The Films of David Lynch from Best to Worst
by johnnysmac | created - 03 Jan 2014 | updated - 13 Jul 2021 | PublicDavid Lynch is one of the best directors of all time. His cinematography, sound design, surrealistic atmosphere, emotional content, and themes are unsurpassed. Here are all of his feature films, short films, and everything else ranked from best to worst. Included is also a madness scale for the first 16 items, indicating the relative surrealism and, of course, madness.
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1. Mulholland Drive (2001)
R | 147 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
After a car wreck on Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Jeanne Bates
Votes: 383,430 | Gross: $7.22M
This is a perfect movie. Everything about it is amazing for me, even though its heavy surrealism isn't for everyone's taste. Mulholland Drive is Lynch's best movie for starters, and it's creepier than most of his other films (Lost Highway and Eraserhead are exceptions). In general it's a pretty dark film, but it's helped out by a few scenes that are funny. The cast and crew (particularly the audio track of this movie) were incredible.
10/10
Madness scale: 4.5/5
2. Blue Velvet (1986)
R | 120 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern
Votes: 215,487 | Gross: $8.55M
Classic Lynch, one of his most accessible films.
9.5/10
Madness scale: 3.5/5
3. Twin Peaks (1990–1991)
TV-MA | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks.
Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Ontkean, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook
Votes: 215,123
One of the best shows, unfortunately lost on this generation that doesn't appreciate the slow pace.
9.5/10
Madness scale: 3/5
4. The Elephant Man (1980)
PG | 124 min | Biography, Drama
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of kindness, intelligence and sophistication.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud
Votes: 258,236
A touching example of Lynch's iron grip on storytelling. Lynch knows how to break your heart in this early, complex masterpiece.
9.5/10
Madness scale: 1/5
5. Lost Highway (1997)
R | 134 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Anonymous videotapes presage a musician's murder conviction, and a gangster's girlfriend leads a mechanic astray.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, John Roselius, Louis Eppolito
Votes: 153,048 | Gross: $3.80M
Creepy, Lynch at his closest to horror.
9.5/10
Madness scale: 4/5
6. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)
R | 134 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Laura Palmer's harrowing final days are chronicled one year after the murder of Teresa Banks, a resident of Twin Peaks' neighboring town.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, Mädchen Amick, Dana Ashbrook
Votes: 105,034 | Gross: $4.16M
Much darker than the TV show. Very well done, with great acting, a phenomenal score from Badalementi, and some of the best moments in any horror film. Unfairly misunderstood by almost everyone back in 1992.
9.25/10
Madness scale: 4/5
7. Inland Empire (2006)
R | 180 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
As an actress begins to adopt the persona of her character in a film, her world becomes nightmarish and surreal.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Karolina Gruszka, Krzysztof Majchrzak, Grace Zabriskie, Laura Dern
Votes: 61,865 | Gross: $0.75M
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Overall, a masterpiece.
9.25/10
Madness scale: 5/5
8. Eraserhead (1977)
Not Rated | 89 min | Fantasy, Horror
Henry Spencer tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newly born mutant child.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Jack Nance, Charlotte Stewart, Allen Joseph, Jeanne Bates
Votes: 127,319 | Gross: $7.00M
Lynch's first film is creepy and atmospheric with a hint of pitch-black humor.
8.5/10
Madness scale: 5/5
9. Twin Peaks (2017)
TV-MA | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
Picks up 25 years after the inhabitants of a quaint northwestern town are stunned when their homecoming queen is murdered.
Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Michael Horse, Chrysta Bell
Votes: 75,749
10. Wild at Heart (1990)
R | 125 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Young lovers Sailor and Lula run from the variety of weirdos that Lula's mom has hired to kill Sailor.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe, J.E. Freeman
Votes: 100,865 | Gross: $14.56M
Entertaining and more fast-pace than the usual Lynch, but not too much that's really special about this one. Nic Cage and Laura Dern are perfect for their roles though.
8/10
Madness scale: 2.5/5
11. The Straight Story (1999)
G | 112 min | Biography, Drama
An old man makes a long journey by lawnmower to mend his relationship with an ill brother.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Jane Galloway Heitz, Joseph A. Carpenter
Votes: 97,368 | Gross: $6.20M
A well-done linear film that, although predictable, manages to subtly evoke emotion.
