Insomnia (2002 Film) - Plot

Plot

In the small fishing town of Nightmute, Alaska, 17-year-old Kay Connell (Crystal Lowe) is found murdered. LAPD detectives Will Dormer (Al Pacino) and Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan) are sent to assist the local police with their investigation.

Concurrently, an intense Internal Affairs investigation in Los Angeles is about to put Dormer under the microscope; Eckhart reveals that Internal Affairs has offered him an immunity deal in exchange for his testimony regarding one of Dormer's past cases. Eckhart says that he has no choice but to accept the deal.

Focusing on the Nightmute case, Dormer comes up with a plan to lure the murderer back to the scene of the crime; however, the attempt is blown, and the murder suspect flees into the fog. During the pursuit, Dormer sees a figure through the fog, and he fires. Dormer discovers that he has mistakenly shot Eckhart. Given the nature of Eckhart's impending testimony, Dormer knows that Internal Affairs will never believe that the shooting was accidental; panicked, he alters the crime scene before crying for help. Ellie Burr (Hilary Swank), a young police officer, is put in charge of the investigation of Eckhart's shooting.

Dormer is plagued by insomnia brought on by guilt over killing Eckhart, and further exacerbated by the perpetual daylight. Dormer then starts receiving anonymous phone calls from the suspect, who claims to have witnessed Dormer kill his partner. Dormer is aware that Kay was a fan of a crime writer named Walter Finch (Robin Williams). Dormer looks up Finch's address and breaks into his apartment to gather evidence, only to be discovered by Finch himself, who gets away. Finch contacts Dormer, and offers Dormer a deal, where Dormer is to frame Kay's abusive boyfriend Randy Stetz (Jonathan Jackson) for the murder in exchange for Finch's silence about the Eckhart shooting.

Meanwhile, Burr finds some inconsistencies in Dormer's testimony; she finds a 9mm shell casing at the scene, which conflicts with the bullet type believed to be found in the body. Meanwhile, Finch calls Dormer and tells him that Kay's death was "an accident" — he beat her to death in a fit of rage after she rejected his advances. The next day, Finch, under Dormer's instruction, gives false testimony at the station, which, along with a weapon planted by Finch, effectively places blame on Randy. Finch offers to give Burr letters indicating that Randy abused Kay, and asks her to come and collect evidence from his second, isolated home the next day.

Dormer returns to his hotel for one last night, where he confides in the hotel owner, Rachel Clement (Maura Tierney) about the Internal Affairs investigation: he fabricated evidence to help convict a pedophile he was certain was guilty of murdering a child, and who would have been set free if Eckhart had testified.

Upon returning to Finch's apartment, Dormer discovers that Finch has gone to meet Burr, and realizes that Finch intends to kill her. Finch knocks Burr unconscious. Dormer eventually reaches the cabin and struggles to fight Finch. Burr eventually saves Dormer from Finch, who flees; she then holds Dormer at gunpoint, revealing that she knows he shot Eckhart. Dormer admits that he shot his partner, but claims he is no longer certain if it was an accident. From his shed, Finch fires at them; while Burr distracts him with gunfire, Dormer sneaks around to Finch's location. A struggle ensues which ends with them shooting each other, killing Finch and mortally wounding Dormer.

Burr rushes to the detective's aid, and then comforts him by affirming that Eckhart's shooting was accidental, and tries to toss the shell casing evidence. Dormer stops Burr, telling her not to lose her way, before he dies. After a brief moment of contemplation, Burr decides to slip the shell casing back into its plastic evidence bag.