The Big Picture — "The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 6 – Mulholland Drive"

Podcast Host: The Ringer
Episode Date: November 5, 2025
Hosts: Sean Fennessey (A), Amanda Dobbins (B)

Episode Overview

Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins dive deep into David Lynch’s "Mulholland Drive," analyzing why the film is not only a career pinnacle for Lynch but also one of the definitive movies of the 21st century. Their conversation traverses Lynch’s legacy, the film’s surrealist storytelling, Naomi Watts's breakout performance, and Mulholland Drive's place in both Hollywood and cinematic history.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. David Lynch’s Place in Cinema

• Only two Lynch films in the 21st century: Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire ([01:08]).
• Lynch’s unique blending of “Americana surrealism,” classic Hollywood, and outsider art ([03:32]).
• Mulholland Drive as a culmination of Lynchian motifs: “There’s something very unseemly under the surface of everything in human life and daily life in American life. And this movie’s really good at capturing all of those things.” — Sean ([03:41]).

2. Accessibility and Genre Anchors

• Amanda describes the film as Lynch’s “most accessible project” due to its grounding in Hollywood archetypes and noir ([02:11]).
• The familiarity of the Hollywood setting ensures the audience has a thread to follow even as the film becomes surreal.

3. Personal Reflections on the Hollywood Dream

• Discussion of how LA’s mythology permeates the film, particularly the trials and delusions of aspiring artists ([05:34], [06:19]).
• Sean: “This is one of the best movies ever made about the difficulties of trying to achieve those dreams…” ([05:34]).

4. Plot Breakdown & Narrative Structure

• Clear summary of the film’s uneasy, dreamlike narrative and its split identities for the two female leads ([07:19]–[08:26]).
• Amanda: “Pretty much everyone is thwarted... There’s not a single happy moment in the final 45 minutes of this film.” ([07:00], [07:19]).

5. Initial Reactions and Lynch’s Stylistic Evolution

• Both hosts recall their first experiences seeing the film — confusion, awe, and eventual appreciation ([08:44]–[10:42]).
• Amanda: “I was just kind of like, wow, serious people say that this is important.” ([10:34]).

6. Lynch’s Recurrent Motifs & Ambiguity

• Exploration of Lynch’s focus on women’s pain in a male-dominated world, sexual identity, and multiple interpretations of his films ([12:45]–[13:27]).
• Lynch seen as a conundrum: “One of the greatest movie makers of all time and he’s probably best known for making TV.” — Sean ([13:15]).

7. Why Mulholland Drive is a Consensus Classic

• The film sits atop critics and reader polls, seen as the apex of Lynch’s cinematic language ([14:05]–[15:40]).
• Amanda: “Maybe it's the most bizarre, but it is also the most recognizable...” ([15:40]).

8. Resisting Explanation: The Puzzle-Box Narrative

• Both hosts agree that excessive theorizing misses the point — Lynch’s work is meant to be felt, not solved ([17:20]–[18:44]).
• Amanda: “It does not add up to any logical puzzle-box conclusion… it’s about feelings and images.” ([17:43]).

9. Dreams & Emotional Resonance

• The film is discussed as an exploration of dreams, desires, and disappointments — both personal and artistic ([19:12]–[20:34]).
• Sean: “Maybe this is the film that best slots into that idea of dreams for him. Because it’s a movie about, ostensibly, a person who is dreaming.” ([19:12]).
• Both hosts share how the film’s mood even invaded their own dreams ([19:49]–[20:34]).

10. The Audition Scene & Naomi Watts’ Performance

• “Let’s talk about Naomi Watts in general…” ([25:15]).
• Sean and Amanda extol Watts’s dual role, with Amanda noting: “She’s playing literally two characters… probably just one person, but also, like, eight different people…” ([26:24]).
• The audition scene is praised as a “moment of hypnosis” — one of Lynch’s trademarks ([27:58]).
• Sean: “She has to be that good because everybody in the room is like, whoa, holy shit... And it rarely is and you never land it.” ([28:32], [28:37]).

11. The Legendary Diner Scene

• Sean: “This is the most scared I’ve ever been in a movie.” ([33:33]).
• The use of silence and sudden terror is analyzed for effectiveness beyond standard horror tropes.
• “I don't know why, but I was, like, disemboweled by this. I was like, near tears.” — Sean ([35:14]).

12. Club Silencio & Emotional Catharsis

• The motif of red-curtained musical performances in Lynch’s work is highlighted ([37:20]).
• Analysis of the club’s role as a liminal, almost cursed space: “It seems like bad juju in there… Whatever energy people are trying to correct has found its way there.” — Amanda ([38:25]).

