Christopher Nolan’s 2002 film starring Al Pacino as an Alaska detective is Insomnia.
The film follows Los Angeles detective Will Dormer, played by Pacino, after he travels to a small Alaskan town to investigate a teenager’s murder. The region’s long daylight complicates his ability to sleep and becomes an important part of the story’s psychological pressure.
Insomnia is a remake of the 1997 Norwegian film of the same name directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg. Nolan’s version keeps the central murder-investigation premise but uses a different cast and setting details. Robin Williams plays Walter Finch, while Hilary Swank portrays local detective Ellie Burr.
Insomnia was Nolan’s third feature film and followed Memento. It is sometimes overlooked because it is not based on an original Nolan screenplay, but it established his ability to work within a studio crime-thriller format before Batman Begins.