You Won’t Believe How Insomnia (2002) and The Prestige Stack Up!
Coming Around Again: Nick Rogers Revisits Two Christopher Nolan Films
Have you ever watched a movie, didn’t like it, and then wondered years later, "Was I just having a bad day?" That’s the big idea behind a series called Coming Around Again.
What Is "Coming Around Again"?
This series was started by a writer named Nick Rogers. Here’s how it works in simple terms:
- Nick picks movies that came out at least five years ago.
- He chooses films he really disliked back then, or ones that everyone else loved but he just didn’t "get."
- He watches them again and writes about whether his opinion changed.
Nick didn’t write anything for this series in 2025. But because the whole point is giving things a second chance (and because he jokingly admits he likes to finish what he starts, even if it’s painful), he decided to make it a monthly thing in 2026.
For every movie, his essay explains:
- How he felt the first time he saw it
- Why he wanted to watch it again
- What he thinks of it now
Important Point: The goal isn’t to be mean to old movies — it’s to ask honest questions like: "Did I have a bad day? Was I just too young for this story? Was the movie actually smarter than I realized?"
What Films Are Coming Around Again?
This time, Nick revisited two movies directed by Christopher Nolan.
Film #1: Insomnia (2002)
- Type: Mystery-thriller (a "whodunit" with tense moments)
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Writer: Hillary Seitz (based on a 1997 Norwegian film with the same name)
- Stars: Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Hilary Swank, and others
The story made simple:
Two police detectives from Los Angeles (who are being watched by their own bosses for mistakes) go to a tiny town in Alaska called Nightmute. There, the sun never sets in summer. They help with a murder case. One detective (Pacino) accidentally shoots someone — and the killer (Williams) sees it happen. The killer then tries to trick the cop so he won’t go to jail.
Film #2: The Prestige (2006)
- Type: Science-fiction thriller
- Director: Christopher Nolan
- Writers: Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan (based on a 1995 book by Christopher Priest)
- Stars: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, and others
The story made simple:
Around the year 1900, two magicians (Jackman and Bale) become rivals. They compete to build the best magic trick ever — one that makes a person disappear and reappear somewhere else (teleportation). Things get extreme.
How Did Nick Feel Back Then?
His First Watch of Insomnia (Summer 2002)
Nick was just starting his first big-kid job as a newspaper reporter. It was a confusing, busy time. He saw Insomnia at a regular movie theater near his parents’ house.
- He loved Nolan’s earlier movie Memento so much he saw it two nights in a row.
- But Insomnia felt to him like Nolan was just hired to remake someone else’s good movie.
- Nick thought it was not bad, but too long and a bit silly compared to the original.
His First Watch of The Prestige (2006)
By then, Nick had his job for four years and drove 3 hours round-trip to see movies in St. Louis.
- He had already changed his mind about Nolan after Batman Begins.
- He was excited for The Prestige.
- But he figured out the movie’s big secret in the first five minutes.
- Because he hates guessing twists early, he was disappointed and didn’t enjoy the rest much.
Why Did He Revisit Them Now?
Nick gives a few friendly reasons:
- A new Nolan movie called The Odyssey got him thinking about Nolan’s whole career.
- Insomnia and The Prestige were the only Nolan films he never grew to like.
- He hadn’t seen either since they first came out in theaters.
- A line from Insomnia inspired him: "The second you’re about to dismiss something, think about it. Look again."
Important Point: Nick isn’t forced to watch these — he’s doing it to be fair to movies he may have judged too soon.
How Did He Feel This Time?
On Insomnia (2002)
Nick still thinks the movie had everything going for it: great actors, a cool idea, and a director who’s good at mind-bending stories.
What he liked:
- The best parts are when Pacino and Williams talk and trick each other — like a slow, dangerous dance.
- Robin Williams shows a creepy, calm evil side before his later scary role in One Hour Photo.
What he didn’t like:
- The story before those two meet is too slow.
- The script adds silly coincidences (like a killer’s phone number being in the book).
- It doesn’t feel like "Nolan" at all — more like a regular thriller from that time.
Nick notes Nolan never again directed a movie he didn’t help write. Insomnia feels like a "tryout" so studios would let him make Batman movies.
On The Prestige (2006)
Nick says it looks beautiful and has one amazing scene: David Bowie as inventor Nikola Tesla in a lightning field.
But the problems:
- The fight between the two magicians gets repetitive.
- The "twist" is hidden clumsily.
- The movie feels like Nolan’s "notes to himself" rather than a full story.
- It’s a film about transporting people that doesn’t transport you.
He ends by quoting the song at the end: "There’s no spark, no light in the dark." He says that fits.
Was He Wrong Way Back When?
Sadly, no.
- Insomnia is still a forgettable movie for almost everyone involved. Nolan never worked with Pacino or Swank again.
- The Prestige is more interesting now only because we can see it as a rough draft of better movies Nolan made later (like Inception and Interstellar).
Important Point: Even the best directors make a clunker sometimes — and that’s okay! It’s part of learning.
Summary
Nick Rogers brought back his Coming Around Again series to rewatch two Christopher Nolan films he didn’t like: Insomnia (2002) and The Prestige (2006). After seeing them again, he realized his first impressions were mostly right. Insomnia is a slow, uninspired remake, and The Prestige is a pretty but empty movie that feels like a practice run for Nolan’s later masterpieces. The big lesson? Giving movies a second chance is fun, but sometimes your gut was correct all along.
FAQ
1. What does "Coming Around Again" mean?
It’s a series where Nick Rogers rewatches old movies he disliked or didn’t understand, to see if his opinion changes with time.
2. Why didn’t Nick write for the series in 2025?
He just didn’t add anything that year. In the second-chance spirit, he promised to do it monthly in 2026 instead.
3. Are Insomnia and The Prestige based on other works?
Yes! Insomnia is based on a 1997 Norwegian film. The Prestige is based on a 1995 novel by Christopher Priest.
4. Did Nick end up liking the movies more the second time?
Not really. He still found Insomnia middling and The Prestige pretty but empty, though more interesting in hindsight.
5. What’s the main takeaway from this revisit?
Even great filmmakers like Christopher Nolan have weak early movies, and it’s human (and okay) to miss the mark sometimes.
