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If you enjoyed Mullholland Dr. but found Inland Empire to be too bizarre, then Lost Highway will be perfect.

Who would have thought ten years after its release Lost Highway would be considered one of David Lynch’s more straight-forward films.  I remember when Lost Highway came out and people were blown away by the unconventional storytelling.  It split critics into two categories, loved it or hated it.  I enjoyed it and thought Lynch was bringing something new and exciting to film.  Ten years later, I still enjoy the movie and am surprised at how well it holds up.

The bizarre story involves Fred Madison (Bill Pullman) as a jazz sax player.  When video tapes start appearing on his doorstep that shows him and his wife sleeping, he’s worried and his wife, Renee (Patricia Arquette) is scared.  He starts suspecting that his wife is cheating on him and when she turns up dead, he’s arrested, tried and convicted of her murder.  While in prison, Fred disappears and a man named Pete (Balthazar Getty) is in his cell.  As Pete had nothing to do with Renee’s murder he is set free to go back to his life of hanging out with his hood rat friends and being a mechanic for a crazed underworld boss.  When Pete meets the crime bosses girlfriend, Alice Wakefield (Patricia Arquette), they begin a steamy affair.  Pete and Fred are linked somehow by a mysterious pale faced man that seems to know the future and can be in two places at once.

Having watched it again, I have to say Lost Highway makes much more sense these days compared to when it was originally released.  We’ve seen more bizarre stories and the unconventional storytelling isn’t as challenging for today’s audiences.  The language of film has matured to encompass Lynch’s unique abilities.  In my opinion, Lost Highway is the last film Lynch made before going off into la-la land.  With the addition of Angelo Badalamenti’s haunting score, Lynch is able to keep the audience off centered but still tell a cohesive story. 

Lost Highway is violent, sexy and very dark.  For those of you looking for something a bit different, this is the perfect DVD.  Lynch pushes the boundaries but doesn’t become so bizarre that nothing makes sense.  It’s a shame that Focus Features didn’t add any bonus features considering that the Region 2 release has plenty to enjoy.  Lost Highway is Lynch’s first step towards his current style.  If you enjoyed Mullholland Dr. but found Inland Empire to be too bizarre, then Lost Highway will be perfect.

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