25 votes

Lynchian recommendation request

In light of recent events, I would like to create a list of Lynchian media: gimme your books, music, movies, TV, video games, comics, &c. Anything. Everything. Personal projects if you have 'em (there was a comic posted in the announcement thread, stick that in here if you like, OP). Let's make this as exhaustive as we can.

Pls&thx

24 comments

  1. [3]
    JordanM
    (edited )
    Link
    For games, I'd say Silent Hill 1 & 2 for a "Twin Peaks but turn the horror up". Kentucky Route Zero is a fun artsy fartsy (said with love) point-and-click surreal game that definitely has some...

    For games, I'd say Silent Hill 1 & 2 for a "Twin Peaks but turn the horror up".

    Kentucky Route Zero is a fun artsy fartsy (said with love) point-and-click surreal game that definitely has some Lynch DNA.

    Disco Elysium is my favorite game of all time and it takes a lot from Lynch. A playthrough where you focus on the Psyche skills, in particular, channels him (I mean one of the skills is literally named Inland Empire).

    Scarlet Hollow is an episodic visual novel that's very Twin Peaks. It's set in an Appalachian coal town where you've got curses, ghosts, cryptozoology, and the inexplicably strange folks that live there. It's still coming out, but the episodes that are out now are quite good.

    For music, not sure quite how Lynch this is. Ethel Cain has been an artist I've been listening to a lot recently. She had an album, Preacher's Daughter, that is probably her best work thus far. It deals with themes of small towns, religion, and trauma/abuse. Not completely surreal, but similar themes Lynch worked with. Things that are nice on the surface, with a hidden darkness beneath. If you're open to something a little more out there, she just recently put out another album, Perverts, that does lean a little more into the stylings of Lynch's own music. It's more of an atmospheric/drone album. Much more of a mood album, I would say, than Preacher's Daughter. But I quite enjoyed it and if you like some of the more synthy atmospheric stuff Lynch has done in the past, you might enjoy it.

    To give a couple of specific song recommendations from each, if anyone's interested but not an album person.

    Preacher's Daughter

    • American Teenager (Funnily enough, Ethel hates this one. It's her Dune. She considers it a sellout song where she went mainstream pop. But it is in fact just good. If you'd like an example of "the artist hates this, but everyone else loves it".)
    • Thoroughfare (Great storytelling on this one. Feels sweet and earnest. Takes on a particularly dark hue once you know the story of the album)
    • Ptolemaea (Far and away my favorite on the album. Anger and terror and darkness. Think some of the worst parts of Fire Walk With Me.)

    Perverts

    • Housofpsychoticwomn (So unsettling. Deals with a suffocating obsession.)
    • Pulldrone (Gives me the same sort of dread Lynch conjures in some of his extended "horror" scenes. People slowly walking at the camera. My favorite on the album.)
    9 votes
    1. irren_echo
      Link Parent
      Had not heard of Ethel Cain, but I'm always here for experimental/atmospheric/drone, thanks! I've also been meaning to check out Kentucky Route Zero, I've heard a lot of great things.

      Had not heard of Ethel Cain, but I'm always here for experimental/atmospheric/drone, thanks! I've also been meaning to check out Kentucky Route Zero, I've heard a lot of great things.

      2 votes
    2. Fog
      Link Parent
      Seconded for the Disco Elysium recommendation! You couldn't get me to shut up about this game if you tried. This is a piece of media best explored with minimal knowledge of the lore so as to form...

      Seconded for the Disco Elysium recommendation! You couldn't get me to shut up about this game if you tried.

      This is a piece of media best explored with minimal knowledge of the lore so as to form your own opinions. The game actively challenges political biases and has a wicked sense of dark humor as you piece the story together through dialogue. It's a long but rewarding experience played as little or as long as you want, and may better be understood as an interactive visual novel with game-like elements.

      1 vote
  2. [3]
    TheJorro
    (edited )
    Link
    Deadly Premonition is so heavily Twin Peaks inspired that my pet theory is that Swery watched the entire original series and loved every part of it... but didn't actually understand what was going...

