INSOMNIUM (2017) - FILM REVIEW

George (Brad Pennington) and Phin (Clint Browning) are old friends who share an apartment. Finn appears to be a bit of a slacker, whilst George is a bit more respectable and clearly has some kind of gainful employment. However, George is currently recovering from serious arm and leg injuries and is spending a prolonged period recuperating at home. The two seem to spend their days drinking a lot of beer and (more in the case of Finn) smoking a lot of weed. One night, along with George’s girlfriend, Kim (Gena Shaw) and her friend, Olivia (Larena Reyna) the two decide to mess around with a ouija board. Olivia, who is apparently experienced in matters of the occult, decides she does not like the way things are going and stops playing. This is enough to spook George and Kim, who also stop. Phin, who has not been taking the whole thing very seriously, decides to play on, on his own. Bad move (of course), as he seems to have a bit of a turn and pass out. Subsequently, Phin starts to have increasingly bizarre nocturnal episodes of somnambulism, which freak George and Kim out and lead George to suspect that Phin could, in fact, be possessed, which may or may not have something to do with a mystery surrounding their landlord and upstairs neighbour, Mr. Romanovsky.
 
Insomnium is the writing and directorial debut of Scot Powers and it is a pretty solid first attempt, especially in relation to the writing. Sure, some of the dialogue is a little clunky at times (and it seemed in a couple of scenes as though there may have been some improvisation), but events were nicely arranged - plot point number one (the ouija board) occurs in the opening scene of the film, taking the audience straight into the action. In a movie that dramatises character much more than action, that was a clever touch, as had there been set-up scenes establishing character and motive prior to that plot point, one could imagine a viewer’s patience being tested before the movie really got going.

The characters are pretty well rounded and believable, although for a couple of guys who spend all their time getting smashed and eating takeaways, George and Phin have suspiciously washboard stomachs. Where are all the actors with beer bellies?

The cast have to deliver a lot of exposition and manage to do this whilst keeping it interesting admirably, which is helped by seemingly very good chemistry (especially between Pennington and Browning). Indeed, without knowing anything about it, Insomnium does come across as a bit of a labour of love and it is hard not to suspect that a lot of those involved were friends prior to this. Certainly Insomnium seems to be Powers’ baby and he has writing, directing, producing and editing credits next to his name for it.
Considering that the majority of the shots are interiors, some of the cinematography is eye-catching. The use (or intimation) of that kind of dusky sunset that seems unique to California, creeping through windows to half light characters’ faces, was particularly nice and even made me think, in one instance, of an Edward Hopper painting. Honourable mention to cinematographer, Andrew J. Whittaker (who has twenty odd previous credits, including a couple of music videos for Green Day and Alice in Chains) and his colleagues for that. There is some notable experience in the camera and electrical department, to be fair, with second assistant camera, Jonathan Dec notably working most recently on Spider-man: Far From Home.
 
Insomnium is, as stated, a decent directorial debut from Powers and definitely worth a watch. Although it maybe struggles to produce any real tension or scares, it holds attention through watching its characters’ relationships develop and Powers does manage to make it feel that as though the audience are on a journey of discovery with George and Phin.
 
Luke Green