Ranking All David Lynch Movies

"I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange"
-Special Agent Dale Cooper, Twin Peaks

That quote by my favorite fictional character of all time sums up most of David Lynch's works. His masterpiece, the television series Twin Peaks, turns 30 years old next month. To celebrate this accomplishment, I'm sharing my list on his other great works: while Twin Peaks remains his greatest achievement, I'm also a huge fan of his cinematic works. So here is my ranking of all 10 feature length films directed by David Lynch!

10. Dune (1984)

I actually enjoyed this generally disliked adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 book quite a bit. Many parts of it are great: Kyle MacLachlan is perfection at protagonist Paul Atreides, the Toto soundtrack is atmospheric and epic, and many of the book's strange and psychedelic elements are translated to the screen with strokes of genius. That being said, the film is deeply flawed and easily at the bottom of the pack when it comes to Lynch; my biggest issue was that the budget of the film and visual effects of the time were not enough to bring the world of Arrakis to life. The film often looks clumsy and doesn't do its source material justice there. Also many very crucial story elements are left out, making the film seem more shallow than the book it is based on. Dune is a mixed bag for me, because parts of it are so good yet it isn't the epic adaptation that Herbert's masterpiece deserves - here's hoping Denis Villeneuve's ambitious attempt this year does a better job.

9. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

Much like with Lynch's Dune, I have mixed feelings about this movie sequel to the two original seasons of Twin Peaks. From a glass-half-empty standpoint, the film simply isn't as good as the series. While many of the characters and stylistic elements of the show are present, it fails to feel quite as magical and powerful as the world of the two seasons before it (as well as 2017's Twin Peaks: The Return, which I am a massive fan of). From a glass-half-full point of view, however, this still is Twin Peaks. It may not be quite on the level of the series, but that's like comparing a thoroughly decent rock band to The Beatles; I love the Twin Peaks series so much that I can't really fault this film for not being on the same absolute level of perfection. The movie still has much of the show's great elements pushing it forward, and I especially enjoy the prequel format and how it allows Sheryl Lee to play a wonderful role as a pre-murdered Laura Palmer.

8. Wild At Heart (1990)

The story in Wild At Heart is that of a woman who runs away with her ex-convict husband, while the woman's mother sends a variety of strange characters to kill the man. Add to that some staples of the road trip and crime comedy genres, an unhinged villain played by Willem Dafoe, and random supernatural elements and witch sequences throughout the film. And of course David Lynch's strange directorial style to spice things up. And did I mention the main characters are called Lula and Sailor, and they're played by Laura Dern and Nicolas Cage?

Simply put, Wild At Heart is a bizarre, extremely entertaining one-of-a-kind movie that manages to be absurd and fun while also being surprisingly artistic and emotional at times - how many times has a Nicolas Cage crime comedy won the Palme d'Or at Cannes? I highly recommend this underrated gem to any and all fans of weird cinema.

7. Inland Empire (2006)

While I pray that the 74-year-old Lynch has one more film left in him, I do admit that if he never makes another movie, Inland Empire serves as quite the appropriate final work. With a 3-hour runtime and a smashing performance by Lynch's go-to leading lady Laura Dern, this film is a celebration of all things Lynchian; the surreal atmosphere, the unconventional narratives and the strange cryptic dialogue are all on full display. In addition to these classics, Lynch finds whole new ways of making strange and creative cinema: the out-of-this-world rabbit narrative (it's a whole thing) and the blurring of lines between what is real and what is being filmed into the film within the film make for a movie that's psychedelic and hard to follow even by Lynch standards. It also features one of the most mind-blowing plot twists I have ever seen in any movie!

6. Lost Highway (1997)

Lynch's Lost Highway is one of the hardest-to-follow films I have ever seen. But after seeing it and processing it, I have come to realize just how genius it is. While there are multiple interpretations to what actually happens in the film and what it all means, one point of view keeps coming back in all conversation: Lost Highway is more or less a cinematic version of a dream. This does not necessarily mean that the viewer is literally watching the main character's dream (although that is very possible to some degree), but rather that this movie's story proceeds in a dream-like fashion and watching it feels like being in a dream. That explains the confusingly shifting narratives, changes in characters and multiple inexplicable occurrences throughout the movie. Filled with haunting and nightmarish imagery and memorable sequences, Lost Highway is a cinematic piece of art if I ever saw one.

5. Mulholland Drive (2001)

Many fans consider this one to be Lynch's magnum opus. The funny thing is; I more or less agree, even though there are four films ahead of it on this list. The man simply has so many great movies, that a few of them barely edge out this one in my book. That being said, Mulholland Drive deserves all the praise it has gotten, and is one of the greatest mystery films ever made. While many of Lynch's movies delve into mysteries, no others feel quite as much like a puzzle box as this one. With so many carefully built elements crafting the strange story, lead by a mesmerizing Naomi Watts performance, this film is one to truly immerse the viewer in its multiple questions. The dialogue is wonderfully bizarre and so many of the individual scenes are pure cinematic gold.

