Inland Empire (2006)

Inland Empire follows Hollywood actress Nikki Grace as she takes the lead in a new film and gradually loses the boundary between her life and the part she’s playing. The project she’s hired for—a remake of a doomed Polish picture called 47—carries a dark history: the original production was abandoned after the two lead actors were murdered. As Nikki falls for her co-star Devon and begins to live out scenes that mirror the screenplay, her grip on identity unravels. She becomes increasingly Susan Blue, a woman whose life unspools out of sequence, and the production’s strange past—Piotrek’s hidden motives, a shadowy “Phantom,” and the mystery of a “Lost Girl”—bleeds into the present. What you’ll experience: a deliberately disorienting, dreamlike film that blends reality, fiction, and replayed fragments until they’re indistinguishable. Expect long, hypnotic sequences, abrupt tonal and narrative shifts, recurring motifs and images, and an oppressive, nightmarish atmosphere rather than tidy explanations. The movie rewards immersion and patience: it’s more about mood, sensation, and psychological unraveling than linear plot or clear answers. Scenes can be erotic, eerie, and occasionally violent; the tone is claustrophobic and surreal, often unsettling. Who it’s for: viewers who enjoy experimental, ambiguous cinema—films that prioritize atmosphere, symbolism, and emotional resonance over straightforward storytelling—will find Inland Empire engrossing. Casual viewers seeking a conventional thriller or a neatly resolved mystery may find it confusing or frustrating.

Actors: Karolina Gruszka, Krzysztof Majchrzak, Grace Zabriskie

Director: David Lynch

Runtime: 180 min

Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Mystery

6.4 /10 73 /100 6.8 /10 6.8 /10