Every David Lynch Film Ranked From Worst To Best

3. Blue Velvet

Mulholland Drive
De Laurentiis Entertainment Group

A linear murder mystery, Blue Velvet (1986) saw David Lynch adopt (and many would argue perfect) one of his favoured themes: the unsettling, enveloping darkness lurking beneath the quaint, superficial ideal of Americana.

Protagonist Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) is drawn to his hometown following the near-fatal stroke suffered by his father. He discovers a severed ear, the film's narrative driver, and discovers a desire for either mystery or darkness, losing himself in a grim scheme of kidnapping and rape - and a part of his innocence in the process. Much like the dark underbelly of Lumberton and its returning son, in Blue Velvet, the surrealistic and frightening palette of Lynch's later work bubbled beneath the surface in a classic intersection of his sensibilities. In particular, the doomy, hissing sound design of its purely cinematic prologue acts as a short film symbolising the wider film itself. Like the director himself, it is a paradox; Lynch's most accessible 'Lynchian' film is also the most unpleasant to watch. Dennis Hopper's villain Frank Booth is a disgusting tour de force of expletives and complexes, as involuntarily funny as he is pure evil.

There is nothing supernatural or other about Frank - he is a husk of literally impotent rage all too human in his undiluted foulness - and thus Lynch's most visceral manifestation of humanity's dark heart.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!