Hi folks,

Long time Nolan fan, first time on the forums. I thought I should watch Insomnia for the first time in preparation for seeing Inception. I thought I saw something but haven't seen anyone else mention it.

When Ellie finds the 9mm shell casing, isn't there a wad of Dormer's gum next to it? I might be over-thinking, over-analysing (I hope I'm not alone in that though), but all the way through I was expecting the gum habit to be plot-significant. It wasn't, that was a red herring, but there was a little hint to it here i reckon.

i think i have noticed that too
it is just a subtle hint from Nolan
maybe Elli did pick up on it

Misdirection is a major element in any thriller. So yeah you're right, it's definitely only a red herring. Don't over-analyze it.