Wild at Heart

R

Released Aug 17, 1990

2h 5m

Comedy

Drama

List

65%

Tomatometer

55 Reviews

81%

Audience Score

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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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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Even the title is a letdown, somehow.

Rated: C-

Sep 17, 2008

Full Review

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

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

A film that seems like a grand practical joke. [Full review in Spanish]

Dec 6, 2022

Full Review

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Graham M

He: Just terrific, like a Rockin' and 'a 'Rollin'. She: Yeah, like 'a Rockin' and 'a Rollin'.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/30/24

Full Review

Madie R

David Lynch takes you on a crazy erotic and rip-roaring ride! Great performances from Nic Cage, Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe, and Diane Ladd.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/19/23

Full Review

Leaburn O

Denn and Cage own the picture, with great supporting work from Dafoe. The mother is a bit of a sideshow and there are some strange elements but overall it's a fun tale that only Cage could really pull off.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/19/23

Full Review

AB L

Arguably Lynch's most transgressive work but it's also one of his most uneven. The crazed performances and unforgettable imagery keep the movie together despite the weak ending.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/31/23

Full Review

David F

I normally like road trip movies but this one was pretty out there. The romance between Laura Dern's character and Nicholas Cage's felt authentically passionate and intense but there was a lot of weirdness all throughout the film.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

07/22/23

Full Review

Dan W

Fucking best movie ever. No idea what people are thinking. This thing is rock.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/18/23

Full Review

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David Lynch

Director

Nicolas Cage

Sailor

Laura Dern

Lula

Diane Ladd

Marietta Fortune

Willem Dafoe

Bobby Peru

Isabella Rossellini

Perdita

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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