Movie Review: Wild at Heart (1990)

Calling a David Lynch movie strange or offbeat is pretty redundant. But generally they’re more compelling than this one is. That’s not to say it’s bad. It features strong lead performances from Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern, as well as an outstanding supporting performance from Diane Ladd.

But most of the time, the movie seems like it’s trying to create icons out of its main characters rather than tell a story. I haven’t seen Natural Born Killers or True Romance, but I’m reminded of the response to those movies when I watch this.

But it is entertaining and interesting, though probably less so than all his other movies that I’ve seen, and it features some fantastic dialogue (I’m not sure how much of that should be credited to Lynch as screenwriter, or to Barry Gifford for his novel).

It’s memorable. It’s odd. It’s different. It’s beautiful, in its own way. And if you ever wondered what a David Lynch romantic comedy would look like, I think this is the closest thing you’ll get.

Rating: 6/10