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Insomnia

Play trailer 2:23 Poster for Insomnia R 2002 1h 58m Mystery & Thriller Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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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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Insomnia

Insomnia

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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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Critics Reviews

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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. Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 04/29/2024
3.5/4
...a methodically-paced yet increasingly absorbing drama... Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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. See more 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 !!!! See more 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. See more RedApple A @RT71152999 Jan 20 I’ll remember this not as a Nolan film, but as an Al Pacino film — which I can hardly call a success. See more 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. See more 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. See more Read all reviews
Insomnia

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Cast & Crew

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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

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Insomnia

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Movie Info

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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