This isn't art; it's porn.

Rating: Null/10 (23 June 2002)

Like many people, I spent many days going over this film in my head in an attempt to piece the story together. I even sat through a second screening. My expectation was that my efforts and expense would be rewarded by a stunning revelation not unlike the ones at the end of genuine thrillers such as The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and The Others. When the story finally did make sense to me, all I could think was: "SO WHAT?!!! WHO GIVES A S__T?!!!"
I suppose the true worth of a movie is in its entertainment value, and Mulholland Drive has obviously entertained many. But so has the porn industry. If I am going to spend time thinking about a movie for a long time and even see it a second time, I'd much rather do it because the story was powerful, not confusing. The thrill exists only so long as there are questions. Once they are answered, the fear factor is gone and all that remains is a ridiculous feeling stemming from wasted time and energy.
It cannot even be argued that the value of the film was not so much in the story as in how it was told. Look, if the purpose was to get the audience to see life from the point of view of the protagonist, then complicating things only defeats this purpose. How can you identify with a character if you don't know what the hell is going on???
I can see why the Disney-owned ABC network rejected this beautiful-looking piece of pornography.