Dan's Retro Reviews: The Machinist

And you thought you had problems.

The Machinist is a psychological thriller starring Christian Bale. Bale plays Trevor Reznik, a factory worker with an extreme case of insomnia (he hasn’t slept in over a whole YEAR!) and the story shows how he struggles with his sanity and grows increasingly delusional.

This movie feels like a cross between Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan; it mixes the creepy and surreal strangeness of the former with the depth and emotion of the latter. Simply looking at Christian Bale would make anyone feel sympathetic towards him. In preparation for this role, Bale shed a startling 60 pounds and became, literally, skin and bones. I guess this was one way to show how much the insomnia has affected Trevor’s health.

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Trevor’s mental state slowly decreases bit by bit throughout the movie, and he reaches a point where he’s seeing people that may or may not exist and he thinks everyone is secretly plotting against him. After a while it becomes uncomfortable to watch and you just want him to eat and get some sleep. However, when you find out why he can’t sleep, it’s a very powerful and emotional moment.

I was a little bit more empathetic towards Trevor than most movie characters because I too am currently dealing with sleeping problems. It’s a bitch to stay up all hours of the night not being able to sleep, and sometimes I have to worry about my own mental health; there are moments where I get extremely paranoid and think I’m seeing things.

God, I need help…


OVERALL: This is a great, compelling movie that tests your psyche as much as the main character’s. If you are into psychological thrillers or Christian Bale, this is a perfect film for you.


RATING: 4.5 out of 5