Inland Empire (2006)
January 16, 2025 2:05 PM - Subscribe
[TRAILER] Nikki (Laura Dern), an actress, takes on a role in a new film, and because her husband (Peter J. Lucas) is very jealous, her co-star Devon (Justin Theroux) gets a warning not to make any romantic overtures -- especially since the characters they play are having an affair. Both actors learn that the project is a remake of an unfinished film in which the stars were murdered.
Also starring Jeremy Irons, Harry Dean Stanton, Karolina Gruszka, Krzysztof Majchrzak, Julia Ormond, Grace Zabriskie, William H. Macy, Amanda Foreman, Diane Ladd, Mary Steenburgen, Nastassja Kinski, Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Jerry Stahl, Terry Crews.
Written, directed, photographed, and edited by David Lynch. Produced by Mary Sweeney, David Lynch for Absurda/StudioCanal/Fundacja Kultury/Camerimage Festival.
72% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Find streaming options for your country at JustWatch.
Also starring Jeremy Irons, Harry Dean Stanton, Karolina Gruszka, Krzysztof Majchrzak, Julia Ormond, Grace Zabriskie, William H. Macy, Amanda Foreman, Diane Ladd, Mary Steenburgen, Nastassja Kinski, Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Jerry Stahl, Terry Crews.
Written, directed, photographed, and edited by David Lynch. Produced by Mary Sweeney, David Lynch for Absurda/StudioCanal/Fundacja Kultury/Camerimage Festival.
72% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Find streaming options for your country at JustWatch.
If there is a problem with this movie (I think there is a problem with this movie), it's that Lynch assembled it into a grueling nine-hour death march. Any relationship between the scenes seems fairly random and accidental, and the overall effect is mind numbing. But! If this had been a series of 5-to-15-minute episodes on Netflix, I feel like everyone would have loved it. It's just that the format appropriate for this film didn't exist yet.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 6:50 PM on January 16 [1 favorite]
posted by kittens for breakfast at 6:50 PM on January 16 [1 favorite]
I was given a “check disc” of this film to run QA processes on nearly 20 years ago before replication of thousands of discs for Lynch to sell on his website at the time. I had heard about the shooting on DV process, and was dubious about whether IE was a “real” Lynch “film.” And then I heard the opening drone over the title sequence and the spoken-word description of the radio show in 5.1 surround sound, and all my fears were instantly allayed.
Lynch found sound design just as important as picture and montage, and was usually credited as sound designer in his films. Everyone knows about his second home in the Hollywood Hills with the wood workshop and the paint studio and the open fields where he would paint with meat mixed in and let the work rot before exhibition, but he also had a kickass mixing and re-recording stage on the property as well.
posted by infinitewindow at 9:39 PM on January 16 [1 favorite]
Lynch found sound design just as important as picture and montage, and was usually credited as sound designer in his films. Everyone knows about his second home in the Hollywood Hills with the wood workshop and the paint studio and the open fields where he would paint with meat mixed in and let the work rot before exhibition, but he also had a kickass mixing and re-recording stage on the property as well.
posted by infinitewindow at 9:39 PM on January 16 [1 favorite]
A very underrated entry in Lynch's filmography, though I would suggest it is not for Lynch beginners, but rather advanced level Lynch afficionados. Inland Empire is not afraid to go deep inland into the jungle of the psyche as Laura Dern turns herself inland out. It's far, far scarier than most of what passes for horror movies nowadays. Lynch pulls out all the stops on this one!
posted by fairmettle at 1:11 AM on January 17 [1 favorite]
posted by fairmettle at 1:11 AM on January 17 [1 favorite]
It's a daring exploration of the nature of fiction, with a never better Laura Dern diving deep into the layers of folktale within movie within movie. Lynch showed his ability to innovate and adapt with his use of digital cameras here, turning their grainy imperfections into a tool to show the slowly failing reality Dern lives in. And then more recently he went back and took remastering technology and turned it to his own ends for the Janus Films restoration. I'm not gonna let myself fall into the trap of ranking Lynch's movies but this one is certainly in the top tier of his work. (Along with every other movie he ever made, they're all tied for #1.)
posted by Bryant at 1:26 AM on January 17
posted by Bryant at 1:26 AM on January 17
This film feels like a sequel to Lost Highway in some ways and fuckin rocks.
posted by sibboleth at 10:06 AM on January 20
posted by sibboleth at 10:06 AM on January 20
Natural successor to Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive. Incredibly funny and horrific, fuckin rocks.
posted by sibboleth at 10:07 AM on January 20
posted by sibboleth at 10:07 AM on January 20
I got to see this at the Cinerama in Seattle when David Lynch was touring the movie himself. I can still see the stand selling his coffee in the lobby of the theater when I think about the experience. I was taking mental notes the whole way through; Mr. Lynch was scheduled to do Q&A after the film and I did not want to miss a beat if I got the chance to ask him a question. I found it to be a profound exploration of the layers of story and motif, with the understanding that the story was itself an active participant in its telling and retelling to aid Nikki/Sue through her passage. That is one of my versions of the film at least. Lynch made a film of almost pure art with this one and interpretations will vary, widely. I found that I had no questions. Still I was excited for the Q&A.
The Q&A began with a few notes, one of which was do not waste Mr. Lynch's time asking silly questions, like,"What is the film about?" Sure enough some dip did exactly that and in that voice which could carry through the room, "Just what it says on the poster, 'A Woman in Trouble'" The Q&A was cut short because they had decided to do a second run of the film, which I would have paid to see again immediately but I had to get to work instead. I would have called out, if it wouldn't have gotten me fired. I still resent that dip for wasting precious time and opportunity.
This is a masterwork that may never have broad appeal, but it will return repeated viewings and contemplation with a tremendous empathy and wonder.
posted by Ignorantsavage at 7:58 PM on January 20
The Q&A began with a few notes, one of which was do not waste Mr. Lynch's time asking silly questions, like,"What is the film about?" Sure enough some dip did exactly that and in that voice which could carry through the room, "Just what it says on the poster, 'A Woman in Trouble'" The Q&A was cut short because they had decided to do a second run of the film, which I would have paid to see again immediately but I had to get to work instead. I would have called out, if it wouldn't have gotten me fired. I still resent that dip for wasting precious time and opportunity.
This is a masterwork that may never have broad appeal, but it will return repeated viewings and contemplation with a tremendous empathy and wonder.
posted by Ignorantsavage at 7:58 PM on January 20
infinitewindow, that’s one heck of an “everyone knows”! I did not know and am glad to learn.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 6:05 AM on January 21 [2 favorites]
posted by Lawn Beaver at 6:05 AM on January 21 [2 favorites]
Everyone knows about his second home in the Hollywood Hills with the wood workshop and the paint studio and the open fields where he would paint with meat mixed in and let the work rot before exhibition
I'm really curious about your definition of "everyone"
posted by eustatic at 5:05 PM on January 22
I'm really curious about your definition of "everyone"
posted by eustatic at 5:05 PM on January 22
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments

posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:09 PM on January 16 [1 favorite]