The past never sleeps.
The TV adaptation of Insomnia follows Emma (Vicky McClure, Line of Duty), a lawyer and Mother of two who is fastly approaching her 40th Birthday, something which absolutely terrifies her. When Emma was younger she and her Sister Phoebe (Leanne Best) struggled at the hands of their mentally ill Mother Patricia (Corinna Marlowe), culminating in her own 40th where she then tried to smother Phoebe with a pillow leading to the two sisters then being taken into care. Emma has not spoken to or seen her Mother since but in the days leading up to her Birthday she is forced to confront her childhood when Phoebe (who has remained in contact with their Mother) reveals that Patricia is seriously ill and has very little time left. Emma still refuses to see her but then begins experiencing her own issues, beginning with severe insomnia that only gets worse the closer she gets to 40. Terrified that she is turning into the very monster that haunted her childhood Emma sets out to get to the bottom of everything and find out what really happened all those years ago, even if it kills her.
Insomnia was probably one of my favourite books that I read last year and so I was so excited for this adaptation, especially after how much I loved Netflix’s Behind Her Eyes which was near perfect in its book to TV process. The storyline here was pretty solid, making minimal changes from book to screen and really capturing what made the original book so special. Vicky McClure was great as Emma and I really loved her lead performance as she began to question her sanity and really spiral into this dark uncertainty. I really loved being able to re-experience this story again, especially some of the twists I couldn’t quite remember from the book. Insomnia made for a near perfect book to screen adaptation and I had just as much fun watching as I did reading.
The series managed to really nail that sinister feeling from the original book and that very real fear from Emma as she loses sleep and begins to really question her sanity. I think insomnia is something that so many people experience in real life (myself included) and this combined with the childhood trauma and related issues in the present really created this constant tense atmosphere. The flashback scenes to Emma’s childhood and the extended shots of her just lying in darkness really showcased her ongoing struggles and I did really enjoy the tone of the show overall.
Overall the TV adaptation of Insomnia made for a decent watch with little to no changes from the original novel which is always a good sign. Vicky McClure was brilliant here and her performance really managed to convey that spiralling into madness and uncertainty as to what was really going on. From book to screen the storyline as a whole remained pretty intact and just as brilliant the second time around. Insomnia truly was one of my favourites reads from 2023 and this miniseries definitely did it justice, I had a lot of fun watching.
Ramblings of a Supposed Writer 