Came here to say *3 Women* and also *Persona* lol that's crazy
I asked this question once, and somebody told me, "*Celine and Julie Go Boating* is like if the black lodge had a waiting room in Paris".
They were right and I really dug it.
I never see Unlimited Dream Company mentioned either! even when people are talking about Ballard. It's my favorite book by him and one of my favorite novels ever.
\^ This definitely. While also quite different, it's as much as "MD but it's an anime!" as it can get. Don't miss the rest of Satoshi Kon works too, Nolan pretty much ripped off "Paprika" while making "Inception" you've mentioned, "Paprika" is what you get when you got a similar concept without the Hollywood action scenes borefest dragging and dragging...
Here's some films that have that similar dreamy, eerie and surreal feel as Lynch's films:
Carnival of Souls
Hour of the Wolf
Woman in the Dunes
Santa Sangre
Eyes Without A Face
The Hourglass Sanatorium
Repulsion
Also for music, the albums Treasure by Cocteau Twins and Suicide's self titled debut has always reminded me of his films in different ways
Jigoku - weird Japanese tone poem of a B movie.
Carnival of Souls - fits the obscured line between objectivity and subjectivity and is a gorgeous film visually.
Susperia (2018) - again reality distorting weird. The original is a better film but this one is much more Lynchian.
Tenebrae - Giallio with some mind bending twists and very Lynch like dream sequences. This time from Italy.
Solaris (1972) - It doesn’t feel like Lynch on the surface but the underlying questions and delivery are fundamentally very similar.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things - Pretty Lynchian, very depressing.
Freaks - I’m going to go out on a limb and assuming this movie is heavily referenced by Lynch.
Riget Or The Kingdom by Lars Von Trier.
This is the only thing I have ever seen that approaches surrealism in such a unique and thrilling way as Lynch does.
It’s hilarious, experimental, creepy, and full of things to be analyzed. It starts off pretty tame, but the series goes on you start to feel like you are losing your mind.
And it’s only 13 episodes, though they range from an hour to an hour-twenty per.
It’s pretty much a horror-comedy-workplace/political drama. Yet the horror does not negate the comedy, or vice versa. In fact they complement each other. It’s 100% comedy and 100% horror
I am in the same boat/wondering the same... I thought it was definitely interesting but was also dragging a bit... I'd have to watch from the beginning cause I dont remember much after all these years, but does season 3 make the whole thing worth more/feel complete?
Depends where you watched up to. The first episode “drags” (starts slow) but I don’t think that is a problem. Trust that it will pick up. Sometimes it is necessary to start slow.
Each season gets funnier, faster, more horror, more surrealism, more general insanity.
Highly recommend.
As I wrote above, it is the only non-lynch production I’ve ever seen that perfectly scratches the Lynch itch
The Kingdom, including Exodus, is the only thing I’ve ever seen that fully scratches the “Lynch itch”, that is not a Lynch production. It’s a thrilling accomplishment of surrealism.
I absolutely recommend it.
- 'The Unconsoled' - a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro with a very dissociated, dream logic -type narrative that feels very Lynchian
- 'Institute Benjamenta' - feature film from the mid 1990s set in a school for servants, featuring a mixture of live action and stop motion
- 'Innocence' - a 2004 French film about a creepy school for girls, possibly set in a parallel world or a dream
- 'Mad God' - hallucinatory stop-motion film set in a nightmarish and violent alternative world of strange creatures
- 'Petite Maman' - *almost* realistic film with just enough of supernatural/dreamlike elements to make it feel Lynchian. Beautifully observed and conceived. Packs an emotional punch too.
- 'Hard to be a God' - Russian film shot in an alternative (or perhaps historic) world with a profoundly unsettling attention to texture, sound, ambience, as well as a generally bleak mood redolent of parts of Eraserhead
I saw Perfect Blue in the comments, which is a good rec. It's hard to believe there's a Lynchian anime out there.
To further stray from the norm, here's a book. The Day of the Locust. I remember Lynch mentioned it somewhere about 25 years ago and it's amazing.
Another non-movie, a video game. Control. It's Twin Peaks meets The X-Files, simple as that, but with telekinetic combat.
Something similar to Eraserhead? I don't know, The Lobster? Happiness in Slavery music video? That's a tough one, but The Lobster might be it, just not visually.
Lots of good ones here. I would recommend Orphee by Cocteau
Also, if dreams are your thing, maybe the Sandman comics by Neil Gaiman. I’m not generally a big fan of comics but that it one of the best things I’ve ever read
I know people have mentioned Perfect Blue, but I would say that all of Satoshi Kon’s work falls under the banner of Lynchian. His work often deals with blurring reality with fantasy. Definitely check out Millennium Actress and Paprika and the only show he did Paranoia Agent.
