Recent scientific findings have determined that roughly 10% of people suffer from some kind of insomnia, and whether it is a temporary inability to fall asleep or a more chronic disorder, it is certainly a notable concern, particularly since there are numerous reasons for the condition, ranging from medical problems to psychological issues. Yet, every study on the subject highlights the importance of sleep for both mental and physical health, with many considering it to be one of the most crucial processes for living creatures. We often find that sleep – or the lack thereof – can also be a fascinating tool for artistic expression, particularly when it comes to exploring particular traits and how they manifest in everyday life. This is precisely where we noticing Erik Skjoldbjærg finding the inspiration for Insomnia (his directorial debut), his merciless and bleak psychological thriller in which he tells the story of a detective of ambiguous moral scruples taking an assignment in a remote corner of Norway, investigating a murder. In a tense confrontation with the person he believes to be the culprit, the protagonist accidently shoots and kills his partner, which plunges him into a state of existential despair, especially when he realises that he may be able to cover up the crime through a combination of the faith the local authorities have in him and his own shrewd tactics to avoid being noticed. However his growing paranoia and inability to sleep ultimately sends him further into a state of complete despair, the panic at being found out driving him to the very brink of insanity in the process. A fascinating and daring character study that immediately established Skjoldbjærg as one of Norway’s most intriguing auteurs, Insomnia is a film that has only grown in estimation as time has progressed and we’ve been able to see the many fascinating nuances that linger beneath the surface of this strange and offbeat thriller that takes the audience hostage and never abates for a single moment.

We have a natural tendency to be fascinated by crime stories, and whether fictional or based in reality, our inherent curiosity often drives us to explore these subjects. One of the more intriguing concepts is that of the perfect crime – so many writers have attempted to explore whether or not is is possible to get away with certain acts without being caught, which has its origins in the intersection between human psychology and the methods of law enforcement, two very different entities that come into contact in many of these stories. In the case of Insomnia, we see the director taking his cue from Elio Petri’s masterful Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, both films centering on expert law enforcement officers that realise that they are in a truly privileged position to be able to conceal their own crimes (whether intentional or not) through a combination of their knowledge and authority, both of which gives their colleagues nothing but faith in them. This film takes it a step further in not only showing the techniques the protagonist utilises in order to hide the crime he committed (the sequences where he tampers with evidence, or liaises with the only witness to the murder, are some of the most enthralling in the entire film), offering an insightful and deeply unsettling glimpse into the mind of someone who has luxuriated in his status as an enforcer of the law, he manages to take advantage of a system designed to force people like him to pay the consequences. The film deviates in many different directions, and has a firm grasp on the character, allowing us to witness his descent into insanity, a gradual but exceptionally exciting progression that only becomes more engrossing as the story unfolds. All of these themes are tied together by the subject of madness, another very common topic that we often find in these stories, showing the psychological impact that occurs when someone realises that they have stumbled into committing the perfect crime, which proves to be a far less glamorous affair than they may have initially imagined at the time.

There are many complex ideas embedded in Insomnia, which is not an easy film by any means, and which serves to be one of the most challenging character studies of its era. However, it is an enormous help that the film is anchored by one of the best performances of the decade, which comes on behalf of Stellan Skarsgård, whose incredible work as the protagonist is amongst his greatest work. A master of nuance and subtlety, but also someone who has been able to capture every emotion, ranging from the coldheartedly matter-of-fact to the deep sense of paranoia and despair experienced by this character. The role requires Skarsgård to present himself as primarily a stone-faced, objective (and perhaps even borderline psychopathic – very few people would be able to witness the brutality without at least showing some form of expression) figure, but where he gradually recedes into a state of deep paranoia. Much of this is delivered through his facial expressions, which slowly become more unhinged and mysterious, reflecting not only his complete lack of sleep, but his growing anxiety that he is going to be discovered, with every passing moment that he doesn’t admit to the crime making it less likely that he will be able to plea innocence when he is eventually discovered to be the culprit. It’s an incredible piece of acting from Skarsgård, and Skjoldbjærg is very much aware of the gifts of the actor with which he chooses to collaborate, highlighting his strengths while also pushing him to the brink of his sanity, creating an unforgettable, daring performance that shows us a very different side of an actor we adore, but yet still find profoundly mysterious, especially when tasked with bringing such complex, unconventional characters to life. It’s amongst his best work, and a performance that will likely continue to become definitive as more people become aware of his impressive body of work.

Yet, Skarsgård is only one aspect of Insomnia that warrants our admiration, since the entire film is a fascinating piece for several different reasons – the story is strong, and the leading performance is exceptional, but what truly allows everything to come together is the execution of its ideas, which requires us to recognise that Skjoldbjærg was doing much more than constructing a traditional police procedural. The entire film is driven more by its atmosphere than it is the story or the main character (both of which eventually reveal themselves to be in service of the overall production, secondary components that supplement the film rather than guiding it in a certain place), with the director emphasising the mood and tone of the film. It’s a very downbeat, bleak affair – every bit of colour is entirely extinguished from the film, which takes place in a landscape covered in snow and consistently immersed in fog, which complements the harsh grey and brown architecture. There isn’t much hope or joy to be found anywhere in this film (although there are a few sporadic moments where the film does make use of the miserabilist humour often used in Nordic films to underline the absurdity of existence), which is very clear in its intentions throughout. It’s a complex character study in which the atmosphere is the primary propellant and one of the many reasons the film feels so invigorating, since it challenges us to look beneath the surface, pondering the many mysteries that we find throughout, while still maintaing a straightforward, matter-of-fact approach to exploring the darkness that lingers within the human spirit, a hard reality that many of us only come to realise quite late in life once we have been a witness to the capacity for seemingly good, moral individuals to commit heinous acts, and how even when it is accidental, there is always room for ambiguity in which one can easily take advantage of the system.

There is a mystery that surrounds Insomnia that makes it very compelling, even when it is at its most bleak – and the director certainly does not waste even a brief moment establishing the foundation of the narrative, which proves to be quite an unsettling affair. This is primarily because, at its core, the film is an exploration of the human mind, investigating absolutely every crevice in its attempt to unleash some deeper social and cultural commentary through examining the motives that could cause someone to kill, as well as the lengths to which someone who would otherwise be seen as only causing a sad accident allows himself to become so enraptured by the desire to get away with a crime, he sinks into a state of deep, inescapable psychosis. It’s a masterful work, and one that doesn’t lay all of its intentions out at first, but rather chooses to allow them to gradually unravel, reflecting the main character’s growing sense of despair, paranoia and inability to move past an event that he knows is going to linger with him indefinitely. Featuring an astonishing leading performance by Skarsgård, who is accompanied by some very impressive directorial techniques that bring this environment to life, Insomnia is a tremendous film, a challenging blend of psychological thriller, film noir and true crime horror, all bundled together into a disconcerting, unconventional drama that captivates our attention and draws us further into the complex labyrinth of ideas that served as the film’s inspiration.