The 1997 David Lynch thriller movie Lost Highway tells a sometimes perplexing story of a man who is accused of killing his wife and then somehow turns into a completely different person. The dreamlike, mysterious quality of the movie has a lot in common with the incredibly popular game Silent Hill. Fans have pointed out the similarities between the film and the game, especially Silent Hill 2.
Celebrated for his TV series Twin Peaks and other films such as Blue Velvet and Eraserhead, David Lynch is known for crafting sometimes confusing stories that are truly captivating. What is Lost Highway about? How does the movie end and what does it have in common with Silent Hill?
What Is Lost Highway About?
There's no denying that David Lynch movies can be tough to follow. That's definitely true of Lost Highway. The setting and the title are both gripping, and the movie lives up to its name. The title suggests that the main character is fumbling around trying to figure out life, and that's exactly what happens during the story. In Lost Highway, Fred Mason (Bill Pullman) starts watching VHS tapes that show his wife Renee Madison (Patricia Arquette) being murdered. When Fred is punished for the crime, he receives the death sentence.
Because this is a David Lynch movie, nothing is as it seems. Out of nowhere, Fred is gone from his prison cell and in his place is Pete Dayton (Balthazar Getty). The movie then centers around Pete and Alice Wakefield (Arquette). There are many strange moments, including Pete seeing a photo of Alice and Renee, which suggests that they knew each other. Like David Lynch's other works, Lost Highway doesn't give easy explanations. However, that makes watching his movies and TV shows even more interesting and fun and allows fans to pick apart the characters and plot points.
There are many unsettling David Lynch characters and that includes "The Mystery Man" in Lost Highway. No one is sure what exactly is going on here, but the main characters Fred and Pete are terrified of him.
Twin Peaks was ahead of its time and the brilliant and beloved TV series has much in common with Lost Highway. In both cases, David Lynch's characters find themselves in strange and confusing situations. They spend a lot of time wandering around thinking deep thoughts and wondering how they got here. And as with every David Lynch movie, there are no easy answers.
How Is Lost Highway Like Silent Hill?
Silent Hill is one of the greatest psychological horror games and is about Harry Mason looking for Cheryl, his daughter, in a small town called Silent Hill. This is no ordinary town and has creatures and a cult.
Lost Highway is like Silent Hill for a few reasons. There's the overall tone of a main character who is alone and searching for something. Many sources say that Silent Hill was influenced by David Lynch and it's easy to see the writer/director's dreamy work in the popular game.
In particular, Lost Highway and Silent Hill 2 have a lot in common because of the main characters. Lost Highway tells the story of Fred Madison looking through three different VHS tapes and seeing him killing his wife Renee in one of them. Silent Hill 2 follows James Sunderland, who killed his wife Mary Shepherd-Sunderland. In both stories, a character has murdered his wife.
How Does Lost Highway End?
The David Lynch horror movie Lost Highway ends with Alice and Pete going to a cabin and then Pete becoming Fred once again. "The Mystery Man," who is the villain of the film, explains to Fred that Alice doesn't exist and that Renee is the one who is alive. And just like many horror games were inspired by Silent Hill, it's possible to see similarities between Silent Hill 2 and Lost Highway, especially when it comes to the tone.
The Mystery Man murders Mr. Eddy (Robert Loggia) after Fred hurts him when he finds him sleeping with Renee. Fred goes back home and runs from police who are trying to capture him. The Lost Highway ending is pure David Lynch: Fred yells in the desert, sees some light, and then watches car headlights on the highway.
It's possible to see many deep themes in the Lost Highway ending. Since the main characters Fred and Pete keep turning into one another, the movie seems to have something profound to say about identity and self-love. Lost Highway also examines the complexity of love, marriage, and death. Silent Hill is one of the best anthology games. And the ending of David Lynch's Lost Highway proves that this is one of the most compelling and, yes, confusing movies that the writer/director ever made.