Every David Lynch & Laura Dern Movie & TV Show, Ranked

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Director David Lynch, known for his unique and often unsettling films, achieved some of his most memorable work with actress Laura Dern. He first gained attention with his strange and captivating 1970s film, Eraserhead, and continued to evolve as a filmmaker over the following forty years. But which of his collaborations with Dern stands out as his best?

David Lynch was a truly original artist, known for his captivating and dreamlike style. While often described as a surrealist, his work was uniquely imaginative, even compared to other innovative creators. He built worlds that were both strange and strangely familiar, grounded in reality despite their otherworldly quality. This combination made his art both thought-provoking and surprisingly approachable.

David Lynch had a knack for discovering talent, bringing actors like Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern into the spotlight and helping them launch their careers. His films often required actors to work incredibly hard to bring his strange and dreamlike ideas to life for audiences. Laura Dern consistently excelled in this role, and her collaborations with Lynch are considered highlights of her career.

4. Inland Empire (2006)

Considered David Lynch’s final conventional film, Inland Empire showcases the director at his most imaginative. The story centers around an actress whose life starts to mirror the unsettling events of a movie she’s starring in. Filmed with simple, consumer-level cameras, Inland Empire has a distinctly raw and independent feel.

Laura Dern delivers a remarkable performance, and it’s possibly her finest collaboration with David Lynch. Although the highly surreal nature of Inland Empire doesn’t give her much conventional material to work with, she still manages to convey deep emotion. Both Dern and Lynch seem most creatively unbound in this 2006 film, allowing her to showcase a unique and previously unseen side of herself.

While still a worthwhile film, Inland Empire is generally considered the weakest of David Lynch and Laura Dern’s collaborations. It’s intentionally confusing and difficult to follow from beginning to end, leaving the audience feeling lost. Mulholland Drive successfully draws viewers in, but Inland Empire often feels less compelling and doesn’t quite reach the level of Lynch’s best work.

3. Wild At Heart (1990)

Following her work with David Lynch on another project, Laura Dern took on a very different role in Wild at Heart. This romantic thriller centers on Lula, who flees with her boyfriend, desperately trying to evade a hitman sent to kill him. While following the basic structure of a typical thriller, Wild at Heart takes those familiar elements and pushes them to the limit.

Playing Lula gave Laura Dern a chance to move beyond the sweet, innocent roles she was becoming known for. This character is bold, assertive, and openly sexual, and Dern’s chemistry with Nicolas Cage is fantastic. David Lynch clearly had confidence in her talent, and the film Wild at Heart wouldn’t have been as memorable without her performance.

Released in the early 1990s, Wild at Heart isn’t considered one of David Lynch’s strongest films, or his best work with actor Laura Dern. While it has brilliant scenes, it doesn’t quite come together as smoothly as his other masterpieces. It’s flawed, but in a way that fits the film’s energetic and unpredictable nature – it truly lives up to its title.

2. Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)

Often referred to as Twin Peaks season 3, The Return was the highly anticipated continuation of David Lynch’s original 1990s series. Picking up decades after the initial seasons, the story restarts when Special Agent Dale Cooper escapes from the Black Lodge. The Return fully embraces Lynch’s unique, dreamlike style and isn’t just a simple rehash of old ideas, unlike many other TV revivals.

Laura Dern wasn’t part of the original Twin Peaks cast, but she joined the show for The Return playing the character Diane. Diane is hardened by her time with the FBI, and her often-blunt behavior makes sense given her experiences. A standout part of the season is watching her interact with David Lynch’s character, Gordon Cole. Dern brilliantly portrays all of Diane’s layers, even when delivering the show’s famously strange dialogue.

Twin Peaks: The Return wasn’t what many longtime fans expected. Instead of revisiting familiar ground, it’s a showcase for David Lynch’s most complex and dreamlike ideas, and it really pushes viewers to think. The show mixes comedy, scares, and a wide range of emotions, while also cleverly playing with what audiences anticipate. To truly appreciate it, you have to accept it on its own terms, not as a continuation of the original series.

1. Blue Velvet (1986)

Laura Dern and David Lynch first collaborated on Blue Velvet, a film many consider their best. The story follows a college student who uncovers a dark and violent mystery when he returns to his seemingly perfect hometown, centered around a singer at a local lounge. Blue Velvet is David Lynch’s most approachable film, while still maintaining his signature surreal style, and offers a critical look at the traditional image of American life.

I absolutely love Laura Dern in Blue Velvet! She plays Sandy, the girl-next-door type, and you really feel for her as she tries to get Jeffrey’s attention while he’s getting pulled into this really disturbing world with Dorothy. Even though Sandy seems like the picture of innocence, Dern makes her so much more than that. It’s a surprisingly complex performance – you can see her trying to find her own voice and break free from being just the ‘good girl,’ and it’s really captivating.

Blue Velvet is a deeply personal film for its director, bringing together ideas he’d been exploring for years. Viewers will find it skillfully combines Lynch’s signature surreal style with a surprisingly straightforward story. Many consider it not only the best film featuring David Lynch and Laura Dern working together, but Lynch’s overall masterpiece.

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2026-02-08 21:39