Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Two Los Angeles homicide detectives are dispatched to a northern town where the sun doesn't set to investigate the methodical murder of a local teen.
Nolan's remake of the Norwegian original is elevated primarily by its exceptional performances—Al Pacino's deteriorating detective is a career highlight, and Robin Williams delivers a chillingly restrained turn against type. The Alaskan midnight-sun setting is brilliantly exploited cinematographically, with the perpetual daylight becoming a visual metaphor for guilt and sleeplessness that Wally Pfister captures beautifully. The plot, while competent neo-noir, is somewhat straightforward and loses momentum in the second half. Novelty is moderate—the remake improves on certain elements but doesn't reinvent the source material dramatically, and the moral ambiguity, while well-handled, is familiar noir territory. The ending is satisfying but not particularly surprising.