David Lynch’s most experimental and confusing film, a three-hour descent into a labyrinth of time, identity and nightmarish hallucinations.

Laura Dern stars as actress Nikki Grace, who is cast in a mysterious film called On High in Blue Tomorrows. As filming progresses, the line between her character and her real identity begins to blur. She becomes entangled in a feverish nightmare filled with doppelgangers, surreal TV shows, and menacing figures.

The film is shot largely with a handheld digital camera, creating a gritty, oppressive atmosphere. Lynch blends Hollywood glamour with dark horror and abstract symbolism, typical of his style. The ever-splintering storylines make it impossible to distinguish reality from illusion.

Inland Empire is not a traditional narrative film, but a hypnotic nightmare that gets under the viewer’s skin. Lynch’s film asks us to interpret it as if it were a dream, rather than viewing it through a literal lens.