A Crime Thriller Stripped of Comfort

Read Time:5 Minute, 28 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Insomnia Limited Edition 4K UHD & Blu-ray
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Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Year Released: 1997, 2026 Second Sight 4K
Runtime: 1h 36m
Director(s): Erik Skjoldbjærg
Writer(s): Erik Skjoldbjærg, Nikolaj Frobenius
Cast: Stellan Skarsgård, Sverre Anker Ousdal, Bjørn Floberg, Maria Mathiesen, Gisken Armand
Where to Watch: available May 25, 2026, order your copy here: www.secondsightfilms.co.uk

RAVING REVIEW: Darkness usually defines the depths of noir. INSOMNIA does the exact opposite. Erik Skjoldbjærg’s 1997 psychological thriller traps its characters beneath endless daylight, turning constant visibility into an oppressive, deeply unsettling force. The result still feels strange nearly thirty years later. Instead of hiding corruption in shadows, the film forces every mistake, lie, and moment of panic into the open. Nothing gets concealed, yet nobody sees things clearly either.

That inversion is what gives INSOMNIA its identity beyond simply being “the original version” of the Christopher Nolan remake. Even people who already know the basic story will immediately notice how different the atmosphere feels here. Nolan’s adaptation leaned further into a studio thriller territory, while Skjoldbjærg’s film feels colder, coarser, and more psychologically exposed. There’s less concern with conventional suspense mechanics and more interest in watching a man mentally rot in real time.

Stellan Skarsgård carries nearly every frame with an exhausted restraint that becomes more impressive as the film progresses. Jonas Engström isn’t introduced as a heroic detective with hidden flaws slowly being uncovered. The film makes it clear fairly early that there’s already moral corrosion sitting underneath the surface. He’s competent, intelligent, and capable, but also arrogant enough to believe he can manage every bad decision through sheer force of will. Watching that confidence gradually collapse becomes the real engine driving the film.

The central case involving the murder of a teenage girl initially feels familiar enough. Two detectives arrive in northern Norway to assist with the investigation, only for an operation to go catastrophically wrong. From there, INSOMNIA shifts into something more uncomfortable than a standard procedural. The murder investigation becomes secondary to Jonas’ unraveling state of mind, and the film understands that guilt itself can become a prison more claustrophobic than any interrogation room.

What makes Skarsgård’s performance work so well is how physical it becomes without ever turning theatrical. The worsening sleep deprivation completely changes Jonas' measure. His movements become more intrusive, his focus deteriorates, and his emotional responses flatten out into something almost numb. By the second half, he looks less like a detective solving a crime and more like a grown-up trying to survive his own collapse. It’s one of those performances where exhaustion itself becomes part of the characterization.

The setting does so much work throughout the film. Tromsø, Norway, and its endless Arctic daylight become a psychological force pressing down on everyone involved. Curtains, sunglasses, dim lighting, and blocking out the sun begin appearing constantly, creating the feeling that the characters are fighting against the environment itself. The film understands how disorienting perpetual daylight can become, especially when paired with guilt and paranoia. INSOMNIA looks remarkable in this restoration. The washed-out lighting and pale landscapes create an atmosphere that feels detached from reality without becoming stylized to the point of distraction. There’s a dreamlike haze hanging over much of the film, but it never drifts into artificiality.

One of the film’s strongest qualities is its refusal to simplify morality. Jonas isn’t turned into a misunderstood antihero, but the film doesn’t reduce him to a monster either. The deeper he sinks into self-preservation and dishonesty, the more complicated the relationship with the audience becomes. INSOMNIA is interested in how people rationalize corruption once survival instincts take over. Every new lie creates another layer of damage, and the film lets that accumulation sit heavily rather than racing through plot mechanics.

Bjørn Floberg’s performance as Jon Holt deserves more attention than it usually gets in discussions about the film. He avoids playing the character like a conventional villain. Instead, there’s a patience to him that becomes unnerving in its own way. The relationship between Holt and Jonas evolves into something almost symbiotic. Both men recognize uncomfortable similarities in each other, and the film gains much of its tension from that mutual understanding.

Watching INSOMNIA now also creates an interesting historical perspective on thriller filmmaking from the late ‘90s. Before prestige television absorbed much of this kind of morally complex crime storytelling, films like this occupied a unique space. It feels stripped down compared to many modern psychological thrillers that overload themselves with twists, exposition, and stylistic excess. INSOMNIA trusts discomfort enough to let it linger simply.

The new Second Sight Films release looks like exactly the kind of treatment the film deserves, especially given how important the visual presentation is to the experience. The restoration work and supplemental material feel particularly fitting for a film that has quietly maintained such a strong reputation over time. Even after decades of imitators, INSOMNIA still feels uniquely suffocating because it understands something many thrillers miss: guilt becomes far more terrifying when there’s nowhere left to hide.

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[photo courtesy of SECOND SIGHT FILMS]

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