Christopher Nolan has become one of the very few filmmakers in the industry who can sell a project to audiences based on their name alone, with the director having forged a reputation as a purveyor of crowd-pleasing blockbusters that engage the brain while simultaneously delivering jaw-dropping set pieces, which is probably why 2002’s Insomnia often goes overlooked.
Not that it’s one of his weakest efforts from behind the camera by any stretch, with the atmospheric psychological thriller winning rave reviews over 20 years ago on its way to $114 million at the box office. Instead, what makes it stand out among Nolan’s back catalogue is that it’s not just the sole remake he’s ever lent his name to, but it’s the only one of his movies where he doesn’t take a writing credit.
Hillary Seitz penned the Hollywood version of the 1997 Norwegian favorite, which finds Al Pacino’s grizzled detective dispatched to a remote Alaskan town to investigate the murder of a teenage girl. Once there, he gets drawn into a battle of wits with Robin Williams’ principal suspect, but there are physical and psychological barriers being thrown up as the world-weary cop’s personal demons threaten to get the better of him.
Insomnia often does battle with The Prestige when it comes to determining Nolan’s most underrated feature, but a Redditor has come clean and admitted they’ve given it entry to the second chance saloon. After being dissatisfied the first time around, the poster has been won over on a repeat visit, leading the comments and replies to explode in an avalanche of praise for an atmospheric tour de force that gets slept on far too often.