"It's crude, and it's cruel."

Has the occasional stirring moment and spectacular, haunting image.

Brief glimmers of Monroe's talent and wit occasionally shine through. Occasionally.

Ana de Armas gives it her all. God bless her.

These are brief, all too infrequent moments that salvage any semblance of affection for Monroe. Otherwise? They are lost in a neverending barrage of overwritten sequences pontificating on Hollywood and stardom as a gilded cage, braindead metaphors, and, worst of all, utterly appalling and ghastly indulgences in the abuse and exploitation Monroe experienced (and some that Dominik and Oates imagine that she did.) Dominik *relishes* in these abuses with such noise and masturbatory stylization; it's hard not to feel like he's enjoying himself recreating her suffering.

What about this story is new? It's gross and, frankly, often monotonous. Often stupid, too. Many of the film's problems are less borne out of the film's most controversial moments but, instead, thuddingly obvious ideas and metaphors. Moments that bash the viewer over the head with sledgehammer subtlety, insulting their intelligence. That, combined with some of the truly horrid decisions this film makes in "confronting" us with Monroe's abuse? Over the line.

Anyone comparing this to Fire Walk With Me insults that film's profound empathy for Laura Palmer. Lynch carefully utilizes stylistic excess and graphic imagery; he doesn't cross the line. He doesn't luxuriate in it. Moments of abject horror and abuse are shown directly, but they do not take center stage. Lynch foregrounds a careful understanding of Palmer's inner life. The person behind her suffering.

Blonde doesn't show a fraction of that care. A desecration.