Mulholland Drive is like a puzzle. But every time you put a couple pieces together, some other pieces fall apart.

Rating: Null/10 (15 May 2018)

By the time it's finished, Mulholland Drive feels like a puzzle. Except every time you put a couple pieces together, some other pieces fall apart.
I think if the film were intended to be a standalone film from when it was first being written, it wouldn't have been able to capture the same mood and tone as the finished product. The conclusion leaves plot threads unresolved, and gives the viewer more questions than answers. The answers the film does give all seem to contradict each other. I think this is what makes the film so memorable and thought provoking. The film has answers; but none that make any sense.
The dramatic change in tone and pace, which helps make the film so memorable, wouldn't have been achieved if the first half(ish) of the movie weren't intended to be the pilot to an entire series. A television series has much more time to develop characters and plot, and a (good) television series pilot episode is captivating, making you want to continue the show. This is what makes the film so interesting, as it plays out like the beginning of a series, spending time developing characters and introducing plot threads, while engaging the audience, making you want to keep watching; until the film takes a dramatic shift in tone and narrative, engrossing the audience in an incoherent, non-linear, thought provoking third act, which seemingly appears out of nowhere. If the film had instead become a series as intended, I think the conclusion would have been drastically different.
David Lynch knows how to manipulate the audience; somehow making a film that doesn't make sense more memorable and engaging than most other movies you'll ever see. He plays the audience like puppets the whole way through, twisting your perceptions of characters and the world of Mulholland Drive. By the time the credits are over, the film will linger in your mind.
David Lynch nailed a formula for a film that could easily have gone so wrong. The film works perfectly the way it is, somehow managing to not come across as pretentious whatsoever.
Naomi Watts gives a great debut performance, playing 2 very believable sides to 1 captivating character.
Dreams, nightmares especially, are disjointed, incoherent, and intense, while retaining a narrative that almost seems to make sense, but falls apart when you think about it. This movie is perfect in capturing all the qualities of a bad dream. The only difference is, you'll remember it long after it's over.
The film is like less of a movie and more of an experience, and once it's finished, you'll want to watch it again.