Although ambiguous and open to interpretation, Lynch's film demonstrates both the fantasy of Hollywood success and the ghastly reality of failure. He presents the story of an eager actress who befriends a beautiful female amnesiac and ascends the Hollywood ladder based on sheer talent. However, through a convoluted narrative structure, Lynch establishes this storyline as a fantasy or dream that masks the horror of the actress's actual existence. Both erotic and horrifying, the film utilizes exaggerated performance, dream sequences, portals, and shared names to distinguish between reality and fantasy – a fantasy that, in many ways, reflects the film experience.