Insomnia (1997) User Reviews

A thriller with a twist

[FilmOtaku · 7/10 · 4 October 2004]

Erik Skjoldbjaerg's 1997 film 'Insomnia' starring Stellan Skarsgard is a fine example of the rich films being offered by the foreign film market. Skarsgard plays Jonas Engstrom, a disgraced detective who, with his partner, travels to Norway to help a small town solve the murder of a 17-year-old girl. Due to the atmospheric conditions (there is 24 hour sunshine) and recent events, Engstrom is suffering from a severe bout of insomnia, which is causing problems with his work and psyche.

Not having seen Christopher Nolan's remake, I didn't know what to expect from the story, so I was pleasantly surprised by the unconventional progression of the storyline and the various twists within the script. I have only seen Skarsgard in a couple of films, but he is always fantastic, as he is in this film as well. There are few actors who can keep a straight face, yet still manage to convey complex emotion, and Skarsgard is one of them. He walked through his scenes with a somberness that is reminiscent of most M. Knight Shymalan heroes; powerful, yet weary. Skjoldbjaergs's direction is absolutely beautiful. The colors are quite sharp, and most scenes are expertly framed – most would make gorgeous still frames.

I plan to see the remake of 'Insomnia' eventually, but whether you have seen it or not, I would recommend catching the film that inspired it. 7/10.

--Shelly

Wasn't as great as I expected

[Atreyu_II · 7/10 · 7 March 2012]

Although I wasn't totally disappointed with the American version, I didn't exactly biase towards it too. The moment I learned there is an original, I wanted to see it and I expected great things from it. Well, I guess my expectations were a little too high...

The original is better, just not in the league I thought it would be. The plot is familiar, although many things seem to be very different in both versions, starting with the fact that this version is more "natural", as expected in an European film. The pacing is slow, there is little action although there is some tension and "agitation". The roles are generally well portrayed by the actors.

Original vs. Remake

[Antagonisten · 7/10 · 30 December 2005]

I watched the 2002 remake of "Insomnia" with Al Pacino when it came out. I found it to be an excellent thriller, not least because of the powerful performances from the actors (especially Robin Williams). But also because of the very unreal mood throughout the movie. Something correlating nicely with the story of Pacinos sleep-depraved cop on mission in Alaska, not coping with the around-the-clock sunlight very well.

It was a lot more difficult getting to see the Norwegian original movie. But finally they showed it on TV so that i could record it. Comparing the two versions is unavoidable, deciding which one i prefer is a lot more difficult though. I can say however that watching the original has made my appreciation of the remake even higher. Christopher Nolan is an intelligent director and his remake is great proof of that. He has successfully captured the mood and essence of the story, keeping the most effective scenes from the original and adding other scenes that fit well into the story and help adapt it to the US instead of Norway.

The acting in the original is generally good. I find Robin Williams performance as the killer hard to beat though. When it comes to the lead, Skarsgård is even more fit for the role of the haggard and worn-down policeman riddled with insomnia than Pacino. Skarsgård sometimes feels like the actor who gave the expression "haggard" a face.

In the end i guess most people in the American audience, and also perhaps most other parts of the world, would prefer the remake of this movie. The pace is slightly higher in the remake, the style more modern and the actors of course more recognizable. This movie also feels a little less polished, but in my opinion it has just as much to offer. And if for no other reason, the original is worth watching because it highlights why the remake is such a feat. Recommended.

7/10

Fascinating thriller with a brilliant performance from the woefully underrated Stellan Skarsgard.

