My experience of David Lynch’s work has so far been limited to Dune, the first short season of Twin Peaks, and Mulholland Drive. Admittedly, a list including the latter two isn’t that bad, but it fails to encompass any of the acclaimed films that made his name.

Wild at Heart doesn’t come much closer: a quick look at IMDb reveals that it only beats Dune and the Twin Peaks movie in user ratings. I think I can see why: it’s filled with mannered performances that can seem cheaper than those in daytime soaps (I presume this is deliberate, but some people just won’t get, or like, it); characters and plot threads that meander off and seem pointless, while others don’t come to anything; plus it lacks the opaqueness that many seem to hold as the key worthy feature of Lynch’s work.

In spite of its many faults I quite liked a lot of it, so my rating falls on the generous side. I still have no idea why there were so many Wizard of Oz references though.