Remembering David Lynch: A Trailblazer of Surrealist Film

By Brooke Fernandez

AP Photo/ Chris Pizello

David Lynch, the American filmmaker revered for his surreal and dreamlike films, has passed away at age 78.

In September 2024, Lynch revealed he was diagnosed with “emphysema from smoking for so long” in an interview with Sight & Sound Magazine. His family sadly revealed he had succumbed to his illness on Jan 16, 2025.

Lynch’s career began in the 1970s, and his first feature length film, “Eraserhead” was released in 1977. This marked the beginning of a highly regarded career and style now known as “Lynchian”. 

“I don't know why people expect art to make sense. They accept the fact that life doesn't make sense.”- David Lynch

With a career that passed over five decades, Lynch created multiple cult classics for audiences all over the world. Films such as “Mulholland Drive”(2001), “Blue Velvet”(1986), and the TV series “Twin Peaks”(1990),  cemented him as a genius in surrealist Americana. He was consistent in pushing boundaries and telling unsettling stories that earned him critical acclaim.

The film world is mourning the loss of Lynch and those who knew him are sharing their fondest memories. Kyle Maclachlan, who starred in five projects by Lynch, shared to his Instagram a heartfelt message describing Lynch as a “enigmatic and intuitive man with a creative ocean bursting forth inside of him…my world is that much fuller because I knew him and that much emptier now that he’s gone.”

Kyle Maclachlan/ Instagram

Lynch is known for having kickstarted the careers of many notable actors in Hollywood today. Naomi Watts credits him for putting her on the map and says “the world will not be the same without him.”

He received three Academy Award nominations for best director throughout his career. Although he never took home the trophy, his contributions to the film industry earned him an honorary award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2020.

Phil McCarten / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Lynch’s career was vast and completely singular. His work has impacted and influenced artists and filmmakers for decades and will continue to do so for years to come.