Jennifer Chambers Lynch is indeed the daughter of David Lynch who not only produced this film, but whose music can also be heard in the opening and closing titles. It is not really fair to compare the debut of Lynch junior to her fathers work, but I suppose it might take a few films before that stops, just as with Sophia Coppola. In any case, stylistically Jennifer leans a bit towards her father. Sharp images, an eye for details and a dark soundtrack form the similarities, but for the rest Jennifer associates with the modern Hollywood films: violent and with a story with a changing plot. The first part of the film is really good. Two FBI agents (that is the second time in one weekend that I see Bill Pullman as a policeman) travel to a remote village to investigate a series of brutal murders. Instead of a serial killer manhunt, Lynch focusses on the process of unraveling the story through witness hearings which worked out very well. Then the plot turns 180 degrees, the story loses credibility and the film turns into bloody, but not too functional mayhem supposedly making a surprise blowout. That is too bad, since in the first part of the film Lynch proves herself a descent director able to set a good atmosphere with minimal resources. Too bad she wanted to give the story a surprising twist…
