Wild at Heart

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Wild at Heart

R

Released Aug 17, 1990

2h 5m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

66%

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56 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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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

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Even the title is a letdown, somehow.

Rated: C-

Sep 17, 2008

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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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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

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Nick O

This demented David Lynch romance will make you scream, laugh and just plain feel WEIRD! Between lunatic Nic Cage and sexy Laura Dern’s bubblegum smacking, you won’t know how to feel, but you’ll like it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/08/25

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Nicholas B

Good film but some scenes are very graphic. Only watched this because of Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/25/25

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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