Surveillance

David Lynch's daughter Jennifer, who cut her directorial eyeteeth on Boxing Helena, helms this bizarre, fitfully engaging crime drama that—like many of her dad's films—brims with eccentric performances and deliberately muddled plot points. Julia Ormond and Bill Pullman star as FBI agents arriving at a rural police station to investigate a series of brutal murders that fit the modus operandi of thrill killers the pair have been trailing. Some of the mystery revolves around the bizarre and inappropriate behavior of two local officers, one of whom is killed by the perpetrators, while the other cop is one of a trio of witnesses the feds interview—all of whom naturally present conflicting accounts. The Lynch family's fascination with sex and violence (sometimes combined) continues in this film that quickly sideswipes any sense of logic as it swerves into a dreamlike skid from which it never really emerges. But despite this—or perhaps because of it—Surveillance has the potential to be a minor cult favorite. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by writer-director Jennifer Lynch and costars Mac Miller and Charlie Newmark, a “The Watched Are Watching” behind-the-scenes featurette (15 min.), deleted scenes and an alternate ending (12 min.), an “HDNet: A Look at Surveillance” featurette (5 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (E. Hulse)