Christopher Nolan Names Robin Williams Thriller ‘Most Underrated’; Now on BBC iPlayer

Christopher Nolan won an Oscar for Oppenheimer. His body of work also includes Interstellar, Inception and the Batman trilogy with Christian Bale.

Film overview

Insomnia is Nolan’s 2002 mystery-thriller starring Al Pacino and Robin Williams. It is a remake of Erik Skjoldbjaerg’s 1997 Norwegian neo-noir. The plot follows a Los Angeles homicide detective investigating the murder of a high-school girl in a small Alaskan town.

Cast and credits

Hilary Swank, Maura Tierney and Martin Donovan appear in supporting roles. Insomnia is the only Nolan film where he does not hold a writing credit.

Reception and legacy

Critics greeted Insomnia warmly on its 2002 release. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian awarded it five stars and praised its atmosphere and tension. The film currently holds a 92 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, and many viewers label it Nolan’s most underrated work.

Nolan’s perspective

In Tom Shone’s 2020 book The Nolan Variations, Nolan described the film as “probably the most underrated” of his films. He called the shoot personal, and noted it was his first studio picture, filmed on location with major movie stars.

Availability and what’s next

Christopher Nolan has named the Robin Williams thriller “most underrated”, and it is now available on BBC iPlayer. The film was added to the service this week, alongside The Prestige (2006).

Upcoming project

Nolan’s next film is The Odyssey, an adaptation of Homer’s epic starring Matt Damon. It is set for release on 17 July in the UK and US, with a reported budget of $250m (£218.6m).

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