‘Lost Highway’ 4K UHD + Blu-Ray [Criterion Collection] Review: David Lynch’s 1997 neo-noir freakout gets a definitive release.

Even by David Lynch’s surrealist standards, ‘Lost Highway’ was a confounding puzzle that was as mesmerizing as it was maddening. The Neo-noir was born from a screenplay Lynch wrote with author Barry Gifford (the two had previously collaborated on 1990’s ‘Wild At Heart’).

The story, loosely based on the O.J. Simpson trial, was an examination of the mental state of a murderer, a fever dream of a film that is perhaps the definitive example of a psychogenic fugue, a definition Lynch and Gifford felt was the most appropriate descriptor for a film perplexing to describe.

The movie, which featured Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, and Balthazar Getty in leading roles, was a box office flop upon release (although the soundtrack was a Billboard smash), reflecting how the mid-90’s was a challenging one for Lynch, still wincing from the negative reaction to 1991’s ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.’

But like that film, ‘Lost Highway’ has gathered cult appeal in ensuing decades, with Lynch obsessives trying to untie the knotted story of a doomed romance spiked with nightmarish imagery, and a baffling mid-film protagonist switch-out (that would become a predominant theme in later Lynch films like ‘Mulholland Drive’, ‘Inland Empire’, as well as the TV series ‘Twin Peaks: The Return‘).

The plot involves Fred Madison (Pullman), who is in a distrustful marriage with mysterious brunette Renee (Arquette). After they receive multiple VHS tapes showing them sleeping in their bedroom, Madison tries to discover who the mysterious cameraman is, while also questioning his wife’s fidelity.

Things take a turn for the worse after Fred encounters the unsettling ‘Mystery Man( played by real-life alleged murderer Robert Blake), and Madison is soon imprisoned for killing his wife.

Then, while in jail, the unthinkable occurs: Fred has vanished from his cell, replaced by clueless car mechanic Pete Dayton. After Dayton is released from prison, he encounters Alice (also Arquette, now blonde), and things get even loopier from there.

Criterion’s director approved 4K UHD + Blu-Ray release (out 10-11-22) is by far the best home-video edition ‘Lost Highway’ has ever received, and out just in time for those who prefer their October horror of the art-house variety. Let’s dive in and look at the details:

The Picture:

This Criterion release is pulled from a new 4K transfer supervised by Lynch itself, and the result is the most immaculate visual display possible. The saturated blacks and primary colors pop, both in 4K and Blu-ray, and while the 4K is the superior of the two, the Blu-ray edition is astonishingly close in quality.

In short, Peter Demming’s cinematography is still as gorgeously lurid as you remember, only better, making this a worthy upgrade from prior editions.

The Audio:

Lynch has always been renown for his sound design, and the audio for this Criterion release doesn’t disappoint, be it in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English LPCM 2.0English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and English LPCM 2.0.

Unlike so many modern film releases, the audio is perfectly balanced between dialogue and score, with tracks like David Bowie’s ‘I’m Insane’, Nine Inch Nails ‘The Perfect Drug’ and Lou Reed’s ‘This Magic Moment’ blaring with casting, and Robert Loggia’s gravelly, serrated bark perfectly delivered during his hilarious road-range scene.

Special Features:

While there aren’t any Criterion original featurettes included, there are some choice vintage shorts and book excerpts including:

• ‘Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch’: 1997 documentary by Toby Keeler featuring Lynch and collaborators including Angelo Badalamenti, Peter Deming, Barry Gifford, Mary Sweeney, and more, along with on-set footage from the film.
• Reading by Lynch and critic Kristine McKenna of excerpts from their excellent 2018 book, ‘Room to Dream.’
• Archival interviews with Lynch, Arquette, Pullman, and Loggia.
• PLUS: Booklet featuring excerpts from Chris Rodley’s book ‘Lynch on Lynch.’

David Lynch’s ‘Lost Highway’ is as deliciously strange as ever, and has never looked or sounded better than on the this release, making Criterion the ultimate destination for Lynch obsessives, joining the ranks of ‘Blue Velvet‘, ‘Eraserhead’, ‘Mulholland Drive’ and ‘Twin Peaks: ‘Fire: Walk With Me.’

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?,” the Mystery Man posits to Madison in the film. Although with this new release, it’s a memory that is preserved even better than you remembered.