Inland Empire

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Inland Empire

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2h 59m

Mystery & Thriller

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72%

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117 Reviews

75%

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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

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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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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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Matthew A

This is possibly the most mind-bending, unsettling film I’ve ever seen. It’s hard to make heads or tails of it and I can see how many would become lost (much like myself). However, I can’t stop thinking about it since watching it. This is Lynch experimenting at even his most extreme limits, shot almost entirely on digital camcorder format it gives this eerie home video feel. That said although I appreciate the puzzle and the challenge put to us as the audience. This may be a step too far...

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/25

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david g

At a talk in Belfast, 2007, Lynch was asked if Inland Empire had been shot on film would it have been shorter. There were a few nervous laughs from the audience before Lynch replied "No, but it would have taken longer to make". A good answer however unlikely.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/20/25

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David S

Onanistic and self-indulgent POS of film. Lynch even admitted that he just wanted to experiment. It took years to film, and it shows. There is no plot, it meanders, there is no point. I hate that I watched it. And I do tend to like his work. I LOVE Mulholland Drive, for example. That was a very good film. This was not. Anyone that calls this a "masterpiece" or says things like "the greatest film of all time" or "my favorite film" is also onanistic and trying to convince themselves that they are a connoisseur and that they "get it". There is nothing to get. Lynch threw everything he had at the wall, but none of it stuck.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

12/20/24

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Eric B

This a insane work of art from David Lynch. Definitely a masterpiece. Highly recommended.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/02/24

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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