Best David Lynch Movies, Ranked

Summary

• David Lynch’s unique vision produced timeless classics with hidden meanings that fans still analyze today.
• Lynch’s films confront the dark side of America with surrealism, humor, and engaging storytelling.
• From box office failures to cult classics, Lynch’s filmography continues to intrigue and terrify audiences.

With David Lynch’s passing, cinema has lost one of its most unique artists and beloved figures. His movies were renowned for their surrealist imagery, humor, and disturbing atmosphere. While sometimes obscure in meaning, his movies never failed to engage. They confronted the fantasy of Americana and uncovered a sinister side of the American dream.

Few Hollywood directors have enjoyed as much freedom as David Lynch. His creative vision has produced numerous classics that will confuse, terrify, and intrigue audiences for years to come. His movies are some of the most studied and analyzed in cinema history, as fans attempt to decipher the many hidden meanings behind his work. While some may dismiss his films as simply weird, no other filmmaker did it quite like David Lynch.

10

Dune

A Rare Misstep from the Director

• Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen
• Release Date: 1984
• Runtime: 2h 17m

Based on the classic sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert, Dune is an epic story of warring planetary dynasties fighting for control of Arrakis, a planet rich in Spice, the miracle drug that enhances mental abilities. The story follows Paul Atreides on his journey to avenge his family and become a prophesied leader.

While the novel is considered one of the greatest works of science fiction, its movie history has been rocky at best. Several unsuccessful attempts to bring Dune to the screen would end with Lynch signing on to the movie. However, the production would be plagued with problems, including health issues among the cast. While, over the years, Lynch’s Dune has garnered a cult following, the film was a financial and critical failure. After the release, the director would distance himself from the film and move towards a more personal style of storytelling, bringing his unique dreamlike visions to the screen.

9

Inland Empire

Lynch’s Final Film

• Starring: Laura Dern
• Release Date: 2006
• Runtime: 3h

Shot entirely with a handheld camcorder in low resolution and without a finished script, Inland Empire is maybe David Lynch’s most experimental movie. The film follows the story of an actress whose mind slowly unravels as she takes on the persona of her movie character. The film is a surrealist nightmare that is as engaging as it is intangible. Laura Dern puts in a career-best performance in the central role.

Inland Empire is maybe Lynch’s most challenging film and would split opinion on release. While fans of the director would hail its brilliance, its experimental nature would stall it from becoming anything other than an obscure gem in Lynch’s impressive filmography.

8

Wild at Heart

An Outrageous Lynchian Love Story

• Starring: Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern
• Release Date: 1990
• Runtime: 2h 5m

While on release, Wild at Heart received mixed reviews from critics. However, in the years since, it has grown to be considered one of the best movies of the 90s. David Lynch’s strange love story revolves around the characters Sailor Ripley and Lula Fortune, played by Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern.

The film follows the characters on the run after Lula’s mother sends numerous killers after Sailor. Willem Dafoe stands out as the central villain in a particularly deranged role. The film is Lynch at his most controversial, with several sexual and violent scenes causing people to walk out during early test screenings. The film would go on to win the Palme-d’Or at Cannes.

7

Lost Highway

An Uneasy, Creeping Classic

• Starring: Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette
• Release Date: 1997
• Runtime: 2h 14m

In typical Lynchian fashion, Lost Highway is a journey into a nightmarish world where nothing is as it seems. The film follows a musician and his wife as they receive disturbing videotapes of themselves. This eventually leads to the musician being convicted of murder. While imprisoned, he mysteriously vanishes and is replaced by a local car mechanic.

Like many of Lynch’s films, the plot of Lost Highway is somewhat impenetrable, with its dreamlike sequences and sudden unexplained shifts in character. The movie features some of the most disturbing and creepy sequences Lynch has filmed and is a must-watch for fans of the famous director. Lost Highway received mixed reviews on release. However, in recent years, it is now considered one of Lynch’s best and has a strong cult following.

