The defence The Auteur Devotee
“Form is the argument.”
Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.
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Mulholland Drive
Thriller · Drama · Mystery · 2001
Blonde Betty Elms has only just arrived in Hollywood to become a movie star when she meets an enigmatic brunette with amnesia. Meanwhile, as the two set off to solve the second woman's identity, filmmaker Adam Kesher runs into ominous trouble while casting his latest project.
Movie details
Mulholland Drive
“An actress longing to be a star. A woman searching for herself. Both worlds will collide... on Mulholland Drive.”
2001 Thriller · Drama · Mystery 2h 27m
Critical arithmetic
The consensus, allegedly.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
IMDb
7.9 / 10
415.2K votes
Rotten Tomatoes
83 %
Tomatometer
Metacritic
87 / 100
Metascore
TMDB
7.8 / 10
Community rating
External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.
Blonde Betty Elms has only just arrived in Hollywood to become a movie star when she meets an enigmatic brunette with amnesia. Meanwhile, as the two set off to solve the second woman's identity, filmmaker Adam Kesher runs into ominous trouble while casting his latest project.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Mulholland Drive?
For the defence
The Auteur Devotee
“You watch the director, not the movie.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done
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Brad has committed murder and barricaded himself inside his house. With the help of his friends and neighbours, the cops piece together the strange tale of how this nice young man arrived at such a dark place.
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Tale of a 15-year-old Australian girl who went missing.
The Double
Thriller · 2014
An awkward office drone becomes increasingly unhinged after a charismatic and confident look-alike takes a job at his workplace and seduces the woman he desires.
The Experiment
Thriller · 2010
20 men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a psychological study that ultimately spirals out of control.
Nightcrawler
Crime · 2014
When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.
Where it lives
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Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.
Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
David Lynch
Written by
David Lynch
Naomi Watts
Betty Elms / Diane Selwyn
Laura Harring
Rita / Camilla Rhodes
Justin Theroux
Adam
Ann Miller
Coco
Mark Pellegrino
Joe
Robert Forster
Detective McKnight
Dan Hedaya
Vincenzo Castigliane
Court is in session
Put Mulholland Drive on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Technique in search of a pulse.”
Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.