While I don't consider any of Lynch's works to be pretentious, I do admit that he often delves into randomness for the sake of randomness, at least as an extra spice. It's interesting how that's not the case in this film compared to most of his others: everything in Mulholland Drive seems to have a sharp focus and clear reason, even if the exact nature of said reason is left open to interpretation. Just strange enough to satisfy art house fans and not quite too strange for the mainstream as many Lynch films are, this movie became his big hit in Hollywood and it truly lives up to its reputation.

4. The Elephant Man (1980)

There is one extremely strange element in this film: it's not a very strange film. And for David Lynch, that's pretty much the most bizarre and out-of-the-box thing you can do. With a cohesive story, easy-to-follow dialogue, a down-to-earth-setting and a complete lack of mysterious beautiful women singing in front of red curtains before some lucid jazz psychedelia goes down, The Elephant Man is easily the most normal Lynch movie to date. If you're wondering why it's so high on my list although I clearly appreciate the strangeness of his other works, it's simply because this is such a magnificent piece of cinema. While not a typical Lynch movie, this is a film that I absolutely love, from its strong leading performances by Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt to its emotionally powerful story and impressive cinematography.

3. Eraserhead (1977)

1977 was an amazing year for film. While George Lucas's Star Wars conquered the mainstream movie world as a game-changing masterpiece, David Lynch conquered the underground world of cult movies with his wonderful debut. Eraserhead is probably the strangest film I have ever watched. If you asked me to explain its plot to you, I'd have a hard time describing anything that actually happens in the movie. But taken as a piece of visual art, a complex metaphor or a work of underground horror cinema, or all three at once, watching Eraserhead is an unforgettable and magnificent experience.

As disturbing as the film is to watch, it is also beautiful in some strange way: the camera work and carefully crafted imagery stick to your mind in powerful ways and make you feel emotions you didn't even know to exist. Jack Nance is also pitch perfect in the lead role as the disturbed and distressed Henry, beginning the long-term partnership between Lynch and Nance. All in all, this surreal fever dream was a truly great way for Lynch to introduce himself to the world.

2. The Straight Story (1999)

While definitely more down-to-earth than most Lynch works, The Straight Story does have an endearing strangeness to it. This is thanks largely to the incredible true story that it's based on; the story of terminally ill 73-year-old Alvin Straight who, upon wanting to make amends to his estranged brother but not being able to drive, drove a lawnmower from Iowa to Wisconsin in a many-week journey. Lynch was the perfect director to capture this tale: its unique and bizarre nature as well as the heartwarming human story driving the strange events are adapted to the screen with majestic grace. This is Lynch' most beautiful film, driven by its emotional story, heartfelt soundtrack and an Oscar-nominated lead performance by the great Richard Farnsworth.

In addition to telling the mere story of a man driving a lawnmower to see his brother as we all do from time to time, The Straight Story also works as an intriguing exploration of rural American life. Many of the film's scenes are simply of the main character running into interesting characters along his journey and talking to them. Through this, the movie paints a beautiful picture of the world the people of this culture live in, and the stories they have to tell.

1. Blue Velvet (1986)

The opening shot of Blue Velvet, with the red roses in front of a white fence to the backdrop of a bright blue sky, is hands-down the most beautiful piece of imagery I have seen in any piece of cinema. And much of why this film is one of my favorites ever made has to do with beauty: just like with Twin Peaks, Lynch creates a perfect balance between disturbing elements and a beautiful undertone of magical proportions. The more humane and optimistic sides of this film feel so much stronger because the story is filled with horrible and violent moments, which make the subtly placed goodness of the movie feel surprising and earned. The trademark strangeness and psychological horror of David Lynch is definitely present, with a wonderfully over-the-top villain performance by Dennis Hopper and a plot where the discovery of a human ear leads down a rabbit hole of crime and violence. But contrary to films like Eraserhead, there's a strong theme of hope and good overcoming evil in this film, making it a rare occurrence of a David Lynch film feeling quite uplifting to watch.

Blue Velvet also has the greatest ensemble cast of any Lynch film: in addition to Hopper, the film features Isabella Rossellini and Laura Dern in amazing supporting roles, as well as one of my all-time favorite acting performances by Kyle MacLachlan as protagonist Jeffrey Beaumont. No director-actor combo that I have witnessed, from Scorsese-De Niro to Tarantino-Jackson, has worked quite as flawlessly as Lynch and MacLachlan. While they tested the waters with Dune and later continued their seamless teamwork in Twin Peaks, this is the film where their pairing proved to be a magical thing. MacLachlan's acting is not typical, but is absolutely perfect for Lynch's strange directing style. His character is eccentric, yet has a pure innocence to him that coincides so well with the film's overarching themes of hope. With its stunning imagery, stellar cast, exciting plot and Lynchian madness, Blue Velvet is nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece.


Thank you for reading! Any and all e-mail subscriptions from the text box below would be very appreciated. Tune in next Thursday for a list of the top 10 movie experiences of my life!