Insomnia (1997)
Being Scandinavian, I practically grew up with the Nordic crime noir, which did make a bit weary at first, fearing it would be the tired formula of this sort of story. Thankfully this one has plenty of unique things going for it. The setup is well known, with a 17 year old girl found murdered in a small town and an outsider is called in to help with the case. What sets it apart is first most the setting, north of the Arctic circle in the summer when the sun never sets. Stellan Skarsgård as the outside police investigator is really not good at handling that. Hence the title of the film. Skarsgård plays the increasingly tired and delirious policeman to perfection. I gotta assume some method acting real sleep deprivation was going on.
The actual murder mystery is engaging and interesting, with some turns and unexpected development that never becomes too far fetched. The narrative gradually merges with the case and Skarsgård himself, as he gets closer to the killer. It is complex character study, a depiction of men with some power and privilege failing to handle themselves, and other forms of unhealthy power dynamics. The case is not happily resolved.
Rating: 4