13. Legacy, Critic Reception & Canonization

• The film's immediate critical embrace despite its origins as a failed TV pilot ([39:10]).
• Roger Ebert’s journey from Lynch skeptic to advocate: “This is a movie to surrender yourself to. If you require logic, see something else.” ([40:01]).
• Mulholland Drive’s rise in critical polls is documented, and its role as a gateway drug to surrealist cinema discussed ([42:09]–[43:25]).

14. Influence on Other Films and Genres

• Mulholland Drive seen as a touchstone for both Hollywood-as-subject films and anti-logic psychological nightmares ([44:46]–[46:03]).
• Amanda lists films like Adaptation, Babylon, La La Land, A Star Is Born, Donnie Darko, Synecdoche, New York, Beau is Afraid, Black Swan, and older works like Don’t Look Now as cousins.
• “If you dig these movies, you might dig this. The first one that came to mind was Showgirls.” — Sean ([46:26]), noting their shared themes of female ambition and soul-crushing desire.

15. Reflections on LA & Final Thoughts

• Los Angeles as both a symbol of promise and profound loneliness ([23:46]–[24:25]).
• Discussion on whether Betty’s optimism is even real or just a fantasy ([25:11]).
• The unique, unsolvable quality of Mulholland Drive remains its greatest strength: “It’s a movie that’s ultimately about a feeling or a series of feelings, at least, which is part of… in the Mood for Love in that way. In the Mood for Love is not a movie to be solved. It’s a movie to be felt.” — Sean ([41:15]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There’s not a single happy moment in the final 45 minutes of this film.” — Sean ([07:19])
• “What I like about this movie in particular is that even though you could spend all day being like… No, that’s not the point. It does not add up to any logical puzzle-box conclusion… it’s about feelings and images.” — Amanda ([17:43])
• “She has to be that good because everybody in the room is like, whoa, holy shit, that was so good.” — Sean on Naomi Watts ([28:32])
• “This is the most scared I’ve ever been in a movie.” — Sean about the Diner scene ([33:33])
• “If you require logic, see something else.” — Roger Ebert, quoted by Sean ([40:01])
• “This is like another series of recurring motifs where you’re seeing a lot of things that are very interesting and familiar to him.” — Sean on Lynch’s thematic returns ([12:45])
• “This movie is about what if I failed and what if I didn’t and what if I could have not failed?” — Sean ([36:28])
• “We love Betty. We love Betty’s spirit, but she’s a fantasy. You know, that’s not real. Very few people are like that here. Everybody here is like, I’m doing my best.” — Sean ([25:11])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Lynch’s Career Context & Film Introduction: [01:02]–[05:34]
• What Mulholland Drive is About (Plot&Themes): [07:19]–[08:26]
• Early Reactions & Lynch’s Style: [08:44]–[11:10]
• Motifs, Ambiguity, Critique: [12:45]–[15:40]
• "Puzzle-Box" Nature & Theories: [17:20]–[18:44]
• Dreams & Psychological Core: [19:12]–[20:34]
• Naomi Watts’s Performance & Audition Scene: [25:15]–[29:30]
• The Diner Scene (Fear & Memory): [33:33]–[36:05]
• Club Silencio Scene: [37:20]–[38:25]
• The Film’s Legacy & Critical Reception: [39:10]–[43:25]
• Mulholland Drive's Influence & Recommended Films: [44:44]–[48:09]

Summary Table: Contextual Reference Points

| Topic | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------|-------------| | Lynch’s Filmography Overview | 01:02–03:41 | | Hollywood & LA Mythology | 05:34–06:59 | | Plot Structure & Duality | 07:19–08:26 | | Audition Scene & Watts’s Breakout | 25:15–29:30 | | The Diner Scene (First Jump Scare) | 33:33–36:05 | | Club Silencio Breakdown | 37:20–38:25 | | Canonization, Polls, Legacy | 39:10–43:25 | | Related Films & Influence | 44:44–48:09 |

Tone & Language

Conversational, playful, and thoughtful, both hosts move between humor and genuine awe for Lynch’s work. They bring personal anecdotes and critical acumen, maintaining a tone that is simultaneously accessible to newcomers and insightful for cinephiles.

Conclusion

The episode establishes Mulholland Drive as an artistic landmark—challenging, mesmerizing, and enigmatic. The hosts’ deep analysis, memorable anecdotes, and discussion of Lynch’s impact make this a standout episode for anyone looking to understand why this film endures in the modern canon.