Inland Empire

Play trailer

Inland Empire

R

Now Playing

2h 59m

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

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.

Now in Theaters

Now Playing

Buy Tickets

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.

Read Critics Reviews

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

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

Full Review

Geoff Pevere

Toronto Star

An amazing and unshakeable experience.

Rated: 4/4

May 4, 2007

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Read all reviews

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

Full Review

Katy

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

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/04/25

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Vincent

Very confusing but entertaining. A surreal experience

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/08/22

Full Review

Crosley M.

In perhaps Lynch’s most challenging film, the director pushes further with themes explored in Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive and later echoed in the final Twin Peaks. Dissociative Disorder, split personalities, obsession, and a girl in trouble. This film isn’t meant to be watched in any conventional sense but rather experienced like a work of art. Also a master class in acting by Laura Dern.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/08/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

David Lynch

Director

Laura Dern

Nikki

Jeremy Irons

Kingsley

Harry Dean Stanton

Freddie

Justin Theroux

Devon

Terryn Westbrook

Chelsi

Mulholland Dr.

84%

87%

Mulholland Dr.

Watchlist

Basic Instinct 2

6%

27%

Basic Instinct 2

Watchlist

Hide and Seek

12%

50%

Hide and Seek

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Hide and Seek

Poison Ivy II: Lily

14%

36%

Poison Ivy II: Lily

Watchlist

The Contract

0%

26%

The Contract

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Five Favorite Films with Moby

2006 NYFCO Awards Announced!

Critical Consensus: "Apocalypto" Is Bloody Good; "Blood Diamond" Needs Polish; "Unaccompanied" Is Minor; "Holiday" Is So-So

View more photos

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

Most Popular at Home Now