[Infofreak · 20 April 2003]

I was REALLY impressed by 'Insomnia', the directorial debut from Norwegian Erik Skjoldbjaerg. If this movie is any indication of his talents he is one writer/director to watch! I have yet to see Christopher Nolan's Hollywood remake of this movie but I would be extremely surprised if it manages to equal it, let alone top it. (And I absolutely loved 'Memento') At first you think you're going to see something you've seen a hundred times, a mismatched "buddy" cop movie or your standard serial killer mystery, but the movie quickly enters unfamiliar territory and manages to subvert expectations. Apart from Stellan Skarsgard ('Breaking The Waves', 'Ronin') the cast was unknown to me, but they are all first rate, and I couldn't say there was a bad piece of acting throughout. But Skarsgard, a woefully underrated actor, steals the whole show with an utterly brilliant and compelling performance that shows a depth rarely seen by Hollywood actors, especially in thrillers. 'Insomnia' is a fantastic movie that I cannot fault. The less you know about it the better. Whatever you do, SEE this movie! Highly recommended, especially for those sick and tired at how most thrillers made these days are so predictable and formulaic. It doesn't have to be so, and 'Insomnia' proves it!

Troubled

[barberoux · 7/10 · 29 July 2002]

I enjoyed this movie. I thought the portrayal of a not-so-honest cop by Stellan Skarsgård to be effective and evocative. The setting were stark and often decaying somewhat like the personalities of the main characters. I haven't seen the Hollywood version so I can't compare the two. This version is worthwhile.

I never knew light could be so disturbing.

[keenan-1 · 9/10 · 31 January 2003]

Usually, when a director wants to set a dark mood, he or she relies on shadows and gloom in the camera frame. Here the exact opposite has been achieved through the perpetual midnight sun which throws the descent of Jonas Engstrom into madness all too clearly. At first the effect is subtle, but as the picture continues and there is never any nightfall one begins to feel the same bone-deep weariness and lethargy experienced by the protagonist. I watched it for the first time late at night and it completely threw me off my sleep cycle for the night. Most powerful.

I speak neither Swedish nor Norwegian, but I didn't find the subtitles a hindrance at all--indeed, I much prefer subtitles to dubbing every time. I found that I had to work harder to notice everything that was happening on screen, which was a welcome change from the constant "eye candy" that seems to be the norm coming out of the movie business these days. All of the performances were understated yet brilliant, especially, of course, that of Stellan Skarsgard. I was particularly intrigued by the opening title sequence, showing the murder through the eyes of the murderer in a disjointed and confused sped-up manner, and this point of view is a foreshadowing of how both Engstrom and the viewer will feel by the end of the picture.

I have not seen the remake yet, and I'm not sure that I want to do so. The Hollywood movie business never seems to know when to leave well enough alone. I'll be able to make a better recommendation when or if I get around to the remake.

Nordic noir avant la lettre

[frankde-jong · 6/10 · 29 May 2020]

In the second half of the '90s two Scandinavian directors made a successful debut that gave rise to an American remake a couple of years later. We are talking about Ole Bornedal ("Nightwatch", 1994) and Erik Skjoldbjærg ("Insomnia", 1997). Till the present day (May 2020) their debut is still the most valued movie for both directors.

"Insomnia" is about a murder case and falls in the detective genre. In modern crime stories the private life and - problems of the detective often play en essential part. Think of the Harry Hole character in the novels of Jo Nesbo. It is however unusual that the original case disappears into the background and that private problems of the detective take over the story completely.

What is special about "Insomnia" is the synchronisation of the inner mood of the main character and the environment he is working in. The detective is tormented by a bad conscience due to a grave mistake he has made (inner mood). At the same time he suffers from the midsummer night with its 24 hours of daylight (external environment). Together these two factors cooperate to deny him any sleep (insomnia).

Why remake a good thing?

[esbarnard · 9/10 · 16 December 2002]

An excellent psychological drama about a cooly repressed detective unable to own up to causing the accidental death of his partner, at the same time he is persuing an author suspected of killing his young girlfriend. The detective story isn't important here - the detective has no trouble locating the killer, understanding his motives, or "solving" the crime. What is interesting is the detective's inablility to deal with his problems and face life truthfully, metaphorically illustrated by his inability to block out the sunlight and sleep. Stellan Skarsgard gives a very good performance as the detective struggling to keep control of himself and the situation. As he becomes more and more tired, his life and his desires race out of control, and his need to maintain his facade causes him to make decisions that take him to the edge of catastropy.

