang on every word as cop and killer (no spoiler, it's revealed to us early as a necessity) jostle for control of each others soul. What action there is also comes with a side order of otherworldly delights, a chase across floating logs and a stalk through eerie fog being the two particular highlights. Sleep comes at a cost. With three Oscar winners in the cast Nolan had some serious quality to direct, that Pacino, Williams and Swank deliver excellence is high praise for the British director. Pacino actually gives one of his finest late career performances, utterly compelling as Dormer, his haggard face tells of a thousand sorrows, his sleep deprived gait befits a man staring into the abyss. Wally Pfister's photography is on the money, the blend of snow whites and green tinges sparkle from the vistas and the soft brown hues inside the hotel provide the rare moments of tranquillity available to Will Dormer. Across the board Insomnia is a cracker of a movie, a film that goes into the murky depths of the genre to reveal one of the best movies of 2002. 9/10