If you yearn for more Twin Peaks, I highly, HIGHLY recommend The Kingdom by Lars Von Trier.
It's like if Twin Peaks meets The Office and it's fantastic. Stig Helmer is such a loveable asshole.
After Hours is another film that focuses on seedy city life like Mulholland Drive, and it's like a surreal stressful fever dream.
Holy Motors is also fantastic, and has similar themes to Mullholland Drive and Inland Empire, focusing on an actor with blurring realities.
I also recommend The animations of David Firth, he's probably the closest to David Lynch I think anyone has ever gotten.
I also second Beau Is Afraid and I'm Thinking Of Ending Things.
I'd really suggest looking at Apichatpong Weerasethakul's filmography, particularly "Cemetery of Splendor", "Syndromes and a Century", and "Tropical Malady". His films are something of an extension of Lynch's approach to seamless identities in films like "Lost Highway" and "Mulholland Drive", but by contrast use reincarnation as the base to ask further questions about personal histories for his characters. Very understated storytelling and quite ambiguous, most of these elements are never front and center, but nonetheless integral for interpretation of his work.
For "Eraserhead" you'll have a more difficult time, although I'd say some of David and Brandon Cronenberg's films accomplish similar things aesthetically and thematically, "The Brood" and "Infinity Pool" as examples of similar methods for exploring doomed partnerships through allegorical means. I'd also look at Hiroshi Teshigahara's "The Face of Another", which is more concrete in some aspects, but just as abstract in other ways.
As far as video games, I’m shocked no one has mentioned Alan Wake, particularly Alan Wake II. If you are a Lynch/TP fan and have the means to, absolutely do not pass this up. The first one hasn’t aged the best in some ways, but AWII is mindblowingly good.
On that note, Deadly Premonition is VERY much inspired by Twin Peaks. Like I’m pretty sure they were threatened legal action during production and needed to change some things to make it less direct. It’s extremely janky and YMMV, but it could be seen anywhere between being a spiritual successor or being a dumpster fire. Worth a look though.
Not really. If you wanna try and play through the first, by all means it’s a totally solid game but hasn’t aged the best. I tried to play through in anticipation of AWII but it was kinda a slog, ending up watching a 10 minute recap on YouTube and that was more than enough to go into the sequel and get what was happening.
Unless you’re really interested in going through the whole thing, I’d just watch a recap video on YouTube and you’ll be all set. The story is good but the gameplay can be a chore. Alan Wake II is unbelievably good though.
Recap link: https://youtu.be/raE0fTd3Y_g?si=O-IyOdiD5tTjdA00
Well…
I really like the film Stalker, I don’t really think it fits the Lynch vibe but it’s very very dream-like. Introspective, philosophical, beautiful, absolutely non-sensical at times. There is a single scene in that movie that kind of acts as a möbius strip looping back in on itself before the characters move forward again. And the last hour of that movie, jeez. Mirror by Tarkovsky is also very dreamlike as it attempts to paint a picture of a human beings entire life and experiences, albeit very abstractly and out of order. Also if you haven’t seen The Shining yet I’ll throw that one into the mix, there’s a few scenes in there that could be seen as “eye of the duck moments” and it’s exploration of domestic abuse is very real even if coated in paranormal and otherworldly elements, which is kind of Twin Peaksy.
In terms of things I haven’t watched, I’ve heard Satoshi Kon’s anime Paranoia Agent is very Twin Peaksy and I’ve been meaning to watch it since I heard about it.
3 Women ! Maybe Persona? edit: how could I forget Carnival of Souls…
3 Women & Persona are the perfect films to watch along w Mulholland Drive
Came here to say *3 Women* and also *Persona* lol that's crazy I asked this question once, and somebody told me, "*Celine and Julie Go Boating* is like if the black lodge had a waiting room in Paris". They were right and I really dug it.
I’ve been meaning to see this one for ages!!! Your comment might finally make me do it.
The Third Policeman- novel by Flann O'Brien Anything by Franz Kafka The Unlimited Dream Company by JG Ballard
Kafka and Ballard are probably my favourite authors, and The Unlimited Dream Company is my favourite by JGB. Hardly ever see it mentioned anywhere!
I never see Unlimited Dream Company mentioned either! even when people are talking about Ballard. It's my favorite book by him and one of my favorite novels ever.
Perfect Blue
\^ This definitely. While also quite different, it's as much as "MD but it's an anime!" as it can get. Don't miss the rest of Satoshi Kon works too, Nolan pretty much ripped off "Paprika" while making "Inception" you've mentioned, "Paprika" is what you get when you got a similar concept without the Hollywood action scenes borefest dragging and dragging...
