The five essential David Lynch movies everyone must see
Even if you haven’t experienced the joy (and confusion) of watching a David Lynch movie, you’ll probably know a few things about him. From his penchant for all things surreal and strange to his recognisable voice, Lynch has made a name for himself in the film industry as one of cinema’s most eccentric yet beloved figures.
After making various short films in art school, he spent several years working on his debut feature film, Eraserhead, which was released in 1977. It became popular at midnight movie screenings, cementing the filmmaker as a vital new face in the world of experimental cinema.
However, he followed Eraserhead with a much more commercially successful and appealing film, The Elephant Man, which remains one of his most moving pieces of work. It earned Academy Award attention, pulling Lynch firmly out of his arthouse obscurity. Since then, Lynch has made movies that have garnered lots of critical praise, although he has never compromised his tendency to explore the darker and most bizarre sides of life.
He became even more widely known for his hit television series Twin Peaks, written with Mark Frost, before earning further acclaim with movies like Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive. In 2006, he released his most Lynchian film of all, Inland Empire, proving that Lynch couldn’t care less if he isolated his audience.
But which of his movies are essential viewing? Discover our picks below…
The five essential David Lynch movies:
5. Eraserhead (1977)
It would be wrong to start anywhere else other than his debut feature, Eraserhead. It was years in the making, but Lynch’s hard work paid off. The film is a haunting and surreal black-and-white exploration of one man’s struggle with fatherhood. Played by frequent Lynch collaborator Jack Nance, lead character Henry Spencer faces anxiety as he is left in charge of a disfigured, alien-like baby that won’t stop crying. The movie is surreal from the get-go, with women emerging from radiators and strange sequences in which Henry’s head is replaced with the baby’s.
Exploring themes of industrialisation, urban isolation, and sexual anxiety, Lynch’s debut feature is essential viewing because it’s where his career began. Here, you get a sense of how Lynch’s incredible mind works. Does everything make sense? Not on a first watch, and maybe not on a second, either, but Eraserhead is meant to suck you into its otherworldly landscape and leave you questioning what you just watched.
4. The Elephant Man (1980)
If you’re a little intimidated by the surreal nature of Lynch’s work, The Elephant Man might be a better place to start. It is the easiest Lynch movie to follow, revolving around John Merrick, based on the real-life Joseph Merrick, who has severe bodily deformities. Kept as an attraction in a freak show, Merrick is rescued by a surgeon who soon realises that ‘The Elephant Man’ is actually a kind-hearted and intelligent man who has been treated like an animal his whole life.
The movie is a study of humanity and the true meaning of kindness. Lynch is at his most tender here, exploring the ways that Merrick is treated as a symbol – nothing more than an image of high society’s so-called accepting nature. Played excellently by John Hurt, the movie is an emotional piece of cinema that proves that Lynch can still make a terrific movie without playing with unconventional narratives and indecipherable sequences.
3. Blue Velvet (1986)
If you want to watch Dennis Hopper acting like a sadistic man-baby, Dean Stockwell giving a dramatic mimed performance of Roy Orbison’s ‘In Dreams’, and Kyle MacLachlan getting swept up in a psychosexual nightmare, Blue Velvet is for you. The movie peels back the curtain to reveal the darkness lurking beneath the American Dream. White picket fences and red roses frame the opening shot, only for Lynch to pan to a severed ear in the soil.
The criminal world explored in Blue Velvet is as strange as it is terrifying, with the filmmaker demonstrating just how corrupt people can be. Alongside a gorgeous score from Lynch’s trusted composer Angelo Badalamenti, there are fantastic performances all around here, making Blue Velvet one of Lynch’s most unforgettable and intoxicating movies.
2. Wild At Heart (1990)
Is this the most controversial choice on this list? Quite possibly. When Wild At Heart was released, it received mixed reviews, but we can attest that it is truly great. Out of all of the couple-on-the-run road movies that emerged during this time, it stands out as unique and complex. It is camp and humorous in many ways, from Diane Ladd’s character smearing pink lipstick all over her face to Nicolas Cage giving his best Elvis Presley impression after beating up a man at a speed metal gig.
Yet, it also explores some heavy themes, such as sexual abuse and death. This is a story of intense and dedicated love, with Cage’s Sailor and Laura Dern’s Lula attempting to escape the hitmen the latter’s mother has hired to kill Sailor. The movie might not be Lynch’s greatest work, but it really demonstrates his sense of humour. You’d be lying if you said that Wild At Heart isn’t a wildly fun watch.
1. Mulholland Drive (2001)
Taking inspiration from neo-noir movies, Lynch created the gorgeously compelling Mulholland Drive in 2001, a film that still has viewers Googling ‘ending explained’. Set in Hollywood, the film sees Naomi Watts’ Betty meet Laura Harring’s Rita after she finds the latter suffering from amnesia. The pair try to figure out Rita’s true identity, leading to a terrifying and indecipherable series of events that sees the actors excellently playing dual roles.
The movie features many unforgettable moments, like the jumpscare in which a man sees a homeless person emerge from behind a wall and faints in shock. Lynch explores the corruption that runs through the film industry, setting Betty and Rita up as archetypal Hollywood female characters – the blonde ingénue and the dark-haired femme fatale – before subverting these roles. It’s an incredibly clever film that shows the true breadths of Lynch’s filmmaking capabilities.