6

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

A Standout Prequel to the Hit TV Series

• Starring: Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise
• Release Date: 1992
• Runtime: 2h 14m

Twin Peaks was the television event of the early 90s. This surreal, harrowing, and hilarious series captured audiences’ imaginations with the central question: who killed Laura Palmer? The show would help redefine television and cement David Lynch’s place in popular culture.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is a prequel to the series and follows Laura Palmer’s final days. With fantastic performances from Ray Wise and Sheryl Lee, the film delves into the dark heart of a deeply disturbed man and the crimes he commits against his loved ones. The film is a tragic tale of a broken girl who struggles with the horrific truth she has been living with her whole life. While initial reviews were mixed for the film, its reappraisal, in recent years, has hailed it as another David Lynch masterpiece.

5

The Straight Story

A Heartfelt and Emotional Journey

• Starring: Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek
• Release Date: 1999
• Runtime: 1h 52m

Based on a true story, David Lynch’s The Straight Story is his most accessible film and features none of the dark tones and surrealism he is known for. The movie follows Alvin Straight’s journey across Iowa and Wisconsin on his lawnmower to see his estranged brother, who has suffered a stroke.

The film has true emotional weight and is a love letter to the American heartland. It received universal acclaim on release and was nominated for the Palme d’Or. Richard Farnsworth became the oldest person, at 79, to receive a Best Actor Academy Award Nomination.

4

Eraserhead

David Lynch’s Iconic Debut

• Starring: Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart
• Release Date: 1977
• Runtime: 1h 29m

Few directors have made as big an impact on the world of arthouse cinema as David Lynch and his directorial debut Eraserhead. This surrealist cult classic follows Henry Spencer as he attempts to look after his screaming mutated baby and maintain his sanity in the lifeless industrial world in which he lives.

Due to funding difficulties, the film was shot over several years. It would receive a limited release in select cinemas and go by mostly unnoticed. However, over time, the film’s reputation and popularity grew as a midnight movie, becoming a must-see feature for film fans worldwide. The film was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in 2004 and is considered one of the greatest debuts by a director ever.

3

Blue Velvet

A Disturbing Journey into Suburbia

• Starring: Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan
• Release Date: 1986
• Runtime: 2h

In Blue Velvet, Lynch delves into the dark underbelly of suburban America, creating one of his best and most disturbing films. Blue Velvet was Lynch’s first movie after the failure of Dune and gave him his second Best Director Academy Award nomination.

The film follows a college student who, after returning to his hometown, discovers a severed ear in a field. This find leads him to Dorothy, a nightclub singer whose son has been kidnapped by psychotic criminals. Dennis Hopper plays the central villain in his most terrifying role. The film’s explicit sexual and violent content split critics’ opinions on release. However, the film is now widely considered a masterpiece and one of Lynch’s very best.

2

The Elephant Man

The Perfect Entry to Lynch’s Filmography

• Starring: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt
• Release Date: 1980
• Runtime: 2h 4m

Loosely based on a true story, The Elephant Man follows the tale of John Merrick, a severely deformed man who, in 19th-century London, becomes the object of curiosity in high society. The film is one of Lynch’s most mainstream films and would go on to receive 8 Academy Award nominations and win numerous awards around the world.

Both Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt put in fantastic performances, with Hurt in particular, who is almost completely hidden behind the impressive makeup effects. The film is both heartbreaking and touching, as the humanity of the central character is on full display. The Elephant Man is a true cinematic classic and one of the best films of the 1980s.

1

Mulholland Drive

Lynch’s Masterpiece

• Starring: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring
• Release Date: 2001
• Runtime: 2h 27m

With Mulholland Drive, Lynch takes audiences into the disturbing world of Hollywood, creating his most memorable surrealist nightmare in the process. Starting as a canceled TV pilot, Lynch would take the footage and create an original movie that is now considered one of the greatest films of all time.

The film follows an aspiring actress who arrives in Hollywood but who, after a car crash, suffers from amnesia. Through different subplots and scenes, the city’s strange underbelly is revealed. The movie is filled with mystery, atmosphere, and a constant sense of unease. Much of the story is open to interpretation due to its fragmented production and the creative process of Lynch himself, who was known to work from his subconscious. Mulholland Drive is David Lynch’s best work and a must-see for all movie lovers.