Insomnia (1997)

In a Norwegian city with a 24-hour daylight cycle a Swedish murder investigator has been brought in on a special case. Sleep deprived, he makes a horrible mistake which is discovered by the killer he has been hunting.

Director:

Erik Skjoldbjærg

Writers:

Nikolaj Frobenius (screenplay), Erik Skjoldbjærg (screenplay)

Stars:

Stellan Skarsgård, Sverre Anker Ousdal, Maria Mathiesen

2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Maria Mathiesen	...	Tanja Lorentzen
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Jonas Engström
Sverre Anker Ousdal	...	Erik Vik
Gisken Armand	...	Hilde Hagen
Kristian Figenschow	...	Arne Zakariassen (as Kristian Fr. Figenschow)
Thor Michael Aamodt	...	Tom Engen
Frode Rasmussen	...	Chief of Police
Bjørn Moan	...	Eilert
Maria Bonnevie	...	Ane
Marianne O. Ulrichsen	...	Frøya
Bjørn Floberg	...	Jon Holt

Storyline

In a Norwegian city with a 24-hour daylight cycle, a Swedish murder investigator is brought in to find an elusive killer. But when the officer accidentally kills his own partner and covers it up, a double sided game of cat-and-mouse ensues.

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Plot Keywords:

fog | accidental shooting | hallucination | detective | northern norway | 

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Taglines:

Den som synder, sover ikke. [He who sins, does not sleep.]

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Insomnia homepage

Country:

Norway

Language:

Norwegian Swedish

Release Date:

29 May 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bezsennosc

Filming Locations:

Nyksund, Norway

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,366, 31 May 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$221,173, 13 December 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

Norsk Film, Nordic Screen Production AS, Norsk Filminstitutt

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Engström was originally written as a Norwegian. His nationality was changed to Swedish to reflect Stellan Skarsgård's country of origin.

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Goofs

Early in the film at the autopsy scene, the boom mic can be seen momentarily at the top of the screen.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Psychological Thrillers (2016)

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Soundtracks

Abby Road
Music by Stephen Loveday/Darren Loveday
Published by Music House/EMI Music Services

User Reviews

Thriller in the classic Scandinavian style

Insomnia is a criminal thriller shot in the classic Scandinavian style, a combination we're only seeing rather recently. When a teenaged girl turns up dead in a landfill, a homicide team is sent up from Oslo to back up the local police, who are ill-equipped to handle such a murder owing to its infrequency. Above the Arctic Circle, the lead detective is like a fish out of water - the 24-hour daylight drives him crazy and he is desperate to get out.

The scenes have a cold, bare feel to them, like the shooting locations (Tromsø and environs) and the protagonist/antagonist, Jonas Engstrøm (Stellan Skarsgård). Stark is a good word - but it is effective, and also beautiful. Bjørn Floberg also turns in a solid performance as the prime suspect. I found Skarsgård's female foil (Gisken Armand) a bit cloying but that's not enough to bring the whole film down.

Skarsgård's intensity is impressive and captivating, and the dynamic between his character and the others (he is Swedish, they are Norwegian) helps keep you interested. It's interesting to see how being a murder cop hardens a person - whether that person is Norwegian, Swedish, or American doesn't matter.

I would definitely recommend this film. It's a powerful and beautiful work that deserves to be seen.