    Deadly Premonition is so heavily Twin Peaks inspired that my pet theory is that Swery watched the entire original series and loved every part of it... but didn't actually understand what was going on because he doesn't speak English. So he made up the story in his own head, and Deadly Premonition is an adaptation of that product. I know Twin Peaks is actually very popular in Japan so this isn't too likely.

    It's one of the absolute strangest games ever made. Technically a low quality mess with some truly inane gameplay mechanics and awful graphics but one of the most interesting and involved stories you'll find in the medium. The end product is a greater than the multiple of its parts, and is rather divisive as a result. Some people think it's one of the worst things they've ever played, other people think it's one of the best. There's rarely a middle ground opinion on the game because it's just so exceptional, for better or worse.

    I wonder if someone ever showed or asked Lynch about this game because he may have genuinely loved that his work was adapted in this manner.

    EDIT:

    It seems the r/Games subreddit compiled a list as the result of the article David Lynch’s presence has been haunting video games for decades

    • Alan Wake (1 & 2)
    • Life is Strange
    • Puzzle Agent
    • Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
    • Disco Elysium
    • Silent Hill 2
    • Kentucky Route Zero
    • Persona series
    • Deadly Premonition
    • Possibly Halo Reach, Earthbound, Link's Awakening
    7 votes
    1. [2]
      irren_echo
      Link Parent
      Oh man, Deadly Premonition sounds great; hopefully my abundant skill issues will be more of a help than a hindrance lol. And thanks for the extra list! I will never make it through all of them,...

      Oh man, Deadly Premonition sounds great; hopefully my abundant skill issues will be more of a help than a hindrance lol. And thanks for the extra list! I will never make it through all of them, but it's good to have goals.

      1 vote
      1. TheJorro
        Link Parent
        Usual advice is to play it on Easy because the devs didn't actually want to add the combat sequences but were forced to. They clearly added them in with no real care either, so there's no benefit...

        Usual advice is to play it on Easy because the devs didn't actually want to add the combat sequences but were forced to. They clearly added them in with no real care either, so there's no benefit to playing them on a harder difficulty.

  3. Lapbunny
    (edited )
    Link
    The game Who's Lila? borrows a lot of visuals, narrative themes, and devices from Lynch films; living bio-smoke machines, entities playing with the idea of self, a small town murder disappearance...

    The game Who's Lila? borrows a lot of visuals, narrative themes, and devices from Lynch films; living bio-smoke machines, entities playing with the idea of self, a small town murder disappearance investigated by a paranormally-aware government worker, etc. Sometimes it's a little too on the nose - someone has a Blue Velvet poster while something Blue Velvet-y happens - but I can't recommend it highly enough, it's a fantastic experience.

    I still need to play it myself, or more likely watch an LP, but a lot of Deadly Premonition is lifted directly from Twin Peaks, except as an extremely janky Japanese 7th gen console game, complete with 3rd person shooting and horrible bugs. People still swear by it as a wonderfully unique experience. Mizzurna Falls on the PS1 is another one. The vibe of Link's Awakening was also noted by the dev team to be influenced by Twin Peaks. (Japan really liked Twin Peaks.)

    There's also David Lynch Teaches Typing. I uh, don't know if I actually recommend it! It is silly. (Everyone has a David Lynch impression, not everyone has a GOOD David Lynch impression...) But hey, it's like 5 minutes!

    5 votes
  4. [2]
    Evie
    Link
    There are a lot of very good Lynchian video games. The Remedy games -- Alan Wake, Alan Wake 2, Control are well written games with horror elements, weird cosmic vibes, and interesting...

    There are a lot of very good Lynchian video games. The Remedy games -- Alan Wake, Alan Wake 2, Control are well written games with horror elements, weird cosmic vibes, and interesting metafictional elements. Silent Hill 2 (haven't played the others) has the perfect small town vibe and some super compelling psychological horror at its center. Kentucky Route Zero is a very good, slightly obtuse and knobbly adventure game with some of the thickest atmosphere I've ever experienced. Deadly Premonition and its controversial sequel are pretty Lynchian, I'm told.

