Insomnia

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 24^th May 2024.

Watch the trailer for Insomnia here: