--- title: "Wild at Heart: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/wild-at-heart/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/wild-at-heart" critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 16 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Wild at Heart (1990): what the critics said Critics' score 66 from 16 reviews: 11 positive, 3 mixed, 2 negative. ## Empire — Kenny Matheson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic describes the film as a weird and wonderful twist on the road movie that delights and offends in equal measure. They praise its warped humour, the performances of Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern, and Lynch's imaginative direction as a cinematic tour de force. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/wild-heart-review/) ## Little White Lies — Lillian Crawford Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 17 August 2020. The critic praises the film's portrayal of female trauma through Laura Dern's character Lula, who maintains agency and finds empowerment in her relationship rather than being defined by her past assault. The piece highlights the consensual and fulfilling depiction of her sexuality as a key positive element. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/wild-at-heart-empowering-depiction-of-female-trauma) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 4/5. Director David Lynch goes over the top with an ultra-violent and sleazily sexy pulp art attack featuring Elvis-loving ex-convict Nicolas Cage and his trailer-trash girlfriend Laura Dern pursued through the Deep South. It is stuffed with deranged visuals, haunting weirdness and exuberant camp in a hip and hypnotic rollercoaster ride. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ddnwyn/wild-at-heart/) ## Los Angeles Times — Peter Rainer Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 1990. The critic describes the film as a startling conglomeration of genres including road movie, musical, Southern Gothic, sitcom and sci-fi, comparing it to a Lynch-remade Wizard of Oz. He praises Lynch's ability to unbind genre rules and create a hallucinatory jumble of tones that connects on deep levels through imagery and pop culture references. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-08-12-ca-794-story.html) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 August 1990. The critic examines the film as a violent story of romance on the run that both idolizes and undermines the road movie genre, with references to The Wizard of Oz. It notes how the protagonists navigate a world of crime, violence and dreams of freedom in a contemporary twist on the classic form. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/19/movies/film-view-today-s-yellow-brick-road-leads-straight-to-hell.html) ## The Times Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 December 2005. The critic describes the 1990 film as a story of redemption whose journey passes through weird torments, blood, guts and nastiness. They praise the special edition DVD's restored print and the film's bizarre world where malevolence stalks and the only safe place is love in a person’s heart. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/new-dvds-nlmn3j75tf0) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 August 2012. The film is weakened by feeling too reminiscent of Lynch's earlier work, with forced weirdness at times. It remains exhilaratingly unsettling overall, thanks to its atmosphere, specific disturbing scenes, strong performances and fine camerawork; ultimately funny, scary and brilliantly cinematic. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/wild-at-heart) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1989. The critic calls the film a joltingly violent, wickedly funny and rivetingly erotic rollercoaster ride to redemption through an American gothic heart of darkness. The review highlights the brutal opening and the story of the lovers on the run pursued by various antagonists. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1989/film/reviews/wild-at-heart-2-1200428148/) ## The Guardian — Derek Malcolm Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 23 August 1990. The critic finds Wild at Heart a real, audacious and eccentric film with a brilliant, nightmarish vision of America and strong performances, especially in its first hour or more. It weakens in the final section with black humour that undercuts seriousness and lacks the emotional depth of Blue Velvet. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,544593,00.html) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 23 January 2008. The film has strong moments focused on the central couple and their love in a violent world, with excellent performances from Dern and Cage, but feels weaker overall with too much weirdness for its own sake and obvious Wizard of Oz references. It ranks in the middle of Lynch’s work. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/side-trip-wild-at-heart-1990-1798203849) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 2/4. 17 August 1990. There is something repulsive and manipulative about the film, with scenes of offensive violence excused by juvenile humor and parody. Lynch wraps violence in excuses rather than declaring his darkest fantasies, resulting in a dishonest movie that the critic liked less on second viewing. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/wild-at-heart-1990) ## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2018. The critic calls Wild at Heart Lynch’s worst film, a self-conscious and obvious work that indulges in violent and sexual imagery without the repression or depth of his best movies. One scene with Willem Dafoe’s character stands out for its emotional and sexual complexity. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/wild-at-heart/) ## The New Yorker — Terrence Rafferty Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 1990. Right from the start everything is wrong with the movie, whose shocks have little resonance and whose weirdness is inexpressive, trivial and silly. It is a sorry spectacle of a brilliant filmmaker flailing around in one startling lapse of taste after another. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1990/08/27/end-of-the-road-3) ## The Skinny — Film Team Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 February 2016. Festival review. The critic describes the film as one of the greatest of the 1990s, highlighting its familiar lovers-on-the-lam story enhanced by Wizard of Oz references and wildly eccentric performances, including one that outdoes Nicolas Cage. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/cineskinny/opinion/five-to-see-at-gff-25-feb-wild-at-heart-more) ## Eye for Film — Nicky Falkof Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 December 2005. The critic calls it cinematically a masterpiece despite a meandering pace that can get tedious. They single out the carefully composed frames, saturated colors, Lynch's quotable script, and strong ensemble performances, especially Nicolas Cage channeling Elvis. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/wild-at-heart-film-review-by-nicky-falkof) ## HeyUGuys — Dave Roper Rating 4/5. 13 June 2012. The review praises the film's conventional yet coherent narrative, excellent cast chemistry and performances (especially Cage and Dern), and Lynch's visual flair and Wizard of Oz references, while noting its brutal violence may repel some viewers. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/wild-at-heart-bluray-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/wild-at-heart.md