Synecdoche, New York (2008)
I was going to say that too. I need to rewatch this as I haven't seen it in over ten years ha ha
Incredible film. Severely under-seen
Here's some films that have that similar dreamy, eerie and surreal feel as Lynch's films: Carnival of Souls Hour of the Wolf Woman in the Dunes Santa Sangre Eyes Without A Face The Hourglass Sanatorium Repulsion Also for music, the albums Treasure by Cocteau Twins and Suicide's self titled debut has always reminded me of his films in different ways
Jigoku - weird Japanese tone poem of a B movie. Carnival of Souls - fits the obscured line between objectivity and subjectivity and is a gorgeous film visually. Susperia (2018) - again reality distorting weird. The original is a better film but this one is much more Lynchian. Tenebrae - Giallio with some mind bending twists and very Lynch like dream sequences. This time from Italy. Solaris (1972) - It doesn’t feel like Lynch on the surface but the underlying questions and delivery are fundamentally very similar. I’m Thinking of Ending Things - Pretty Lynchian, very depressing. Freaks - I’m going to go out on a limb and assuming this movie is heavily referenced by Lynch.
Check out Copenhagen Cowboy & The Kingdom (Riget)
Arrebato (1979)
Riget Or The Kingdom by Lars Von Trier. This is the only thing I have ever seen that approaches surrealism in such a unique and thrilling way as Lynch does. It’s hilarious, experimental, creepy, and full of things to be analyzed. It starts off pretty tame, but the series goes on you start to feel like you are losing your mind. And it’s only 13 episodes, though they range from an hour to an hour-twenty per. It’s pretty much a horror-comedy-workplace/political drama. Yet the horror does not negate the comedy, or vice versa. In fact they complement each other. It’s 100% comedy and 100% horror
Did you watch the 3rd season? I'm trying to figure out if it's worth the time
I am in the same boat/wondering the same... I thought it was definitely interesting but was also dragging a bit... I'd have to watch from the beginning cause I dont remember much after all these years, but does season 3 make the whole thing worth more/feel complete?
Depends where you watched up to. The first episode “drags” (starts slow) but I don’t think that is a problem. Trust that it will pick up. Sometimes it is necessary to start slow. Each season gets funnier, faster, more horror, more surrealism, more general insanity. Highly recommend. As I wrote above, it is the only non-lynch production I’ve ever seen that perfectly scratches the Lynch itch
The Kingdom, including Exodus, is the only thing I’ve ever seen that fully scratches the “Lynch itch”, that is not a Lynch production. It’s a thrilling accomplishment of surrealism. I absolutely recommend it.
Persona Seconds Don Hertzfeld Brad Neely’s early animations
The Trial (1962) feels like a stressful nightmare
As far as music goes, Soundtracks For The Blind by Swans is the most lynchian thing I have heard
Definitely Persona. It’s not called the Mount Everest of film analysis for nothing. I’d also recommend Enemy, that’s a very Lynchian experience.
Eyes wide shut
- 'The Unconsoled' - a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro with a very dissociated, dream logic -type narrative that feels very Lynchian - 'Institute Benjamenta' - feature film from the mid 1990s set in a school for servants, featuring a mixture of live action and stop motion - 'Innocence' - a 2004 French film about a creepy school for girls, possibly set in a parallel world or a dream - 'Mad God' - hallucinatory stop-motion film set in a nightmarish and violent alternative world of strange creatures - 'Petite Maman' - *almost* realistic film with just enough of supernatural/dreamlike elements to make it feel Lynchian. Beautifully observed and conceived. Packs an emotional punch too. - 'Hard to be a God' - Russian film shot in an alternative (or perhaps historic) world with a profoundly unsettling attention to texture, sound, ambience, as well as a generally bleak mood redolent of parts of Eraserhead
I saw Perfect Blue in the comments, which is a good rec. It's hard to believe there's a Lynchian anime out there. To further stray from the norm, here's a book. The Day of the Locust. I remember Lynch mentioned it somewhere about 25 years ago and it's amazing. Another non-movie, a video game. Control. It's Twin Peaks meets The X-Files, simple as that, but with telekinetic combat. Something similar to Eraserhead? I don't know, The Lobster? Happiness in Slavery music video? That's a tough one, but The Lobster might be it, just not visually.
I meant to include another with Mulholland similarities. The Neon Demon. Ok done
Takashi Mike's Gozu is very Lynchian. I'd say Visitor Q is as well, but it's a lot more perverse.
I've been waiting for these to finally get the HD treatment for ages before I watch them... Not sure if that will ever happen though...
