Insomnia: The Criterion Collection

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Swedish detective Jonas Engstrom (Stellan Skarsgard) finds several reasons to stay awake in this tight psychological thriller from Norwegian director Erik Skjoldbjaerg. Already kept awake nights by past professional improprieties, Engstrom's new case takes him to northern Norway where the sun never sets. Compounding his insomnia, this troubled policeman is forced into a very uneasy, compelling alliance with the killer he stalks. Skjoldbjaerg's touch is spare and clinical, dressing typically bleak Scandanavian existentialism in a sterile, post-modern aesthetic, and not without a few unmistakably Northern European quirks. Criterion delivers an excellent 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer with both Swedish and Norwegian 2.0 Dolby Digital audio tracks. English subtitles, of course, are available. Also includes original Norwegian trailer. Keep-case.
—Gregory P. Dorr

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