Have you ever heard of a film that flopped at the box office but is now considered genius years later? Yes, it happens — and it's called Mulholland Drive. This is the case where $15 million were spent, only to earn a measly $7 million at the box office, but now everyone calls it the best thing to happen to cinema in the 21st century.
BBC Culture even awarded the film the official title of the "film of the century." It was a colossal flop, but it has entered the realm of eternity. Why? Because it's David Lynch. Because this film is not for light viewing. It’s only appreciated by those ready to dive into the darkest corners of their own consciousness.
Underrated? Without a doubt.
If Mulholland Drive had been made by some upstart from YouTube, no one would have noticed it. But the name of the master of absurdity and dreams compels critics and viewers to revisit the film over and over, like a personal psychoanalyst who doesn’t explain anything but asks the right questions.
"I didn’t understand this movie at all!" — a classic comment.
People watch, don’t get it, get angry, but a year later they rewatch it. And suddenly — a click: "So that's what it was all about!" Or, on the other hand, a click, but in the opposite direction. Because Lynch doesn’t provide an answer. He gives a mirror. And each person sees something different in it.
The greatest because it's impossible.
In an era when blockbusters explain everything three times and include flashbacks so the viewer is certain about what's going on, Mulholland Drive is like a slap in the face to an audience that prefers comfort. Nothing is explained here, and no one holds the viewer's hand. Didn’t get it? Go ahead, replay it until it hits you.
And the ending? It’s not a resolution. It’s a punch in the solar plexus.
So why did it fail?
Because it wasn’t ready for the audience, and the audience wasn’t ready for it. In 2001, the mass audience wanted heroes and villains, not a reflective actress who killed her close friend. Lynch made a tragedy wrapped in neon and nightmares, while the crowd was waiting for The Matrix 2.
But cinema doesn’t have to be for everyone. Cinema should leave a mark. And in this regard, Mulholland Drive defeated them all.