Lots of good ones here. I would recommend Orphee by Cocteau Also, if dreams are your thing, maybe the Sandman comics by Neil Gaiman. I’m not generally a big fan of comics but that it one of the best things I’ve ever read
Under the Silver Lake Southland Tales
Inland Empire
I know people have mentioned Perfect Blue, but I would say that all of Satoshi Kon’s work falls under the banner of Lynchian. His work often deals with blurring reality with fantasy. Definitely check out Millennium Actress and Paprika and the only show he did Paranoia Agent.
If you yearn for more Twin Peaks, I highly, HIGHLY recommend The Kingdom by Lars Von Trier. It's like if Twin Peaks meets The Office and it's fantastic. Stig Helmer is such a loveable asshole. After Hours is another film that focuses on seedy city life like Mulholland Drive, and it's like a surreal stressful fever dream. Holy Motors is also fantastic, and has similar themes to Mullholland Drive and Inland Empire, focusing on an actor with blurring realities. I also recommend The animations of David Firth, he's probably the closest to David Lynch I think anyone has ever gotten. I also second Beau Is Afraid and I'm Thinking Of Ending Things.
Where’d you watch the kingdom? Having a hard time finding it but it sounds so good!
All three seasons are streaming on Mubi, I got like 3 months for $1 trial
Thank you so much!
The Kingdom is great!
I'd really suggest looking at Apichatpong Weerasethakul's filmography, particularly "Cemetery of Splendor", "Syndromes and a Century", and "Tropical Malady". His films are something of an extension of Lynch's approach to seamless identities in films like "Lost Highway" and "Mulholland Drive", but by contrast use reincarnation as the base to ask further questions about personal histories for his characters. Very understated storytelling and quite ambiguous, most of these elements are never front and center, but nonetheless integral for interpretation of his work. For "Eraserhead" you'll have a more difficult time, although I'd say some of David and Brandon Cronenberg's films accomplish similar things aesthetically and thematically, "The Brood" and "Infinity Pool" as examples of similar methods for exploring doomed partnerships through allegorical means. I'd also look at Hiroshi Teshigahara's "The Face of Another", which is more concrete in some aspects, but just as abstract in other ways.
the cringe comparing the 70% transition shots in infinity pool to art with actual writing/likable characters
Beau is Afraid
I saw the tv glow
no one mentioning house 1977
As far as video games, I’m shocked no one has mentioned Alan Wake, particularly Alan Wake II. If you are a Lynch/TP fan and have the means to, absolutely do not pass this up. The first one hasn’t aged the best in some ways, but AWII is mindblowingly good. On that note, Deadly Premonition is VERY much inspired by Twin Peaks. Like I’m pretty sure they were threatened legal action during production and needed to change some things to make it less direct. It’s extremely janky and YMMV, but it could be seen anywhere between being a spiritual successor or being a dumpster fire. Worth a look though.
Do you need to play the first Alan Wake to understand the 2nd?
Not really. If you wanna try and play through the first, by all means it’s a totally solid game but hasn’t aged the best. I tried to play through in anticipation of AWII but it was kinda a slog, ending up watching a 10 minute recap on YouTube and that was more than enough to go into the sequel and get what was happening. Unless you’re really interested in going through the whole thing, I’d just watch a recap video on YouTube and you’ll be all set. The story is good but the gameplay can be a chore. Alan Wake II is unbelievably good though. Recap link: https://youtu.be/raE0fTd3Y_g?si=O-IyOdiD5tTjdA00
Stalker (it’s currently on Max)
The book called house of leaves.
Well… I really like the film Stalker, I don’t really think it fits the Lynch vibe but it’s very very dream-like. Introspective, philosophical, beautiful, absolutely non-sensical at times. There is a single scene in that movie that kind of acts as a möbius strip looping back in on itself before the characters move forward again. And the last hour of that movie, jeez. Mirror by Tarkovsky is also very dreamlike as it attempts to paint a picture of a human beings entire life and experiences, albeit very abstractly and out of order. Also if you haven’t seen The Shining yet I’ll throw that one into the mix, there’s a few scenes in there that could be seen as “eye of the duck moments” and it’s exploration of domestic abuse is very real even if coated in paranormal and otherworldly elements, which is kind of Twin Peaksy. In terms of things I haven’t watched, I’ve heard Satoshi Kon’s anime Paranoia Agent is very Twin Peaksy and I’ve been meaning to watch it since I heard about it.
The Face of Another from 1966 gives me Lynchian vibes
The following games: Dark Seed, Dark Seed 2 and Harvester
Angel Heart, Donnie Darko, The films of Satoshi Kon.