The film stars Robin Williams and Al Pacino (Image: Insomnia)
Some films are talked about for years. Others drift into the background, even when they feature huge stars and a big-time director. But every now and then, people rediscover one of those films and start calling it a hidden gem. That’s what has happened with a gripping thriller that many viewers say deserves far more attention than it gets.
The film has been praised for its tense atmosphere, a haunting setting and two lead performances that still bring chills more than 20 years later. Reviewers say it is one of the most overlooked projects in its director’s career. Some even go so far as to call it a forgotten masterpiece.
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Al Pacino plays a Los Angeles detective and Robin Williams stars as a local crime writer (Image: Insomnia)
On Rotten Tomatoes it holds a 92% critic score and a 77% audience rating, with many fans arguing the audience score should be much higher.
And yet, despite that reputation, it often slips under the radar when people discuss the director’s best work.
The film in question is Insomnia, the 2002 psychological thriller directed by Christopher Nolan.
One reviewer said: “Out of the films in Christopher Nolan’s catalogue, this is one that isn’t talked about that much. But it’s an underrated and forgotten Nolan masterpiece.
“Insomnia deserves to be put right up there with the director’s classic films. It’s even arguably better than some of his later films, due to the total lack of pretension. It doesn’t ask anything of the audience except to sit back and enjoy, and it delivers big time.”
Hilary Swank plays Ellie Burr, a local Alaska police detective (Image: Insomnia)
Another wrote: “A bone-chilling masterpiece. The cast delivers stellar performances, in particular Robin Williams. His character is undoubtedly psychotic. What a temptation for Williams to steal the show with a display of angry shouting, of pure psychopathic hostility, of maniacal laughter! But no.
“He avoids this and goes for a far different touch. His character talks of extremely disturbing things in a very calm, matter-of-fact way, making his performance far more bone-chilling. As much as I love Williams’ comic roles, I have to admit he’s practically unrivalled in ‘serious’ acting.”
A third person added: “This 2002 film directed by Christopher Nolan is an underrated gem. Al Pacino gives a standout performance, and so does Robin Williams.”
Insomnia stars Al Pacino as a Los Angeles detective sent to a remote Alaskan town to investigate the murder of a teenage girl.
Robin Williams plays a local crime writer who becomes entangled in the case. The story follows a dangerous cat-and-mouse dynamic after a tragic accidental shooting ties the two men together, forcing them into a tense and uneasy arrangement.
The film is also unusual in Nolan’s career because he directed it but did not co-write the script, which was adapted by Hillary Seitz from the 1997 Norwegian original.
It premiered at the Tribeca Festival in May 2002 before being released in cinemas later that month. Worldwide, it earned more than $113 million, more than double its production budget.
Critics widely praised Pacino and Williams, with Williams nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Saturn Awards.
Nolan later said he cast Williams specifically because audiences did not expect him to play a villain, calling it a chance to show “a new Robin Williams” that viewers had never imagined.
Insomnia is streaming on Prime Video with a BFI Player subscription.