    "Lynchian" is (appropriately, I think) more of a vibe and an aesthetic then like a concrete category. So reasonable people might disagree, but Disco Elysium, Returnal and Pathologic all fit for me. In all three cases, it more or less comes down to a combination of inexplicable supernatural elements, a compelling and unique setting tempered with this kind of 'magical realism' angle, and a very particular style of character writing that's hard to put my finger on. Similar thing with the Sam Barlow games Her Story, Telling Lies and especially Immortality. Hard to say what it is with these games, which are these fascinating FMV games that are very much doing their own thing, but that 'thing' reminds me of Lynch.

    Actually, I realize that I'm kind of just making a list of my favorite games here. Which says a lot. So much of the art I love, you can see glimpses of Lynch in it. He's probably one of the most influential modern artists, despite his relatively small public profile. And to see him go in light of that hurts so terribly -- but is at the same time comforting, knowing his work and the work of those who came after him will continue to move, inspire and unsettle people for generations to come.

    4 votes
    1. irren_echo
      Link Parent
      Same! And the art I make, as well, or so I've been told. Honestly, I was expecting (hoping for?) more not-video game recs, because while I enjoy them occasionally I read much more than I game, for...

      So much of the art I love, you can see glimpses of Lynch in it.

      Same! And the art I make, as well, or so I've been told. Honestly, I was expecting (hoping for?) more not-video game recs, because while I enjoy them occasionally I read much more than I game, for example. So if you wanna toss out any more different favorite art things, I'm all ears.

      1 vote
  5. [2]
    winther
    Link
    Another film director that gives me some Lynchian vibes is Jonathan Glazer. His movies are somewhat darker, but his approach to narrative structure has some similarities. Especially Under The Skin.

    Another film director that gives me some Lynchian vibes is Jonathan Glazer. His movies are somewhat darker, but his approach to narrative structure has some similarities. Especially Under The Skin.

    3 votes
    1. irren_echo
      Link Parent
      Under the Skin was so good, and I enjoyed the book as well. I'll have to look into his other work!

      Under the Skin was so good, and I enjoyed the book as well. I'll have to look into his other work!

      1 vote
  6. [4]
    V17
    Link
    When talking about "lynchian", many people focus on the mysterious, surreal or sinister aspects, but one thing that I loved about Twin Peaks was the ridiculous sense of humor. The first two...

    When talking about "lynchian", many people focus on the mysterious, surreal or sinister aspects, but one thing that I loved about Twin Peaks was the ridiculous sense of humor. The first two seasons are at some points a straight up parody of soap operas, and while the third season dropped that, the occasional funny bits are that much better. So it's not just a juxtaposition of the mundane with something weird or frightening and confusing, it's a strange sense of humor as well, which seems much less common.

    Do any of the works mentioned in this thread fulfill this aspect?

    3 votes
    1. heraplem
      Link Parent
      Hideo Kojima was heavily inspired by David Lynch, and I would argue that the first three Metal Gear Solid games have a lot of Lynchian elements, including a somewhat similar sense of humor.

      Hideo Kojima was heavily inspired by David Lynch, and I would argue that the first three Metal Gear Solid games have a lot of Lynchian elements, including a somewhat similar sense of humor.

      2 votes
    2. TheJorro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Here's a cutscene from Deadly Premonition. It hits notes I think people watch Twin Peaks for, even if not as expertly. But hey, I recommend anyone interest give it a try and see if it matches the...

      Here's a cutscene from Deadly Premonition. It hits notes I think people watch Twin Peaks for, even if not as expertly. But hey, I recommend anyone interest give it a try and see if it matches the appeal of Twin Peaks or if it misses the mark for themselves.

      1 vote
    3. irren_echo
      Link Parent
      Someone mentioned Don Hertzfeldt, and his work tends to be a rather specific kind of silly. I don't know that I'd necessarily call it Twin Peaks style humor, but there is something there that ties...

      Someone mentioned Don Hertzfeldt, and his work tends to be a rather specific kind of silly. I don't know that I'd necessarily call it Twin Peaks style humor, but there is something there that ties them together.

