Industrial context:

Lynch struggled to get funding for his projects in Hollywood due to his bizarre auteur and style. Mullholland drive was originally meant to be a pilot for a TV show, however was scrapped in a matter of weeks, which meant Lynch could pick up the project. The director character and his struggles is a parallel to Lynch’s journey in the industry.

Social/cultural context:

This film was part of the post-modern film movement in 1990-2000s, and contains intertextual references, one being sunset Boulevard (1950) which became inspiration for the plot. Though predating movements against misogyny in Hollywood, Mullholland Drive still criticises this in it’s hyper-realistic depiction of Hollywood and parts of the industry.