Inland Empire

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Inland Empire

R

Released Dec 6, 2006

2h 59m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

72%

Tomatometer

117 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

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.

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Critics Consensus

Typical David Lynch fare: fans of the director will find Inland Empire seductive and deep. All others will consider the heady surrealism impenetrable and pointless.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Quickly devolves into self-parody. Dern gives a virtuoso performance, albeit in an overwrought, numbing void.

Apr 11, 2022

Full Review

Ben Kenigsberg

Time Out

Rated: 5/5

Nov 17, 2011

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Jim Emerson

RogerEbert.com

Inland Empire opens and contracts in your imagination while you watch it -- and you're still watching it well after it's left the screen. It's a long but thoroughly absorbing three hours.

Rated: 4/4

May 25, 2007

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Noah Berlatsky

Everything is Horrible (Substack)

The movie's studied, deliberate refusal to develop interesting characters, provide a plot, or to say anything gets old after three hours.

Jan 23, 2025

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Joe Lipsett

Anatomy of a Scream Podcast Network

Lynch's last feature is confronting, ugly and surreal, but it's also deeply personal and feels like a full circle moment that brings him back to many of the techniques he used on his first film, Eraserhead.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 21, 2024

Full Review

Hector A. Gonzalez

Loud and Clear Reviews

A newly remastered version of David Lynch ’s most experimental and hallucinatory work, Inland Empire – a story about a “woman in trouble”.

Rated: 4.5/5

Mar 24, 2024

Full Review

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Camden F

I don't know what everyone's talking about, this is the most normal movie ever made

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/28/25

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Katy

Lynch literally lost the plot. An endurance challenge, for sure.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/04/25

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Brent

Incredible film!!! So glad I waited to see this in theater! I mean & so many people think this film doesn’t make a lot of sense! Damn! Were they wrong David Lynch & Luara Dern are incredible! How she Didn’t even get an Oscar Nomination for this back in 2006…. I mean makes absolutely NO sense!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/25

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Claude

One of the most abstract things I've ever seen. Some remarks from a person who worked on the film: when interviewed at the Venice Film Festival, Laura Dern who is the star of the film admitted that she did not know what Inland Empire was about or the role she was playing, but hoped that seeing the film's premiere at the festival would help her "learn more". Dern also recounted a conversation she had with one of the movie's new producers, Jeremy Alter. He asked if director David Lynch was joking when he requested a one-legged woman, a monkey and a lumberjack by 3:15. By 4 p.m. they were shooting with the requested individuals.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/19/22

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Vincent

Very confusing but entertaining. A surreal experience

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/08/22

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John G

Lynch is replaying scenarios, I don’t think it’s a very original film for him. Laura Dern is amazing, any other actress wouldn’t have held my focus like she does. Most of my 3 stars go to Laura

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/10/25

Full Review

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David Lynch

Director

Laura Dern

Nikki

Jeremy Irons

Kingsley

Harry Dean Stanton

Freddie

Justin Theroux

Devon

Terryn Westbrook

Chelsi

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Synopsis

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.

Director: David Lynch
Producer: Mary Sweeney, David Lynch
Screenwriter: David Lynch
Distributor: Absurda
Production Co: Asymmetrical Productions, Camerimage 2, Inland Empire Productions
Rating: R (Some Violence|Sexuality/Nudity|Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 6, 2006, Limited
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Apr 8, 2022
Release Date (DVD): Aug 14, 2007
Runtime: 2h 59m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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