This film is understated in a way that the 2002 Al Pacino remake missed the boat on. It takes place in Norway, and the director resisted the temptation to show us a travelog of cute Norwegian villages. Most of the action takes place in non-descript rooms, suffused with the cold grey light of the arctic sun. The acting is understated and viewers are left to understand motivations without explicit explanation. The film is engrossing from beginning to end, and I'll never understand why Hollywood feels it needs to try to do better - it rarely can.

Insomnia (1997) **

[JoeKarlosi · 6/10 · 2 March 2006]

I don't think it's completely fair to evaluate a film by comparing two takes on the same material, but it was inevitable with this foreign original, directed by Erik Skjoldbjaerg. I had already seen Christopher Nolan's Americanized version of INSOMNIA and so I wanted to check out the differences. I may be in the minority here, but all this version did was make me appreciate the Al Pacino film more than I used to. I don't think Stellan Skarsgard was as effective in the part of a haggard detective undergoing a chronic lack of sleep and being forced into cooperating with a known killer. The setting here (Norway) was not nearly as picturesque as the Alaskan surroundings of the 2002 film. Truth be told, had I not already been familiar with everything going on in the story from the Nolan film, I think I would have missed a lot of details in this one. It would be interesting to know what I might have thought of this if I had caught it cold, without a comparison to the remake, but that's not a reality for me. But here's another example for me where a remake can sometimes deflate an original's power. Whether I'd even go so far to call a recent American rendition of a recent foreign movie a bona fide "remake" is debatable, though. ** out of ****

Tight as hell

[zetes · 10/10 · 22 January 2002]

It is hard to believe that this is Erik Skjoldbjaerg's first film. It seems like a pro job to me. Very rarely do you get thrillers crafted this well. Almost everything is perfect. The script is as taut as possible. I saw no holes, anyhow. The plot is believable and you will never see the best twists coming. Even if you are the type who sits there and constantly guesses what's coming next during thrillers, I doubt you could. The film does a lot to avoid plot cliches. And if I'm wrong about that, if I was just blinded by other aspects of the film, it won't really matter. The characters are very well written. Especially the main character, played by Stellan Skarsgard. He is certainly one of the best actors working today and this may just be his greatest performance yet. He owns the film. The cinematography is effective. It's bleak and cold. The camera moves assuredly, and it's always where it should be. The music is perfectly subdued. The direction in general is simply amazing. The mise-en-scene is marvelous. I love the settings of the film, the threatening, rocky terrain, the broken and rusty buildings, everything. This is a must-see film. One of the best films of the 1990s. 10/10.

P.S.: Christopher Nolan, the man who created the equally impressive thriller Memento, is set to direct the American remake of this film. I personally loved Memento (though I think I'd choose Insomnia over it if I had to), and I wish Mr. Nolan all the luck. I'm sure he knows what a challenge it's going to be. And I certainly pray that he isn't satisfied with simply copying the original. He could do so and mostly get away with it - Insomnia is quite underseen. I sincerely hope that he will make it his own. I already recognize one piece of the film that has to change if the setting is moved to the U.S.: Skjoldbjaerg brilliantly uses the midnight sun in this film. I doubt it would be successful if the setting were, say, Alaska. I don't think Americans would buy it. Nolan is going to have to compensate for the loss of the midnight sun.

Even coppers need sleep...

[The_Void · 7/10 · 13 September 2006]

As is always the case when American producers decide to remake a relatively unknown foreign film, there are a lot of people that say this Norwegian film is better than the American one. In actual fact, there's not a lot in it; but this film deserves more credit for having the original idea, and it has to be said that the idea is a good one as this film carries off it's central theme and plot in style, and the two blend excellently to create a compelling and intriguing psychological portrait of both a criminal and the effects of not getting enough sleep. The film carries off an excellent reversal in the common psychological theme, in that this time; it's the daylight that causes all the horrors. Insomnia takes place in Norway where, for one half of the year it's light and the other half it's dark. It's currently light, and detective Jonas Engström has been assigned to a case involving a murdered girl. The plot thickens when the detective accidentally shoots his partner whilst chasing the killer, and then proceeds to cover up the murder he has committed while the search for the girl's murderer continues.

