The passing of David Lynch deprives not just movies but the arts world more broadly of one of its most singular voices. The American auteur, a latter-day Wizard of Oz, has been conjuring up ingenious, off-kilter and spellbindingly beautiful visions to get lost in since he emerged with Eraserhead back in 1977. Like Kubrick and Hitchcock, his style was worthy of its own adjective, and that ‘Lynchian’ magic spans art, photography and music as well as cinema. He even brought his magic to the often prosaic business of TV commercials. His classics are well-known but his back catalogue is a weird and wonderful place, a rabbit hole to fall down where the freaky and fantastical awaits you. Here’s a few Lynch deep cuts to investigate.
Inland Empire (2006)
Several years ago, Lynch said that 2006's Inland Empire had been his final film. Now that fact has sadly been confirmed, the movie takes on even more meaning – or maybe it just raises even more questions. A bizarre, hellish romp through Hollywood’s subconscious starring Laura Dern, it’s as auteur-ish as they come. Honestly, who knows what the hell is going on here? But it’s an unforgettable experience that will forever define the term ‘Lynchian’.
The Straight Story (1999)
The clue is in the title. Lynch’s most quote-unquote ‘trad’ film, this tender-hearted, deeply moving yarn follows Richard Farnsworth’s ageing veteran, Alvin Straight, across the Midwest on a mission to reconnect with his estranged brother (Harry Dean Stanton) – by lawnmower. It’s arguably the filmmaker’s least authored movie, albeit with the odd surrealist touch – the surprise deer! – to remind you of who is behind the camera. But that only makes its deep grace and soulfulness all the more striking. Lynch really could do it all.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1991)
Released a year after the mind-melting Twin Peaks TV show wrapped up, Fire Walk With Me took the universe of the series to places even darker, bleaker and more arcane. A prequel that sort-of-answers some of the show’s many mysteries, it’s best seen after watching the first two series, which include a host of great characters and a whimsical humour that are missing from the movie. But if you simply don't have the time to watch all 30 episodes, then ‘Fire Walk With Me’ is a superb crash course in one of the greatest supernatural franchises ever committed to screen. All that, and David Bowie!
What Did Jack Do? (2020)
David Lynch plays a detective cross-examining a talking monkey called Jack Cruz in a 17-minute short film that’s every bit as bananas as it sounds. Originally made for exhibition at the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art in Paris, it lives on to mystify any Netflix viewers that stumbles upon it on the streaming platform. It’s beguilingly weird, a more recent reminder of how the great man could magic up alternative realities at the click of a fingers.
Crazy Clown Town (2011)
Not just a spellbinding filmmaker, Lynch also made some pretty edgy, bewitching music too. His first solo album is a collection of self-described ‘modern blues’ tracks that he produced himself – and in the case of the title track, filmed the video for too. ‘An intense psychotic backyard craziness fuelled by beer’ is how the man himself described the concept of a ‘crazy clown town’ – and he delivers on that promise with this delirious shakycam vision of boozy bacchanalia.
Obsession by Calvin Klein ad (1988)
A lot of filmmakers have cut their teeth making commercials but unlike, say, Ridley Scott, David Lynch didn’t turn his hand to the 30-sec spot unless a decade into his career. But between 1988 and 2014, he made 14 commercials for brands like PlayStation, Nissan and Adidas. But his fragrance ads, including a series of four for Calvin Klein’s Obsession inspired by F Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, DH Lawrence and Ayn Rand, are standouts.
Where to start with David Lynch – 5 key films that showcase his brilliance.