Wild at Heart (1990)

The critic describes the film as a weird and wonderful twist on the road movie that delights and offends in equal measure. They praise its warped humour, the performances of Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern, and Lynch's imaginative direction as a cinematic tour de force.

The critic praises the film's portrayal of female trauma through Laura Dern's character Lula, who maintains agency and finds empowerment in her relationship rather than being defined by her past assault. The piece highlights the consensual and fulfilling depiction of her sexuality as a key positive element.

Director David Lynch goes over the top with an ultra-violent and sleazily sexy pulp art attack featuring Elvis-loving ex-convict Nicolas Cage and his trailer-trash girlfriend Laura Dern pursued through the Deep South. It is stuffed with deranged visuals, haunting weirdness and exuberant camp in a hip and hypnotic rollercoaster ride.

The critic describes the film as a startling conglomeration of genres including road movie, musical, Southern Gothic, sitcom and sci-fi, comparing it to a Lynch-remade Wizard of Oz. He praises Lynch's ability to unbind genre rules and create a hallucinatory jumble of tones that connects on deep levels through imagery and pop culture references.

The critic examines the film as a violent story of romance on the run that both idolizes and undermines the road movie genre, with references to The Wizard of Oz. It notes how the protagonists navigate a world of crime, violence and dreams of freedom in a contemporary twist on the classic form.

The critic describes the 1990 film as a story of redemption whose journey passes through weird torments, blood, guts and nastiness. They praise the special edition DVD's restored print and the film's bizarre world where malevolence stalks and the only safe place is love in a person’s heart.

The film is weakened by feeling too reminiscent of Lynch's earlier work, with forced weirdness at times. It remains exhilaratingly unsettling overall, thanks to its atmosphere, specific disturbing scenes, strong performances and fine camerawork; ultimately funny, scary and brilliantly cinematic.

The critic calls the film a joltingly violent, wickedly funny and rivetingly erotic rollercoaster ride to redemption through an American gothic heart of darkness. The review highlights the brutal opening and the story of the lovers on the run pursued by various antagonists.

The critic finds Wild at Heart a real, audacious and eccentric film with a brilliant, nightmarish vision of America and strong performances, especially in its first hour or more. It weakens in the final section with black humour that undercuts seriousness and lacks the emotional depth of Blue Velvet.

The film has strong moments focused on the central couple and their love in a violent world, with excellent performances from Dern and Cage, but feels weaker overall with too much weirdness for its own sake and obvious Wizard of Oz references. It ranks in the middle of Lynch’s work.

There is something repulsive and manipulative about the film, with scenes of offensive violence excused by juvenile humor and parody. Lynch wraps violence in excuses rather than declaring his darkest fantasies, resulting in a dishonest movie that the critic liked less on second viewing.

The critic calls Wild at Heart Lynch’s worst film, a self-conscious and obvious work that indulges in violent and sexual imagery without the repression or depth of his best movies. One scene with Willem Dafoe’s character stands out for its emotional and sexual complexity.

Right from the start everything is wrong with the movie, whose shocks have little resonance and whose weirdness is inexpressive, trivial and silly. It is a sorry spectacle of a brilliant filmmaker flailing around in one startling lapse of taste after another.

The critic describes the film as one of the greatest of the 1990s, highlighting its familiar lovers-on-the-lam story enhanced by Wizard of Oz references and wildly eccentric performances, including one that outdoes Nicolas Cage.

The critic calls it cinematically a masterpiece despite a meandering pace that can get tedious. They single out the carefully composed frames, saturated colors, Lynch's quotable script, and strong ensemble performances, especially Nicolas Cage channeling Elvis.

The review praises the film's conventional yet coherent narrative, excellent cast chemistry and performances (especially Cage and Dern), and Lynch's visual flair and Wizard of Oz references, while noting its brutal violence may repel some viewers.