David Lynch is a peculiar figure in film history. While he has often worked in the mainstream he has somehow also managed to subvert the rules of Hollywood and create a unique style that defies classification. His influences are certainly varied, ranging from the classic noir of Billy Wilder to the art films of Federico Fellini, and they have a way of coming together in his films to produce what can only be described as hybrids of many genres. His films not conforming to any one particular model has earned him a reputation as a filmmaker who makes very confusing films. Although this reputation is well earned, Lynch is actually a versatile director, and not all of his films are surreal. Some of his films are actually straightforward. His influence can definitely be felt in many subsequent artists, to the point that there is even an upcoming video game inspired by his work.
Lynch himself has expressed fascination with the idea that the same thing can have different meanings to different people, and encourages audiences to draw their own conclusions. Because of this, he refuses to offer a “correct” interpretation of any of his films.
8 The Straight Story (1999)
The Straight Story tells a pretty simplistic story involving an old man trying to reconnect with this estranged brother. It has a pretty small cast, with Alvin Straight himself being the primary focus (with his daughter having a supporting role in the first act), and most of the plot revolving around his encounters with various characters. The film does not even have much of a central conflict, or even a real antagonist unless one counts the occasional obstacle or his tractor breaking down. But by the end Alvin has become a fascinating character with a complex history.
After the success of Eraserhead, Lynch’s next film would be the exact opposite. Characters who would have been a source of disgust and unsettlement in Eraserhead were now the victims of a problematic society in The Elephant Man. Even the black and white aesthetic is used differently. Where Eraserhead used it to make its surreal environment more disconcerting and otherworldly, The Elephant Man uses it to invoke the look of old photographs and make the setting feel more genuine.
Only three scenes in the film could really be argued to be surreal in the way Lynch is known for. The opening and closing scenes use abstract imagery, though they both come with clear implications of what is happening. The only other moment to delve into the abstract is a scene that is clearly intended to be a dream sequence. These are fairly isolated moments in an otherwise straightforward and easy-to-follow narrative.
7 Blue Velvet (1987)
Blue Velvet could be described as a middle ground between Lynch’s straightforward and surreal narratives. On the one hand, it actually has a coherent plot that can be followed without much difficulty, but on the other hand, it is a strange plot that goes in some weird directions and certainly has its share of bizarre moments. The film’s more subjective qualities are in its deeper themes and its characters. Dennis Hopper had a deserved reputation for playing psychopaths, but few of his roles were as memorable as Frank Booth- the main antagonist whose cruelty clashes the idyllic appearance of the setting. Booth is arguably the most surreal part of the film, as his psychology and motives are deliberately kept enigmatic, and it also leaves room to question the motives of protagonist Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan)
6 Wild at Heart (1990)
Wild at Heart technically has a coherent plot but it is such a strange one that it feels like it was made on drugs. The whole story includes a variety of weird characters and encounters that sometimes make no real sense, or are just really bizarre touches. It even comes in the casting and the bizarre names of characters. Nicholas Cage is probably the last person most viewers would expect to see in a David Lynch film, and the name “Sailor Ripley” sounds pretty strange. And it has no shortage of bizarre scenes, like the infamous sequence where a car crash survivor searches for her purse while dying of a head injury.
Of particular note are the strange references to, of all things, The Wizard of Oz (1939), which get peppered throughout the film. This includes an actual appearance by one of its characters, Glinda the Good Witch, who shows up to tell Sailor to go back to the woman he loves.
5 Lost Highway (1997)
Lost Highway is a peculiar one as it actually has two storylines that can be followed, but how they merge is surreal. The plot gets switched at the halfway point, making it feel as if the viewer is suddenly watching a different movie. The second plotline is easier to follow as it plays out more like a classic film noir, while the first is much more enigmatic, but how they fit together is to the viewer. Various theories have been proposed about the connections between them, but there is no one “canon” explanation.
That is not even getting into the strange unanswered questions throughout the film. Who is the creepy “Mystery Man,” if he even exists? And just what is the deal with the”time loop” where Bill Pullman’s character appears to leave himself the message he received in the opening scene- assuming he is even playing the same character at that point?
4 Mulholland Drive (1999)
Mulholland Drive clearly draws on Billy Wilder‘s 1950 film noir Sunset Boulevard, right down to using a street sign in place of a title card. But Lynch’s take is weirder. The film teases the viewer by setting up a straightforward detective story, though the plot does start to confusing with the appearance of side plots that may or may not be relevant. It is the last act, wherein a conventional detective story one would normally expect some kind of big reveal, that the film jumps into being more surreal and enigmatic. While the final act’s connection to the rest of the story is still debated among Lynch fans, it does have a way of calling into question everything that happens throughout the movie, including the parts that seemed easier to follow.
3 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me somehow managed to be even more surreal than the already bizarre show it was based on. Twin Peaks could get pretty weird, but the movie Fire Walk With Me went further, playing up the strange aspects of the show in the form of confusing unresolved plotlines and strange occurrences. Of note is the entire first act revolving around an FBI agent named Chet Desmond who is investigating a murder in the nearby town of Deer Meadow, only to disappear, his story unresolved and its connection to the rest of the film unclear. That is not even getting into the bizarre scenes involving the Black Lodge and non-linear connections to the show.
2 Eraserhead
Eraserhead starts straightforward enough. Henry Spencer has his already miserable life made worse when he is roped into marrying his pregnant ex-girlfriend. But bit by bit the madness seeps in. At first, it only comes in the smaller details, like Henry’s bizarre haircut. Then there are strange isolated incidents, like the way an elderly woman who is either catatonic or dead is puppeted by her relatives and a roast chicken bleeds when it is cut. And then the insanity really takes hold. The “baby” Henry’s ex-wife gives birth to is a strange wormlike creature that will not stop crying, and a woman with grotesque cheek extensions lives in his radiator. At one point Henry’s head falls off, gets replaced by the baby’s, and then gets brought into a factory where it is turned into pencils. And it only gets more confusing from there.
1 Inland Empire (2005)
Inland Empire is basically three straight hours of mind-boggling weirdness rolled together into one discomforting movie. For this one, Lynch fully channeled his inner Fellini. The influence of European art films, especially Fellini’s 8½, is unmistakable. But somehow Lynch managed to make his film even more surreal than anything Fellini could have come up with. The plot, if it can be called that, concerns an actress who takes on an extremely demanding role in an ambitious film, which gets complicated as she breaks down and loses herself in the part.
From there, things get weird. Whether it is the way scenes that seem to play out naturally turn ou to be part of a film shoot, the way people keep talking about the use of a screwdriver as a murder weapon, or the deranged “sitcom” involving anthropomorphic rabbits and incoherent conversations, there is so much about this film that takes “weird” and “confusing” to a whole new level.
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