David Lynch's 12 Most Iconic Movies and TV Shows
In memory of one of the greatest directors in Hollywood, these are the films and television series that define David Lynch's filmography and legacy.
David Lynch is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. His cinematic repertoire consists of 10 feature films and a television series that showcased his directorial prowess, which has influenced all aspects of the film industry from directing to producing, editing, and scoring. Lynch—who died on January 16. 2025 at the aged of 78—had a gift for telling tales with a dark, surrealist approach.
The Montana-born moviemaker is best known for his films like Blue Velvet (1986) and Dune (1986), as well as the TV show Twin Peaks (starting in 1990). Each of these exemplify his particularly flavor of artistic vision. Beyond this, his filmography includes lesser known watches that still posses his unique touch. Over Lynch's decades-long career, his keen eye earned him four Oscar nominations and an honorary Oscar in 2019 for his body of work and impact on the art of filmmaking.
Lynch passed away after a battle with emphysema, a diagnosis the innovative director received in 2024. The announcement of his passing came from a Facebook post written by his family. Lynch's artistic vision restructured how filmmakers perceive filmmaking and storytelling, he was a true innovator in his art form.
The director remains one that modern storytellers refer to and continue to emulate. His work resonates across time, which is why he has earned an unparalleled legacy amongst film enthusiasts across the world. Keep scrolling to see his 12 most iconic movies and projects, which serve as evidence of his ingenious.
Eraserhead was the feature film that started Lynch down the path of a successful career. The film stars Jack Nance who plays a man isolated from the industrial city he inhabits and becomes a father to a visibly different baby, which he decides to care for. Nance's character is speculatively based on Lynch's experience as a father to a daughter born with clubbed feet. The film introduced a form of storytelling never seen before and the director's signature surrealist take.
The 1980 film The Elephant Man was an artistic venture that earned Lynch eight Oscar nominations including Best Director. The biopic film focused on Joseph Merrick, otherwise known as "Elephant Man," and his life in 19th-century England. Merrick was born with physical differences and the biopic explores the response to people with disabilities and the mistreatment they suffer. It's a moving film, and the recognition Lynch received from it was rightfully given, though snubbed at the Academy Awards.
In 1984, Lynch tackled the science fiction genre with the first adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic novel Dune. What's considered a classic today did not commercially succeed in the 1980s, a first for the great director. The response to the film led the director to disavow it from his filmography, but it has garnered more and more classic status over the years, especially with Denis Villeneuve's 2021 and 2024 remakes. Despite Lynch's disowning the film and bashing it in several interviews, it led him to a partnership of his creative dreams with Kyle MacLachlan, who played Paul Atreides.
Kyle MacLachlan and Lynch reunite in the 1986 film Blue Velvet. Following the Dune box office mishap, this film, which follows a college student back to his hometown as he tries to uncover the mystery of a severed ear he stumbles upon, was a hit for the director. The film reminded critics and fans of the highly-esteemed director of his masterful storytelling.
Twin Peaks was unknown territory for the cinematic director as it was his first time experimenting with a small-screen project. Nevertheless, the ABC series was another success in his catalog and earned the network record-breaking ratings. The show ran for two seasons with 30 episodes total after viewership declined.
Wild at Heart starred Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern as on-the-run couple, Sailor and Lula. Like Kyle MacLachlan, Dern was known as a longtime collaborator of the visionary director. The film combines the Lynchian touch of dark surrealism with comedic romance elements as the couple navigates their tumultuous union.
Two years following the cancellation of the ABC television series, Twin Peaks, Lynch returned with Twin Peak: Fire Walk With Me in 1992. The film is a prequel to the TV show and tells the story of Laura Palmer's (Sheryl Lee) final days leading up to her death in season 1. The film received mixed reviews but remains one of his most unsettling and haunting films.
Lynch's 1997 film Lost Highway is a thriller and fascinating film that leaves viewers wondering where the story ended and where it began, as Lynch uses dream logic to unravel a parallel story. This movie highlights Lynch's capacity of complex storytelling.
The Straight Story was a departure for Lynch as it was a completely different film compared to his other works. It's rated G for everyone and revolves around the heartfelt story of a man traveling on a lawnmower to visit his sick brother. The film stars Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, and Harry Dean Stanton and demonstrates Lynch's directorial range and the subjects that touch him and therefore wants those same subjects to touch viewers.
Once again Lynch turns to dreamlike imagery for his 2001 film Mulholland Drive, which was originally developed as a TV pilot before being turned into a movie. Starring Naomi Watts, the film incorporates those Lynchian elements of horror, ambiguity, and sex. The surrealist noir drama follows an amnesiac woman after she suffers a car accident on Mulholland Drive as she searches for answers in Los Angeles. As the story progresses, more questions arise and the audiences is left wondering what's real and what's not.
2006 was a significant year for the renowned director as it was the year the last feature film in his filmography premiered. Inland Empire was the end of an era for Lynch, but nonetheless a culmination of what his creative vision emphasized. The film was even more experimental as it was shot on low-resolution digital video and amped up the surreal aspects that Lynch favored. It's one of his most experimental films that requires undivided attention.
Twin Peaks: The Return was a surprise that everyone should've seen coming given the fact that the original ABC soap series ended on a cliffhanger and the line "I'll see you again in 25 years." Lynch was true to his word with the Showtime revival series. Some of the original cast returns like Kyle MacLachlan and Sheryl Lee in this bold third season. Like Lynch's other works it's peculiar and exceptional.
