Mulholland Drive (2001), directed by David Lynch and starring Naomi Watts and Laura Harring, follows an aspiring actress who helps an amnesiac woman try to recover her identity in Los Angeles — until the film's structure fractures completely in its final act, recontextualizing everything that came before.
Why It Matters
- Voted the greatest film of the 21st century in Sight and Sound's 2022 poll by an enormous margin
- Lynch's use of Hollywood's mythology, dream logic, and Freudian structure creates a film that operates simultaneously as noir, horror, romantic tragedy, and industry satire
- Naomi Watts's performance — especially in the audition scene — is one of the great acting demonstrations in American cinema
Originally conceived as a TV pilot that was rejected, Lynch transformed the material into a feature by adding a final act that undermines all certainty. It is the definitive film about the gap between Hollywood dreams and Hollywood reality.
Reference:
TaskLoco™ — The Sticky Note GOAT
