Insomnia

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Insomnia

R

2002

1h 58m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

203 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

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

04/24/2020

3.5/5

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.

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Jami Bernard

New York Daily News

08/25/2014

3/4

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.

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Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

08/05/2013

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.

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 9

4/5

Furthers Christopher Nolan's skills of pacing and mystery he teased in Memento, elevated by riveting performers.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

04/29/2024

3.5/4

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

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Akhil Arora

AkhilArora.com

10/17/2023

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.

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Julian C

@juliancooper_12 Feb 9

I think this is Christopher Nolan's most underrated movie. You get great performances from both Al Pacino and Robin Williams. I love how it talks about grief and the consequences of living with regret. I also love how the characters of both Dormer and Walter can relate to each other, but Dormer doesn't want to live up to his guilt.

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Rajnish Bobby D

@mcduggal Jan 28

Definitely one of Christopher Nolans worst films, with a predictable hackneyed script , laboured performances and cliched story line. Was willing to even give up half way- never thought it would happen in a CN film.Scenes lime the fellow Jr cop finding the news paper behind a chest of drawers are just one of the weakly scripted elements of this truly disappointing film.This was made for money ,not for love !!!!

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Carlos I

@carlosFibarra Jan 25

Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia (2002) is a solid thriller that's a haunting, atmospheric character study set against the disorienting backdrop of the Alaskan midnight sun. The exhaustion Pacino portrays is palpable, as his weary eyes and sluggish movements perfectly mirror a man losing his grip on both his morality and his sanity. Robin Williams provides a chillingly understated counterpoint as the manipulative killer, making this a tense, visually striking exploration of guilt that proves Nolan can command a straightforward noir just as effectively as a high-concept epic.

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RedApple A

Jan 20

I’ll remember this not as a Nolan film, but as an Al Pacino film — which I can hardly call a success.

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Cody W.

@Cwalton1994 Jan 14

In perhaps the most shocking and intensifying crime thriller ever put into film, INSOMNIA showcases Christopher Nolan’s incredible talent as a director, and sees Al Pacino and Robin Williams duke it out in ways that nobody can possibly imagine with multiple plot twists and shocking revelations everywhere you turn.

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Brian F.

@FedUpDVDCollector Dec 7

The suspense was ok. Al and Robin were great. Swank wasn’t used enough. Loose ends cut off pretty lazily by the ending in my opinion.

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Christopher Nolan

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Will Dormer

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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: Section Eight Ltd., Witt/Thomas Productions, Alcon Entertainment
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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