Culture Cinema & Tv Show reviews

Insomnia

Insomnia | Show review

Based on Sarah Pinborough’s eponymous novel, Insomnia opens with Vicky McClure’s Emma being arrested for a crime she’s adamant she didn’t commit. Haunted by memories of her troubled past, Emma is accused of killing her ailing mother as revenge for the abuse she inflicted on her sister, Phoebe (Leanne Best), when the two were children. Though Emma initially pleads her innocence, matters are complicated – as the title would suggest – by her distorted memory due to chronic insomnia. This leads to her questioning her own reality, and, indeed, innocence.

The creators are proficient at weaving a moreish mystery, and the always reliable McClure makes a convincing lead, but there’s a distinct lack of humanity here. Shot in the style of gloomy Nordic crime dramas (director Börkur Sigþórsson has also worked on Icelandic mysteries Katla and Trapped), the show’s strict adherence to its frosty aesthetic comes at the expense of any meaningful characterisation. Clunky exposition, meekly delivered by an injured character at a hospital bedside, is groan-inducing. Meanwhile, a succession of clichéd plot developments are used in place of more subtle signifiers. At times, it comes across as soapy; in the first episode alone, far too many twists and jump scares are crammed into three-quarters of an hour.

Though nicely shot and boasting a stellar cast, the result is an all-too-familiar tale of female rage, narcissistic mothers and PTSD-infused flashbacks of a traumatic childhood. Such themes have been covered far more effectively in shows such as Sharp Objects, of which this pales in comparison.

For those on the lookout for some binge-worthy mystery that isn’t too mentally taxing, there is undoubtedly intrigue and entertainment to be gleaned from Insomnia. But the tortured, pill-dependant woman trope has been explored ad nauseam, and at this point feels reductive. Ultimately, this is a formulaic addition to the much-overcrowded crime drama market.

Antonia Georgiou

Insomnia is released on Paramount+ on 24th May 2024.

Watch the trailer for Insomnia here:

More in Shows

Havoc

Mae Trumata

Until Dawn

Mae Trumata

The Friend

Christina Yang

“These are really crazy circumstances and we wanted to make sure that the audience felt bought in”: Michael Cimino and Ella Rubin on Until Dawn

Mae Trumata

Netflix sets global premiere date for crime drama Dept Q, starring Matthew Goode and written by Scott Frank

The editorial unit

I Know What You Did Last Summer returns to UK cinemas with original stars and new cast this July

The editorial unit

Swimming Home

Antonia Georgiou

Cannes Film Festival unveils dual poster honouring A Man and a Woman for 78th Edition

The editorial unit

“It was definitely next level”: Ben Affleck and cast on The Accountant 2

Christina Yang