The American remake adheres to the plot of the original rather closely, and that's a shame for someone like me who has seen the remake as I always knew what was going to happen next. But even so, while the plot didn't contain any surprises for me; watching the detective's descent into insanity owing to his insomnia makes for a great watch, and the as the plotting is expertly handled by director Erik Skjoldbjærg, watching it play out is always a pleasure. Stellan Skarsgård takes the lead role, and while he may not have the star power of Al Pacino, he manages to deliver a darker and all the more believable performance as the put-upon policeman at the centre of the tale. In fact, all the ensemble cast comes together well and the film feels very much like an A-class production at all times. Insomnia features a number of memorable scenes that help to ensure that the audience will remember it beyond just its central ideas; and overall, it's clear that the writing team have succeeded in making a film that transcends its cat and mouse formula.

moody phycological thriller with atmosphere to spare

[reeeeeal · 9/10 · 16 June 2002]

I used to love going to the video store because there were always so many films I wanted to see, but as my tastes became more refined, my trips to the video store have become more difficult. It's not easy to find movies who's foundation are based on cinematography and atmosphere, but this movie is just that. This movie is slow and drawn out, and if you need lots of dialogue to keep you interested in a film, this one won't work for you. But if you like eerie scenes with quiet reserved characters and a sound track that is as slow and quiet as the pacing is, then this movie is will be perfect for you. The acting leaves nothing to be desired, the story is well written, the sound track is perfectly mood enhancing, the sets are breath taking, and the cinematography is immaculate. Slow, moody, harsh, and absolutely beautiful. One of the best films I've seen in a long time.

cheap? No, beautifully shot!

[chinaski-5 · 7/10 · 29 August 1999]

This was a mesmerizing film, which unlike most modern thrillers actually kept me glued to the screen the whole time.

It wasn't necessarily a great movie, but it was well worth seeing and had a very interesting plot. In addition I found the cinematography to be captivating and unique.

somnolent

[clevecheng · 5/10 · 5 January 2012]

While the concept had potential - brought out in the superior Hollywood remake - the unfocused storyline and stoic acting made me doze off briefly while watching this film. This does not happen to me often, and when it does it's a sure sign that my mind has wandered.

Nolan's remake is more suspenseful, features more effective performances (especially by Robin Williams), and a better sense of the relentlessness of the midnight sun. The original's jump-cut-as-lacuna editing may have been fresh for 1997, but movies like Fight Club and Memento have since greatly refined the screen representation of lapses of consciousness, and this review is being written in 2012.

brilliant and moody

[dafishhead · 22 June 2002]

Brilliant, moody, a bit creepy. A noirish thriller. Stellan Skarsgard gives a wonderfully subtle performance in the lead role of a Swedish police detective suffering from sleep deprivation while on assignment in Norway. Stylistically the director and cinematographer effectively recreate the alienated and somewhat hallucinatory feeling of being sleep deprived and in a foreign country. There's more to the story of course, but to reveal those details would spoil the surprises. Be warned, if you like your movie heroes uncomplicated then stay away from "Insomnia".

A worthy psychoanalytical Euro-flick.

[=G= · 6/10 · 16 November 2000]

"Insomnia" puts Skarsgard's character, an imported Swedish top cop on the verge of burnout, at the center of a nominally interesting cop vs killer flick. Shot with typically austere Scandinavian style, the film peers deep into the Skarsgard character as the plot twists and turns around him with almost secondary importance. Sans the trappings of the usual tinsel town product, "Insomnia" will connect best with those with an appetite for European style films.

Taut psychological thriller

[bandw · 8/10 · 11 July 2012]

This has Oslo detectives Jonas Engström and Erik Vik dispatched to a Norwegian city (above the arctic circle) to help solve the brutal murder of a young woman. Engström and Vik are tasked to work with Ane, a local detective.

