Watch: Video Essay Compares Christopher Nolan And Erik Skjoldbjærg's 'Insomnia' Side-By-Side

One of Christopher Nolan’s more under-seen and under-appreciated pictures, 2002’s hypnotic “Insomnia,” is a deft combination of murder mystery, crime procedural and searing character study that watches a sleep-deprived homicide detective as he probes a horrific murder case in Alaska, all while the endless reign of perpetual daylight threatens to disorient his senses beyond good reason. The film is a polished, spooky piece of craftsmanship and one of the highlights in the British director’s filmography.

And while the Al Pacino/Robin Williams-starring pic does showcase a number of Mr. Nolan’s preferred motifs, it’s easy to forget that his follow-up to “Memento” was actually a remake of a similarly austere picture from 1997. That film was directed by Norwegian filmmaker Erik Skjoldbjærg and while the two pictures are obviously quite similar in tone and temperament, the original “Insomnia” is more authentically chilly (Skjoldbjærg is, after all, a Norseman), while Nolan’s...