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Inland Empire

R Released Dec 6, 2006 2h 59m Mystery & Thriller List
72% Tomatometer 116 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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Inland Empire

Inland Empire

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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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Critics Reviews

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Richard Brody 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 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 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 May Leitz Nyx Fears Lynch's movie asks us to interpret it as if it were a dream, instead of looking at them through a literal lens. Oct 5, 2023 Full Review Michael Barrett PopMatters Now that we’re awash in time loops and other realities, filmgoers are primed for three hours of David Lynch’s reality and identity-questioning film, Inland Empire. Aug 7, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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 Full Review Vincent Very confusing but entertaining. A surreal experience Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/08/22 Full Review Mason M David Lynch's Inland Empire might be my favorite film of all time. It's a shocking film, coated in layers of lying and deceit, often directed at the audience. It would be an impossible task to fully decode the meaning of every scene, but the film's is that it makes you decide it. The way it's put together makes you come to your own understanding of what it means, I've looked at hundreds of theories about Inland Empire and no two are alike. The only way to fully enjoy it is to just give in to to the movie, don't try to understand it on first watch. A very difficult watch in almost every way, but it's worth it, due to one of the most satisfying endings ever. This is a film that stays with you, long after the 180th minute. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/07/24 Full Review Leo P This is the last movie the director genius David Lynch will ever make.So,from the dreamworld back to real world.The real world is the Barbie world.David Lynch could've made a blockbuster like Barbie too,but he preferred not to make any movies at all. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/16/24 Full Review Christopher R David Lynch's underrated Magnum Opus. Mind-bending, ego-shattering, and breathtaking in ambition - this is Lynch at his finest, my favourite from his filmography. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/24 Full Review The Great John A Yeah, uh, what the hell? Inland Empire is a nearly 20 year old film about an actress involved in a project remake after the first attempt had all the cast mysteriously killed. That's the best I can describe this, um... definitely unique but most of the film is psychedelic, nightmare sequences that, while interesting, are most certainly going to stay in your head for a long time. But as a film, it's a work of art filled with really good scenes and it's so engaging that 3 hours passed really fast for me. Very good acting too but I think this a film better left discovered because it does really hold it's artistic merit in modern day. But overall, David Lynch's final outing is definitely a one that won't be forgotten any time soon thanks to the barrage of senses created by a film of a very high standard. Grade: A Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/18/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Inland Empire

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Movie Info

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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