The Machinist

Trevor, an insomniac lathe operator, experiences unusual occurrences at work and home. A strange man follows him everywhere, but no one else seems to notice him.

Brad Anderson's psychological thriller earns solid if not unanimous praise, with critics agreeing that Christian Bale's extreme physical commitment anchors a film whose bleak, desaturated atmosphere is genuinely unsettling. Where opinion divides is on the screenplay — some found the mystery and its resolution intellectually satisfying, while others felt the story mechanics were too familiar to match the intensity Bale brings to the role.