Insomnia

Released 1997
Stars Stellan Skarsgard, Sverre Anker Ousdal, Bjorn Floberg, Gisken Armand, Maria Bonnevie, Kristian Figenschow, Thor Michael Aamodt, Bjorn Moan, Marianne O. Ulrichsen
Directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg

Most murder mysteries take place in the dark. Insomnia, a compelling thriller from first- time Scandinavian director Erik Skjoldbjaerg, occurs in a state of perpetual light. The setting is north of the Arctic circle in the middle of summer. At that time and place, we have entered the land of the midnight sun, a strange world where daylight holds court twenty-four hours a day. Yet, even in such bright circumstances, the darkest impulses of the human soul can not always be held at bay.

Insomnia starts out like a relatively traditional murder mystery. However, by the time the final reel has concluded, Skjoldbjaerg's film has revealed itself as something both interesting and unusual. The murder investigation has become almost secondary to a fascinating game of wits as the main character, Jonas Engstrom (Stellan Skarsgard), fights a multi-front psychological war against a killer and his own dark impulses.

Summary by James Berardinelli