Wild at Heart

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Wild at Heart

R

1990

2h 5m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

65%

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57 Reviews

81%

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25,000+ Ratings

After serving prison time for a self-defense killing, Sailor Ripley (Nicolas Cage) reunites with girlfriend Lula Fortune (Laura Dern). Lula's mother, Marietta (Diane Ladd), desperate to keep them apart, hires a hit man to kill Sailor. But he finds a whole new set of troubles when he and Bobby Peru (Willem Dafoe), an old buddy who's also out to get Sailor, try to rob a store. When Sailor lands in jail yet again, the young lovers appear further than ever from the shared life they covet.

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Critics Consensus

One of director David Lynch's more uneven efforts, Wild at Heart is held together by his distinctive sensibilities and compelling work from Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern.

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Steve Murray

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Wild, yes. But not much heart.

Sep 23, 2025

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Sight & Sound

Perhaps the major problem is that despite Cage and Dern's best efforts, Lynch is ultimately interested only in iconography, not characters at all.

Jan 11, 2020

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Scott Tobias

The Dissolve

There's a spontaneous, anything-can-happen feeling to it that's the primary appeal of any road movie.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 27, 2015

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Noah Berlatsky

Everything is Horrible (Substack)

Unless your heart is a big old lump of rock, you’ve got to swoon at least a little when Sailor serenades Lula with “Love Me Tender” at the close.

Jan 23, 2025

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Joe Lipsett

Anatomy of a Scream Podcast Network

Something of an desert noir/soap opera fever dream with completely over the top performances (MVP Diane Ladd). Cage and Dern are both incredibly hot, even if the film itself feels slightly disjointed and never truly comes together cohesively.

Rated: 3.5/5

Apr 4, 2024

Full Review

Terry Francis

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

Wild at Heart's materials are so thin that the Lynchisms appear to be the film's principal reason for being. As the film runs on, the flaws accrue.

Rated: 2/4

May 9, 2023

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Andrew

The muscle car of movies. Tour de force of cinema.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/16/25

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Tracy U

This whole world's wild at heart and weird on top.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/22/25

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Audience Member

It's a David Lynch film. Not my favorite but it has all of his hallmarks- totally insane psycho scenes of nonsense- 50's Americana iconography, a vibe of counter culture and a sinister underbelly. I love Cage, so that's also a plus but it's WAY out there. Going to keep it for the same reason I'd keep most of his stuff, it's just not like anything else. It's like Tim Burton, even if you don't like a particular movie of his, they all have his style and there isn t anything else like it. I'll keep this one but if not for Cage, I maybe wouldn't have. Oh, and Dern's ass is about as eatable as an ass can be!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/19/25

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Art A

Wild at Heart was just released on Amazon Video. It's another great film by David Lynch. Critics don't seem to understand the Violence in Lynch films. Lynch is commenting on the twisted truth about the United Stateside. That horrific violence is part of life in America. But the images are always hidden from the public. Lynch shows us the reality of Violence. The raw meat of a head blown off with a shotgun is at once gruesome and hilarious. The dog running off with a human hand. It's dark humor that Lynch fans understand.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/10/25

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Gregory P

HOW DARE CRITICS GIVE THIS SUCH A LOW RATING, WHILE UP-RATING MULHOLLAND DRIVE & LOST HIGHWAY. "Uneven"???? It's one of the few with an actual story with a proper ending. I think people are so busy grading Lynch's films based on how freaky he gets, not actual filmmaking. As quotable as they come & filled with so many characters, you have never-ending options for Halloween costumes: This film was EXCELLENT in every way. One of the few films I will ever give a 5-Star rating to.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/25/25

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John F

Far from Lynch's best (e.g., the satirical comedy and gratuitous violence might turn off some) but still worth a watch especially for fans of his work. Laura Dern just might be at her very best here while Defoe's turn as possibly the worst person in the history of the world is not to miss.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/04/25

Full Review

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David Lynch

Director

Nicolas Cage

Sailor

Laura Dern

Lula

Diane Ladd

Marietta Fortune

Willem Dafoe

Bobby Peru

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Synopsis

After serving prison time for a self-defense killing, Sailor Ripley (Nicolas Cage) reunites with girlfriend Lula Fortune (Laura Dern). Lula's mother, Marietta (Diane Ladd), desperate to keep them apart, hires a hit man to kill Sailor. But he finds a whole new set of troubles when he and Bobby Peru (Willem Dafoe), an old buddy who's also out to get Sailor, try to rob a store. When Sailor lands in jail yet again, the young lovers appear further than ever from the shared life they covet.

Director: David Lynch
Producer: Monty Montgomery, Sigurjon Sighvatsson, Steve Golin
Screenwriter: David Lynch
Distributor: Media Home Entertainment, Samuel Goldwyn Company
Production Co: Propaganda Films, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 17, 1990, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.5M
Runtime: 2h 5m
Sound Mix: Surround

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