Lost Highway (1997) Parents Guide: Is the movie OK for kids?
Age Rating, Sex, Violence & Language
A tormented jazz musician finds himself lost in an enigmatic story involving murder, surveillance, gangsters, doppelgängers, and an impossible transformation inside a prison cell.
Rated NR • 1997 • 1h 40m
Lost Highway is David Lynch at his most hostile to the audience, and its R rating covers material that sits at the hard end of that certificate. Fred Madison, a Los Angeles saxophonist, becomes convinced his wife Renee is unfaithful, and the film's turning point is a videotape showing him amid her dismembered body - imagery the film returns to. There is extensive full-frontal nudity and several explicit sex scenes involving Patricia… Sign up for the full guide
Cast
Is Lost Highway appropriate for kids?
Lost Highway is David Lynch at his most hostile to the audience, and its R rating covers material that sits at the hard end of that certificate. Fred Madison, a Los Angeles saxophonist, becomes convinced his wife Renee is unfaithful, and the film's turning point is a videotape… Read more — free account
Content severity in Lost Highway
What happens in Lost Highway, moment by moment
- 0:07 🔥 Mature Themes 6/10
- 0:13 ♥ Sex & Nudity 7/10
- 0:19 🍷 Substances 5/10
Sex and nudity in Lost Highway
Explicit and unflinching. Patricia Arquette appears fully nude in multiple extended scenes as both Renee and Alice, and there are several graphic sex scenes including one in a desert lit by car headlights. The most disturbing is a flashback in which Mr Eddy holds Alice at gunpoint and forces her to strip in front of a room of men - staged as degradation rather than titillation. Pornographic film sets and projected pornography feature in the second half.
Violence and gore in Lost Highway
Brutal in short bursts. The videotape of Renee's dismembered body is the film's central image and recurs. Mr Eddy drags a tailgating driver from his car and beats him savagely while screaming about traffic law, and Andy is killed when his head is driven into the corner of a glass table, shown in graphic close-up. Fred's execution by electric chair and a shooting in the desert round it out.
Language in Lost Highway
Strong and frequent. F-words run through the whole film, and Mr Eddy's road-rage tirade is an extended barrage of screamed obscenity and threats. The pornographers' scenes carry constant crude sexual language.
Drugs, alcohol, and smoking in Lost Highway
Present throughout the second half. Cocaine is used openly in the criminal scenes around Mr Eddy and Andy, and there is heavy drinking at the parties and clubs where Fred plays.
Mature themes in Lost Highway
The film is a study of a man dissociating from having murdered his wife - jealousy curdling into violence, then into an elaborate fantasy identity as Pete Dayton to escape it. Sexual jealousy, coercion and the exploitation of women by powerful men run underneath everything. Nothing is resolved or explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lost Highway appropriate for kids?
Bontent's parent guide suggests Lost Highway is best for ages 17+. It's rated NR. Lost Highway is David Lynch at his most hostile to the audience, and its R rating covers material that sits at the hard end of that certificate. Fred Madison, a Los Angeles saxophonist, becomes convinced his wife Renee…
What age rating does Lost Highway have?
Lost Highway is officially rated NR. Bontent's independent parent guide recommends it for ages 17+.
What is Lost Highway about?
Lost Highway is David Lynch at his most hostile to the audience, and its R rating covers material that sits at the hard end of that certificate. Fred Madison, a Los Angeles saxophonist, becomes convinced his wife Renee is unfaithful, and the film's turning point is a videotape showing him amid her dismembered body …
Is there sex or nudity in Lost Highway?
Explicit and unflinching. Patricia Arquette appears fully nude in multiple extended scenes as both Renee and Alice, and there are several graphic sex scenes including one in a desert lit by car headlights. The most disturbing is a flashback in which Mr Eddy…
How violent is Lost Highway?
Brutal in short bursts. The videotape of Renee's dismembered body is the film's central image and recurs. Mr Eddy drags a tailgating driver from his car and beats him savagely while screaming about traffic law, and Andy is killed when his head is driven into…
Is the language in Lost Highway appropriate for kids?
Strong and frequent. F-words run through the whole film, and Mr Eddy's road-rage tirade is an extended barrage of screamed obscenity and threats. The pornographers' scenes carry constant crude sexual language.
Are drugs, alcohol, or smoking shown in Lost Highway?
Present throughout the second half. Cocaine is used openly in the criminal scenes around Mr Eddy and Andy, and there is heavy drinking at the parties and clubs where Fred plays.
What mature themes appear in Lost Highway?
The film is a study of a man dissociating from having murdered his wife - jealousy curdling into violence, then into an elaborate fantasy identity as Pete Dayton to escape it. Sexual jealousy, coercion and the exploitation of women by powerful men run…
How long is Lost Highway?
Lost Highway runs 100 minutes, directed by Unknown.
Where can I read the full Lost Highway parent guide?
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