Why Christopher Nolan considers his 2002 thriller Insomnia his most underrated work
In short: Before he became a household name for complex blockbusters, Christopher Nolan directed a psychological thriller starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams. This neo-noir remake of a 1997 Norwegian film explores the moral decay of a detective haunted by his own actions and the relentless, disorienting Alaskan daylight.
The 2002 film Insomnia follows Will Dormer, an LAPD detective sent to Nightmute, Alaska, to investigate a teenager's murder. During a botched trap, Dormer accidentally kills his partner, Hap Eckhart. Fearing that an ongoing Internal Affairs investigation into his past misconduct will ruin his career, Dormer frames a local suspect for the shooting. As he navigates this cover-up, he is taunted by the killer, Walter Finch, who witnessed the incident. The film is defined by Dormer’s descent into sleep deprivation, a condition exacerbated by the perpetual daylight of the Alaskan summer.
Director Christopher Nolan, who sought to remake the original film after watching it twice, viewed the project as a pivotal experience. It was his first studio film and his first time working with major movie stars. Despite the film's positive critical reception—holding a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes—Nolan has identified it as his most underrated work. He noted that the production was a vivid, personal time in his life, and he remains proud of the final result.
A significant draw for the film was the casting of Robin Williams as the antagonist, a departure from the comedic roles that defined his earlier career. Nolan praised Williams for a flawless performance, noting that the actor fully inhabited the character without the audience ever seeing the 'acting' behind it. The film, which grossed $113.8 million worldwide against a $46 million budget, is often cited for its shift in moral focus compared to the original, emphasizing themes of guilt and accountability through the lens of Pacino’s increasingly hallucinatory perspective.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Insomnia (2002 film)
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