'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQI/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAv/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAzrOB/wD/xAAfEAACAgEEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEAAUREoETITH/2gAIAQEAAT8A0KQUrr2btWKzGkMo8UiqwJZCoPRbl1iKQijjv6+5/8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/aAAgBAgEBPwB//8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABH/2gAIAQMBAT8Ar//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
David Lynch was an American filmmaker and a path-breaking auteur who left a legacy behind him that experimented with the boundaries of creative fiction. Known for the surrealist, fragmented, and dreamlike qualities of his movies, which were often hard to decipher, the filmmaker received numerous accolades throughout his life.
The visionary filmmaker studied paintings and experimented with short movies before he launched his debut feature-length film, Eraserhead, which has many of his signature tropes. His love for paintings and surrealism marked his brand of visual storytelling and he achieved fame for directing the 1990s TV series Twin Peaks, which revolutionized TV soaps.
In memory of his passing, here are five David Lynch movies that are a testament to the auteur’s inimitable style.
Trending
Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinion.
Eraserhead, Inland Empire, and other movies by David Lynch
1) Blue Velvet - Apple TV+
Directed by David Lynch and starring Kyle Maclachlan, this neo-noir mystery thriller is sometimes considered to be Lynch’s magnum opus. The movie is about a college student who finds a severed human ear while returning home, dives into a larger conspiracy, and meets a mysterious lounge singer.
The movie blends suburban horror with psychological horror and is presented in a noir setting, which feels like a surrealist dream. The movie is a cult classic, which dared to explore the boundaries of artistic fiction.
2) Eraserhead - Amazon Prime Video
Starring Jack Nance, this independent, surrealist horror movie is the first feature-length movie directed by David Lynch. Shot in black and white, the film revolves around a man who gives his all to care for his deformed child, whose wailing cries fill a desolate industrial hellscape.
Lynch also created the score for the movie, and it has received praise over the years, even becoming a cult film, for its artistic manifesto and bold and daring vision. The film marks Lynch’s first experimentation with surrealist imagery.
3) Mulholland Drive - Amazon Prime Video
This David Lynch directorial features Naomi Watts and Laura Harring and is a surrealist neo-noir mystery film that requires multiple viewings, which is characteristic of a Lynchian movie. The movie revolves around an aspiring actress, Betty (Watts), who meets an amnesiac woman (Harring).
Apart from this storyline, the film moves into the territory of vignettes, which are hard to decipher but have Lynch’s vision in full force.
4) Inland Empire - Amazon Prime Video
Directed by David Lynch and starring Laura Dern, Jeremy Irons, and others, this psychological thriller is an experimental movie where the cinematography, editing, and score have all been done by Lynch. The film revolves around an actress who begins to take on the personality of a character she plays in a cursed movie production.
The movie is shot in digital video with Lynch using a handheld Sony camcorder. It is fragmented, has disquieting imagery, feels like lo-fi horror, and is intensely born out of the passion of Lynch who always defies artistic boundaries.
5) Wild At Heart - Amazon Prime Video
Starring Laura Dern, Nicolas Cage, and others, this black comedy romantic crime movie directed by David Lynch is based on a novel by Barry Gifford. It revolves around a young and violent couple, Sailor and Lula, who run away from the criminals that Lula’s mother has hired to kill Sailor after he rebuffs her advances.
The film is a departure from Lynch’s usual style, straightforward, and a follow-up to Blue Velvet. Even though the story is bursting with energy and does not have surrealism, it has the artistic vision that Lynch is known for.
Viewers are welcome to go through the list and choose a David Lynch movie of their liking.