Engström's character is fleshed out more thoroughly than in a typical police procedural. The story is presented in a manner to keep your attention--in fact it requires close attention. However, it is the study of Engström's personality that I found most interesting. Significant insights are given into the qualities that drive him: guilt, sexual repression, ego, and anxiety.

In pursuit of the murderer in a heavy fog, Engström shoots and kills Vik. Was this an accidental shooting? It is hinted that Engström might have known who he was shooting (a flashback shows that he had enough time to recognize Vik). In any case, for reasons of guilt or ego Engström tries to cover up his action by claiming it was the murderer who killed Vik. Complications ensue when Ane starts to smell a fish when investigating Engström's story of the shooting. I liked the concept of the investigator being investigated.

In several revealing scenes we get clues to Engström's repressed sexuality. There is a scene in a car where he makes an advance on a suspect's girlfriend and a scene where he makes a move on the hotel clerk and is rebuffed. More telling is a scene where he is hidden behind a door while a suspect and a woman go at it close by. In this scene we see that Engström is turned on while trying not to be. The music in that scene makes for an intense experience.

I thought all of the actors were well cast and the restrained performances added to a sense of reality.

I had seen the 2002 remake of this before having seen this version. In reading through several of the reviews of the 2002 version I saw that many people commented that this original version was better. Having liked the 2002 version made me want to see this. I agree that this version is better, but not dramatically so. The 2002 version is not a direct remake, but is different enough to be a separate movie. It is interesting to see how the same material can be tweaked to create a different experience. For example, in the 2002 version the relationship between the local detective and the main character is given more emphasis. This version is more subdued and hangs together better--there are no superfluous action scenes. One great advantage this version has is that it does not have the ridiculous shoot-'em-up ending. One of the final scenes that has Ane placing a bullet casing on a table is a testament to the tight presentation. That single act says as much as what it might have taken several scenes to accomplish.

fascinating noir thriller

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 18 May 2015]

17-year-old Tanja is found murdered in the Norwegian town of Tromsø. Kripos police investigators Jonas Engström (Stellan Skarsgård) and Erik Vik are flown in to the Land of the Midnight Sun. The body has been washed clean. Jonas was in the Swedish police until he was caught in bed with a key witness. As they close in on the suspect, Engström accidentally kills his own partner Vik in the fog and then tries to cover it up. He is suffering from insomnia.

The continuous sunlight is a fascinating addition to the noir genre. The foggy shootout is filled with compelling tension. I do wish that the bullet and the gun is laid out more simply in one easy exposition. The investigating officer should have laid out all the evidence of the shootout. Was it a through and through? What's the caliber? Somebody needed to CSI that thing. I kept wondering about the situation of the investigation throughout the movie which left me a little perplex. Stellan Skarsgård brings a compelling paranoid disturbed presence. It's an artfully done thriller.

No Comparison!!!

[films42 · 8/10 · 5 June 2002]

We saw this film when it first came out & we loved it. Last Sunday (5/26/02) we saw the new remake, & Monday we watched this version again on video. Wow! If you ever need an example of how Hollywood can take a classic & really trash it up, here's your case study. Everything about the new Christoper Nolan film looks totally cheesy when compared to Skjoldbjaerg's spare and completely original vision.

"Behind blue eyes"

[cynthesismusic · 7/10 · 4 May 2020]

Excellent character study of Engstrom (Stellan Skarsgard). The viewer is drawn into empathy, confusion, and horror at the character (where the protagonist becomes one more antagonist). The sense of constant tension and a carefully-caged, potentially explosive temperament make Skarsgard's character a must-see.

