David Lynch’s 22 Strangest ‘Otherworld’ Characters
21. Visitor #1/Visitor #2: Inland Empire
I cant seem to remember if its today, two days from now, or yesterday. I suppose if it was 9:45, Id think it was after midnight. There is little doubt that Inland Empire is among Lynchs most difficult works, and it is notable that (along with Twin Peaks) it contains the most instances of otherworld characters. Nikki/Sue (Laura Dern) is visited by two women during the course of the film (played by Grace Zabriskie and Mary Steenburgen), both of whom seem to know more than she does about the unfolding events. While there is little in their interchanges with Nikki/Sue that makes much conventional sense, both visitors seem to be offering an explanation of her role within the story. They both refer to an unpaid bill that she must pay, while Visitor #1 knows about a future murder long before she possibly could if she was not in some way magical. They also both make odd statements about time and place, as if they understand that there is little concept of either in Inland Empire. Are they controlling the story? While clearer instances of otherworld characters confusing/clarifying what is going on through unclear clues and wilfully bizarre phrases occur later in the list, the visitors provide an extreme and scary example.
