One of the all-time greats is gone. That thought went through my head this afternoon when word came down that David Lynch, the incredible mind behind Twin Peaks, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, and so many more, was no longer with us. The news was a shock as, despite his fragile health, Lynch was still pretty active, teasing potential new projects and also receiving rave reviews for his acting turn as John Ford in Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans. 

Of course, with this news, it’s time to take a look back at the master’s work, and lucky for us, he leaves an incredible cinematic legacy behind. We all have our favorite David Lynch movies, but here are my top 5 picks:

Lost Highway (1997):

This was an important movie in my cinematic education. It came out in the late nineties, at a time when I was coming of age as a potential cinephile. Growing up, I had a sister who was a few years older than me, and she loved Lynch. She encouraged me to take a break from my repeated viewings of the Star Wars trilogy and try a Lynch movie. So, as a teenager, I gave Lost Highway a go on VHS and had my mind blown by Lynch’s nightmarish odyssey into madness. So many things about this film stuck with me, from David Bowie’s theme song, “I’m Deranged” (which I’m listening to as I write this) to Patricia Arquette in a dual role opposite the unforgettable Robert Blake, and so much more. But, above everything else, it taught me that movies didn’t have to be linear or even make a lick of sense. Lost Highway was a nightmare put to film, and even about a quarter century later, that first viewing of it has stuck with me.

Blue Velvet (1986):

Of course, having loved Lost Highway, I next had to trek to my neighborhood video store and pick up Blue Velvet. In many ways, this is the definitive David Lynch movie, mixing small-town Americana with a seedy, surreal underbelly that’s uglier than anything we could ever imagine. Kyle MacLachlan, who remains Lynch’s definitive on-screen collaborator, is superb as the all-American college boy who returns to his hometown and finds himself engrossed in a mystery that repels and seduces him. Like Lost Highway, there are moments in this that will stick with you forever, from Dennis Hopper inhaling gas (“mommy!!!”), to Dean Stockwell lip-synching to Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams.” 

The Elephant Man (1980):

Yet, there was more to Lynch than his darker fare. Indeed, he made one of the most heartbreaking films I’ve ever seen – The Elephant Man – which is based on the true story of John Merrick, who was born with a disfiguring condition and made a circus freak until being taken in by a kindly Victorian doctor. In the title role, John Hurt was nominated for an Oscar, and many believe that its makeup effects being overlooked for an Oscar led to the creation of the Best MakeUp award the following year. This was produced by the great Mel Brooks, who famously described Lynch as “Jimmy Stewart from Mars.” 

Mulholland Drive (2001):

For me, Mulholland Drive is very much a companion piece to Lost Highway, but that might also be because, as a young man, I would often watch both films back-to-back, forever associating the two. This is the film that introduced us to Naomi Watts. Infamously, the film was conceived as a TV pilot before ABC got cold feet. Its rejection was probably the best thing that ever could have happened to it, as Lynch was able to reformat it into a surrealistic masterpiece, and for a while, it was his most widely seen film.

Twin Peaks (1990- 2017):

Of course, Lynch will always be best known for Twin Peaks, which began life as an ABC series before being cancelled, leading to a movie (Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me) and an eventual sequel series, Twin Peaks: The Return, which stands as the director’s last major work. Watching the whole thing together, it’s an essential piece of our shared pop culture and will undoubtedly be seen as Lynch’s Magnum Opus. My only complaint is that I always hoped Lynch would return to that world again for yet another chapter, but as far as endings go, you can’t go out on a much higher note.

What are your favorite Lynch films? Let u know in the comments!

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