That said, as a thriller/entertainment (which it probably was not trying to be), the film as a whole felt less than satisfying. I'm sure this was intentional (to subvert audience expectations for a payoff at the end), but it felt much more character-driven (seeing into the deteriorating mind of the character) than action/plot-driven. Of course, when the character is played by Skarsgard, this isn't a problem. 7/10

Much better than the American-version

[bronco4x4 · 10/10 · 29 January 2004]

I actually used my brain in this movie. Quite brilliant. And I was surprised by the location where it was shot in this movie...Tromsø, Norway! I've spent some time there, and to a pleasant surprise, I recognized many places that were shot throughout the movie...including the apartment building where my friend's previous restaurant was, and an abandoned fishing village that I've visited (far from away from the city). Anyhow, other than the surprise, the movie was interesting. Something a little different from the usual thrillers that we see nowadays. Definitely better than the more predictable American-version. Well worth it!

A Waking Nightmare

[boblipton · 7/10 · 12 January 2024]

A girl is dead, and someone is washing her hair, removing all traces of her death. Soon, her corpse is discovered,. Swedish detective Stellan Skarsgård and his partner, Sverre Anker Ousdal are called in to lead the investigation in Trondheim in Norway. They set a trap for the killer, but when it's sprung, the killer flees before they can identify him, and Skarsgård shoots and kills Ousdal. In the never-ending day of Trondheim's Arctic-Circle site, Skarsgård must try to catch the killer and evade arrest himself.

There's a nightmarish quality to the light outside, never changing, which makes this seem a walking hallucination. What, after all, is a Swedish cop doing on a Norwegian murder investigation? Some fine performers, hitherto unknown to me -- because how much Norwegian cinema have I seen? --perform their roles in a fashion that seems disconnected from Skarsgård 's impassive-seeming detective.

this film won't put you to sleep

[mattymatt30 · 8/10 · 12 January 2004]

Possible spoilers within! Insomnia is a film that holds your attention, and part of the reason is the fine performance by Stellan Skarsgard. He has a 'below the surface' type of intensity that makes him fascinating to watch. The film does not make compromises to draw more viewers, like the hollywood remake with Al Pacino and Robin Williams. One example is the scene with the dog. The hollywood version, although basically the same film about murder and other intense human emotions, wimps out by not making the Pacino character kill the dog as the original does. Why? Also, Skarsgard's character is an unromantic womanizer which has lead to his current situation, but the hollywood version has the character embroiled in an internal affairs investigation. Why?It seems that hollywood versions of movies have to dumb down subject matter from the more challenging foreign films on which they're based, but is that what North American viewers really want? Maybe,...

Bleak, Dark, Moody, Gloomy - Just As It Was Intended To Be

[denis888 · 7/10 · 21 February 2013]

This Norwegian original of Insomnia is not better or worse than a highly successful US version with Pacino, Williams and Swank. It is the same story but it just is different. I think, we must try our best to not compare both films and watch them as two separate entities. Here, the filmmakers made a very good job of showing us the utter misery and suffering of sleepless policeman from Sweden. His mood sinks deeper and he is clearly in pain all the time. This is a well-known plot and there is no need in retelling it here, the US version preserved most of it, I just want to add that Norwegian version is very gloomy, bleak, moody, slow and foggy - just as it had to be to create a certain feeling in us This is a very fine work, decent, deep, steady and rather dry, but dryness is Key factor in making the story even more realistic and captivating. So, stop comparing and just watch it

Okay, But Overrated

[ccthemovieman-1 · 5/10 · 9 October 2006]

This Norwegian film was re-made for English-speaking audiences in 2002 and starred Al Pacino. This original one starred Stellan Skarsgard, an equally well- known actor of Europe.

Critics usually favor the first version of any movie than is re-made, and they are more likely to favor a European version. Sometimes they are correct, but not here. The re-make, although nothing super, is still better than this version, although isn't bad.

Europeans would like this version more because of its ambiguity and moodiness, which they (and elitist U.S. critics) think makes it more attractive to the "cerebral." Entertainment-wise, this version simply isn't as interesting....and it IS the "entertainment business," after all.

The ending of this Norwegian film also leaves one unsatisfied, but the filmmakers did a nice job of portraying paranoia and the good-vs-evil nature of us human beings. Skarsgard does a wonderful job in that respect. He exhibits such a look of a haunted, depressed man!