8/10
Madness scale: 0/5
12. Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted (1992 TV Movie)
50 min | Drama, Fantasy, Music
The performer of Twin Peaks theme Julee Cruise's experimental concert film, which opens with a short intro where a man breaks up with his girl over the phone, which devastates her. The concert is set in her nightmarish subconscious mind.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Laura Dern, Nicolas Cage, Julee Cruise, Lisa Giobbi
Votes: 1,923
Julee Cruise is a great singer in this Lynchian musical.
8/10
Madness scale: 4/5
13. Hotel Room (1993)
105 min | Drama, Mystery
Three-part mini-series set during three different eras in a single room of an odd hotel where employees never age. Every story has a slight twist to it, but the stories are mostly dialogue-heavy psychological or relationship dramas.
Stars: Clark Heathcliff Brolly, Camilla Overbye Roos, Glenne Headly, Crispin Glover
Votes: 1,271
Only seen the first episode due to the lack of availability of the final episode. It's a well done episode with a good concept and some really funny lines.
7/10
Madness scale: 3/5
14. Dune (1984)
PG-13 | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A Duke's son leads desert warriors against the galactic emperor and his father's evil nemesis to free their desert world from the emperor's rule.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Francesca Annis, Leonardo Cimino
Votes: 178,863 | Gross: $30.93M
A lot of the special effects hold up today, and it is fairly entertaining. However, the quality of the production is not at the usual standard that Lynch brings, because of his limited say in the production.
6.5/10
Madness scale: 1.5/5
15. Rabbits (2002)
43 min | Short, Drama, Fantasy
In a nameless city deluged by continuous rain, three rabbits live with a fearful mystery.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Scott Coffey, Rebekah Del Rio, Laura Harring, Naomi Watts
Votes: 8,242
Rabbits is pretty cool. The atmosphere is great, but 45 minutes of it is too much to handle at one time.
Madness scale: 5/5
16. Darkened Room (2002)
8 min | Short
John's struggle to get out of a locked room with a sinister secret inside.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Jordan Ladd, Etsuko Shikata, Cerina Vincent
Votes: 2,629
Very interesting, it had my attention.
Madness scale: 4/5
17. The Grandmother (1970)
Not Rated | 34 min | Animation, Short, Horror
A young boy plants some strange seeds and they grow into a grandmother.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Dorothy McGinnis, Richard White, Virginia Maitland, Robert Chadwick
Votes: 7,342
Quite abstract, but still well done.
Madness scale: 4/5
18. The Amputee (1974)
TV-MA | 9 min | Short, Comedy
A double leg amputated woman sits and writes a long meandering letter while her ineffective nurse attempts to attend to her stumps.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Catherine E. Coulson, David Lynch
Votes: 4,819
Interesting, but not quite.
Madness scale: N/A
19. Alphabet (1966)
6 min | Animation, Short, Family
Each of the twenty-six letters in the Latin alphabet is presented in order. Set in front of a jazz score, animated drawings of English words - exclusively objects and actions - starting ... See full summary »
Director: Eli Noyes
Votes: 22
Almost the only interesting thing about this was that David Lynch made this. Otherwise, it isn't a great short film.
Madness scale: N/A
20. Six Men Getting Sick (1967)
TV-PG | 4 min | Animation, Short, Horror
A short continuously looping animation of six grotesque human figures vomiting.
Director: David Lynch
Votes: 6,476
Lynch's first short film, done for 200$. He's a great painter, and this proves his talent.
Madness scale: N/A
21. Absurd Encounter with Fear (1967)
2 min | Short, Fantasy, Horror
A man approaches a woman in a field.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Jack Fisk, Peggy Reavey
Votes: 1,404
A waste of 2 minutes.
Madness scale: N/A
22. On the Air (1992)
30 min | Comedy
In the 1950s, a group of television performers attempt to put together a live variety program and often find disastrous results.
Stars: Ian Buchanan, Nancye Ferguson, Miguel Ferrer, Gary Grossman
Votes: 1,035
I have yet to see this.
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