El maquinista (2004)
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A machinist struggling with severe insomnia and paranoia must confront the reality of his fractured psyche.
The story
Trevor Reznik is a machinist whose chronic insomnia has left him emaciated and isolated. His life spirals into paranoia following a workplace accident involving a mysterious coworker named Ivan, who seems to have no official record of existence. As Trevor becomes increasingly alienated from his coworkers and haunted by recurring, unsettling imagery and a series of cryptic notes, he attempts to find connection with a waitress named Maria. However, the line between reality and his deteriorating mental state begins to blur, leading him deeper into a web of suspicion regarding the events of the past year.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Trevor Reznik, a machinist suffering from a year of insomnia, becomes increasingly paranoid after a workplace accident involving a mysterious man named Ivan. Trevor becomes obsessed with Ivan's existence, finding clues in a photograph and a series of hangman notes. After being fired and losing his electricity, Trevor's mental state deteriorates as he tries to connect with Maria, a waitress. He eventually confronts Ivan in his apartment, believing the man has killed Maria's son, Nicholas. After a violent confrontation where Trevor 'kills' Ivan, he discovers the truth: Ivan is a hallucination, and the photograph actually depicted Trevor and a coworker. He realizes that a year prior, he caused a hit-and-run and killed a boy, and his insomnia was a result of the guilt. He finally confesses his crime to the police and is able to sleep for the first time in a year.
- First release year
- 2004
- Runtime (minutes)
- 102
- Production countries
- Spain; United Kingdom; United States; France
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Brad Anderson
- Writers
- Scott Kosar · writer
- Cast and characters
- Christian Bale · Trevor Reznik; Jennifer Jason Leigh; Aitana Sánchez-Gijón; John Sharian; Michael Ironside
- Genres
- psychological thriller; drama
- Themes
- guilt; insomnia; mental illness; memory
- Tone and mood
- dark; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- unreliable narrator; psychological thriller
- Reception
- The film was well received by critics, particularly for Christian Bale's performance, and has gained a cult status in later years.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 77% · review count: 142; Metacritic · score: 61 · scale: 10 · review count: 32
- Production trivia
- The name Trevor Reznik is a tribute to Trent Reznor.; The script was influenced by the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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