6 Best Insomnia and Sleep Deprivation Movies

By Vlad Zakh · June 23, 2026

Lack of sleep blurs reality, and these films let exhaustion do the scary work. The Machinist has a factory worker who hasn’t slept in a year sliding into paranoia, Insomnia has a sleepless detective making dangerous mistakes in Alaska’s endless daylight, and Requiem for a Dream spirals four addicts into sleepless obsession. Waking Life, Fight Club and the original 1997 Insomnia round out the six.

The Machinist (2004)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A factory worker's crippling insomnia and guilt spiral into a terrifying unravelling of his sanity.

Directed by Brad Anderson · 1h 42m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, MGM Plus · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Insomnia (2002)

TMDB ★ 6.8

A sleep-deprived detective investigating a murder in the Alaskan midnight sun makes an unforgivable mistake.

Directed by Christopher Nolan · 1h 58m · Rated R

Where to watch

Stream: Apple TV, Apple TV Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Waking Life (2001)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A young man drifts through a series of philosophical conversations, uncertain whether he is awake or entering a dream.

Directed by Richard Linklater · 1h 41m · Rated R

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 80% Metacritic 71

Four Coney Island residents' addictions spiral into devastating, interconnected ruin.

Directed by Darren Aronofsky · 1h 42m · Rated NR

Nominated for 1 Oscar37 wins & 69 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Peacock Premium, Sundance Now, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Peacock Premium Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Fight Club (1999)

IMDb ★ 8.8 RT 81% Metacritic 67

A satire so stylish that a lot of viewers missed it was a satire at all.

Directed by David Fincher · 2h 19m · Rated R

Nominated for 1 Oscar12 wins & 38 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Insomnia (1997)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A detective investigating a murder in the Norwegian Arctic is tormented by guilt, the midnight sun and sleeplessness.

Directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg · 1h 36m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Criterion Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Insomnia and Sleep Deprivation Movies

The Machinist (2004)

Insomnia (2002)

Waking Life (2001)

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Fight Club (1999)

Insomnia (1997)

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