Insomnia

Second Sight Films are releasing a restored version of Erik Skjoldbjærg's Insomnia. It will be coming in 4K UHD, standard Bluray and as a limited edition duel format box set.

Insomnia, in many ways, put Nordic Noir on the world map well before the term was coined. The Scandinavian countries have a tradition of making highly distinctive film noir going back to films like Edith Carlmar's Death Is A Caress (Døden Er Et Kjærtegn), with its female gaze or Girl With Hyacinths (Flicka Och Hyacinter). Skjoldbjærg's film opened the door for TV shows like The Killing or The Bridge.

It made it to Hollywood, a remake that was only remarkable for Robin Williams's performance as Walter Finch (Bjørn Floberg's Jon Holt in the original). The film was emotionally simplified while its plot was made overly complex.

In Insomnia, Skjoldbjærg inverts Film Noir's visual aesthetics. Dead space and the angular is formed from blown out desaturated camera work rather that from darkness and shadow. This is where the 4K UHD version comes into its own, reproducing the searing brightness of the film. Stellan Skarsgård's Jonas Engström is constantly perused by the cold light of day. His moral breakdown is there in the increasing harshness of the cinematography. The standard Blu-ray version also does a good of capturing this aspect of the film, it's just not quite as good.

The special features on the discs include an audio commentary by Erik Skjoldbjærg and writer Nikolaj Frobenius. Of the interviews, Falling Into It is the most entertaining. Petter J Borgli talks about producing the film and blagging his way through the Norwegian film industry, and a video essay.

Apart from Insomnia itself, the highlights on the discs are the three short films by Skjoldbjærg: Spor, Close To Home and Near Winter. These early films blend drama with melancholia in ways that can be touching or, in the case of Close To Home, unsettling.

Reviewed on: 23 May 2026