Review

A crack Swedish detective (Skarsgård) is called to a Norwegian town above the Arctic Circle -- where there's no darkness for six months at a time -- to investigate the murder of a high school girl. A potentially routine case becomes a languid nightmare for the policeman, as guilt over a major screw-up and his insomnia due to the constant sunlight slowly drive him nuts. Moody, stylish, slow-paced but engrossing, Insomnia is well directed, with many beautiful, composed shots, creepy moments, and a constant tone of dread and unease. A tense film noir, with psychology and sunlight substituting for shootouts and shadows. (American remake released in 2002) (In Norwegian and Swedish with English subtitles)