There’s a clear divide between mainstream movies and arthouse cinema, right? One’s all about thrills, chills, and popcorn sales – the other’s about self-expression and experimentation.
Well, sort of. Hollywood has its share of journeyman directors who are in it for the money. However, some big names are also unafraid to be unusual.
David Lynch was the king of this exclusive club. He created mind-boggling movies throughout his career, and despite their strangeness, he was a household name. His passing in early 2025 prompted people to revisit his back catalogue. To better understand this enigmatic auteur, here’s a look at his life and career.
Nomadic Beginnings
Lynch’s father worked for the USDA as a research scientist. This meant that the family moved regularly, following rural projects. A childhood spent exploring new places had an impact on his imagination. He was at home in deep, mysterious woods, taking comfort in creepy situations.
While school wasn’t his strong suit, Lynch was fascinated by art from a young age. He attended art schools in Washington D.C., Boston, and Philadelphia, although he didn’t complete a degree course. He also set out to explore Europe with a friend. They planned to spend 3 years overseas. They returned to the US in two weeks.
Lynch’s life became more settled when he married for the first time in the late 60s. This was also when his interest in filmmaking started. He began creating short movies, aiming to make moving art. He funded his shorts first with cash from a wealthy acquaintance, then with a grant from the American Film Institute.
By 1970, Lynch relocated his family to LA to study at the AFI Conservatory. Over the next seven years, he made his feature debut, Eraserhead. It divided critics, but clicked with a few influential people in Hollywood, including Mel Brooks and Stanley Kubrick. This opened doors for Lynch, and the rest is history.
Essential David Lynch Movies
Lynch has a more manageable filmography than many of the directing greats. There are 10 features in total, and each has his distinctive style and philosophy.
It’s a body of work that’s uniquely, deliberately odd. Not everyone ‘gets’ it. And if you watch these movies and come away confused or frustrated, that’s fine. Any response to a work of art is legitimate. That said, it’s useful to go into a Lynch flick with a bit of background info. So let’s get the basics straight on the big hitters from his back catalogue.
Eraserhead (1977)
Lynch’s debut is a bizarre body horror about a man and a baby. It’s packed with surreal imagery and dominated by intricate sound design. The first viewing is always an ordeal. It’s worth exposing yourself to it several times. That will soften the most intense moments and help you appreciate the artistry.
Jack Nance stars as Henry Spencer. He’s a typical man trapped in an industrial dystopia. His girlfriend has a child, and he’s left to look after it. This child is more beast than baby, and Henry also has to deal with hallucinations, sexy neighbors, and singing radiator ladies.
Shot in black and white, it’s an assault on the senses. It’s also entirely unforgettable. There’s beauty in its extreme presentation. And as with other Lynch projects, the plot is not the main point.
This is arguably not the best starting point for newcomers to his works. If you don’t want to get thrown in at the deep end, Blue Velvet is a better bet. We’ll get to that later.
The Elephant Man (1980)
With Mel Brooks won over, Lynch got the opportunity to enter the mainstream with this historical drama. Eraserhead cost around $100,000 to produce. The Elephant Man had a $5 million budget. It was a huge leap, and one he made look effortless. Critical acclaim and box office success came with it, and the film remains one of the decade’s best.
John Hurt stars as John Merrick, a severely deformed man rejected by society. Based on a real 19th-century figure, it is about kindness in the face of overwhelming cruelty. The straightforward telling of the story benefits from being bookended by surreal moments. Also, Lynch incorporates the black and white color palette from Eraserhead. It’s used to great effect to amplify the actors’ performances. Anthony Hopkins is a particular highlight as Merrick’s doctor.
The eight Oscar nominations earned by The Elephant Man made Lynch a rising star. Some see it as sentimental and self-indulgent. But it’s a sensitive subject to tackle, and one that Lynch manages gracefully.
Dune (1984)
Dune is a hot property thanks to Denis Villeneuve’s recent adaptations starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya. Back in the mid-80s, David Lynch’s ill-fated attempt featured Kyle MacLachlan and Sean Young in the same roles. And it’s certainly a strange artefact of the era.
Visually, there’s plenty to chew on. Lynch got into filmmaking to produce moving art, and plenty of shots in Dune are living paintings. The effects are more of a mixed bag, and the acting is too over-the-top to take seriously.
As with other 80s sci-fi films, the influence of Star Wars is also obvious. It’s just a shame to squeeze so much plot into a single movie. The first cut was over 4 hours long, and the finished article loses 100 minutes of that. As a result, it feels both baggy and rushed.
A few die-hard Dune fans have called for a critical reappraisal. If you get a taste for Lynch through his other films and have a spare evening, it’s worth watching. If you prefer simple space operas, steer clear.
Blue Velvet (1986)
Lynch got back to what he does best with Blue Velvet. Dune flopping was a good thing for this reason. He got to build an audience his own way, rather than chasing the lowest common denominator.
Kyle MacLachlan plays a college student caught up in a neo-noir mystery involving a severed ear and a lounge singer. It’s a sensual, surreal affair. It’s also the first of Lynch’s films to be truly funny. For instance, Dennis Hopper’s gangster is a monster, but his intensity is occasionally hilarious. And there’s something charming and silly about MacLachlan’s performance, even if his character experiences harrowing things.
Wild at Heart (1990)
Winner of the Palm d’Or at Cannes, Wild at Heart is another film that still splits opinions. Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern star as lovers on the run from the law. Their journey is as violent, gory, and weird as you’d expect from Lynch.
There’s plenty of plot and big performances, but the movie is mostly concerned with symbols. Lynch makes modern America a hellscape. Love can grow in it, but it has to fight against the odds.
Lost Highway (1997)
David Lynch is like Wes Anderson. Both directors prioritise the presentation of their films, despite their styles being polar opposites. In this way, Lost Highway is Lynch unleashed.
Attempting to explain the plot in a way that makes sense is almost impossible. Bill Pullman and Patricia Arquette play husband and wife. They start receiving VHS tapes from an anonymous voyeur. Then, Pullman’s character is imprisoned for murder and replaced by a completely different person.
Characters pop in and out of existence, there’s sex and violence, and it all feels like a horrific dream. Lynch is a director who doesn’t need jump scares to leave audiences sweating. This could be due to fear or the mental effort required to piece together the story.
Mulholland Drive (2001)
This is the pinnacle of Lynch’s career, combining surrealism with mystery in a way that finally clicked with critics. Naomi Watts plays a wannabe actress who befriends an amnesiac in LA. There are mobsters, murderers, movie directors, and other oddball characters mixed into this story. And by the time the credits roll, lots of plot threads are still hanging loose.
The dreaminess, sex, violence, and social commentary of Lynch’s other films are all present in Mulholland Drive. It holds a funhouse mirror up to Hollywood, and the reflection isn’t always a pleasant one. It stands with Blue Velvet as the best introduction to what he’s all about.
A Life Less Ordinary
Lynch has legions of fans and his share of critics. His films, as well as the TV phenomenon that is Twin Peaks, represent an incredible legacy. Because his filmography asks endless questions and provides few answers, it will be a topic of discussion indefinitely.
Even if you don’t gel with what David Lynch does, there’s a lot to admire in his work. And if you’re on his wavelength, his movies will be your new obsession. Either way, you’re in for an uncanny ride.
