Mulholland Drive is a 2001 American neo-noir psychological thriller written and directed by David Lynch, starring Justin Theroux, Naomi Watts, and Laura Harring. The surrealist film was highly acclaimed by many critics and earned Lynch the Prix de la mise en scène (Best Director Award) at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Director. Mulholland Drive launched the careers of Watts and Harring and was the last feature film to star veteran Hollywood actress Ann Miller. The film is widely regarded as one of Lynch's finest works, alongside Eraserhead (1977) and Blue Velvet (1986), and has been chosen by many critics as representing a significant perspective of the 2000s.

Originally conceived as a television pilot, a large portion of the film was shot with Lynch's plan to keep it open-ended for a potential series. After viewing Lynch's version, however, television executives decided to reject it; Lynch then provided an ending to the project, making it a feature film. The half-pilot, half-feature result, along with Lynch's characteristic style, has left the general meaning of the movie's events open to interpretation. Lynch has declined to offer an explanation of his intentions for the narrative, leaving audiences, critics, and cast members to speculate on what transpires.

The film tells the story of an aspiring actress named Betty Elms, newly arrived in Los Angeles, California, who meets and befriends an amnesiac hiding in her aunt's apartment. The story includes several other seemingly unrelated vignettes that eventually connect in various ways, as well as some surreal scenes and images that relate to the cryptic narrative. A.O. Scott of The New York Times writes that while some might consider the plot an "offense against narrative order ... the film is an intoxicating liberation from sense, with moments of feeling all the more powerful for seeming to emerge from the murky night world of the unconscious."

A+

A masterpiece. Yes, it baffled me. But you know what, I like it when my brain gets confounded, I like being confused. And honestly I didn't sleep last night because I couldn't get this movie out of my head. Everything that happened in the movie was just so fascinating, the way the storyline was weaved together with Watts turn to a psycho, the last 30 minutes with the scenes all coming together, the director, the cube, the homeless lady, the accident. As well, not only is it a brilliant screenplay, but the film is also incredibly well made too, I've heard Lynch's name thrown around here a lot as a mastermind, and I see why. It has a strong pace, it's tense, hell it's even scary and thrilling at moments. The scene in particular where Watts and the Rita character find and enter the cabin had me so freaked, I swear, it was like my heart was about to stop. Masterful scene. Performances are all great, Watts could've got a nomination for this if not for a few overacted scenes, Harring is also strong, as is all of the cast. I'm going to have to think about this movie for a while longer, but I think this instantley enter my top 20 of all time, it's just that fantastic.

Great movie, but I can't watch it without feeling extreme sadness at the fact that ABC didn't pick it up to series. I much prefer the original pilot stuff to the later, re-shot, third act.

Do you think, if ABC had the balls to pick this up, it will suffer the same fate as Twin Peaks (big hit, ruined by network meddling)?