  7. quarkw
    Link
    The Psych episode Dual Spires, which has many cameos from the Twin Peaks cast

    The Psych episode Dual Spires, which has many cameos from the Twin Peaks cast

    2 votes
  8. [2]
    eyechoirs
    Link
    I'll make a bit of an unconventional suggestion and say that a good deal of Satoshi Kon's work bears clear influence from David Lynch. I say unconventional because most people wouldn't expect to...

    I'll make a bit of an unconventional suggestion and say that a good deal of Satoshi Kon's work bears clear influence from David Lynch. I say unconventional because most people wouldn't expect to see genuinely Lynchian anime, but here we are.

    Kon's film 'Paprika' has the same fascination with dreams and features some really creepy, otherworldly depictions of them (the hallway scene in particular, if you're familiar with the film, is pure Lynch). There's also a sort of self-referential subplot about cinema, which also fits the highly intentional artistic approach Lynch took towards all his work.

    Separately, Kon's anime series 'Paranoia Agent' is like if Twin Peaks took place in Tokyo. The main plot device entails people being harassed by what amounts to an evil entity, and there's a lot of weird, dreamlike imagery and just a really unnerving vibe throughout the entire show. Oh, also, at the end of each episode, it cuts to a freaky old dude wearing a tuxedo (a minor character in the show) who cryptically alludes to what will happen in the next episode - clearly an analog of the 'Log Lady' from Twin Peaks.

    Kon's other films - 'Perfect Blue', 'Millennium Actress', and 'Tokyo Godfathers' - are less explicitly Lynchian, but I think they're still indebted to Lynch in lesser ways. And they're all fantastic! I only wish there were more - Kon died rather young due to pancreatic cancer I think, and I've always wondered what else he would have made had he been gifted a longer life.

    2 votes
    1. irren_echo
      Link Parent
      Ohh man, I loved Paprika! It's been years tho, I should watch it again. And I've had many people recommend Paranoia Agent in the past, but they all neglected to tie it into Twin Peaks or Paprika...

      Ohh man, I loved Paprika! It's been years tho, I should watch it again. And I've had many people recommend Paranoia Agent in the past, but they all neglected to tie it into Twin Peaks or Paprika (somehow), so that's finally/officially on my watch list now, too.

      1 vote
  9. [2]
    xk3
    (edited )
    Link
    Since we are talking about Kentucky Route Zero, I'd like to also recommend Road 96. It's totally different but some parts are unintentionally "uncanny valley" in the situational sense. The...

    Since we are talking about Kentucky Route Zero, I'd like to also recommend Road 96. It's totally different but some parts are unintentionally "uncanny valley" in the situational sense. The repetitious dialogue options and mediocre writing (at times) add an element of surreality. It's an imperfect game with moments of greatness.

    And if you haven't seen Twin Peaks you must see S01 at least!

    1 vote
    1. JordanM
      Link Parent
      I very rarely hear Road 96 mentioned online, but I quite enjoyed it as well. Definitely has flaws, but it has a unique charm to it. There's a number of unexpected situations you get into. And it...

      I very rarely hear Road 96 mentioned online, but I quite enjoyed it as well. Definitely has flaws, but it has a unique charm to it. There's a number of unexpected situations you get into. And it very much scratches the itch of "colorful cast of characters that respond in sometimes uncanny ways". The two brothers were my favorite characters by far, but Jared in particular felt like a Lynch villain.

      1 vote
  10. [2]
    bl4kers
    (edited )
    Link
    I've heard people say The Curse (2023) from Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie is Lynchian. I'd say anything from Don Hertzfeldt is pretty Lynchian as well, in its own unique way Oh, another: I'm...

    I've heard people say The Curse (2023) from Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie is Lynchian. I'd say anything from Don Hertzfeldt is pretty Lynchian as well, in its own unique way

    Oh, another: I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

    1 vote
    1. irren_echo
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Love me some Hertzfeldt! I'll have to look into the others though.

      Love me some Hertzfeldt! I'll have to look into the others though.

  11. Rudism
    Link
    There's a 2018 Korean film named Burning that gives me Lynchian vibes. It's also just a brilliant and haunting film that I think more people should see.

    There's a 2018 Korean film named Burning that gives me Lynchian vibes. It's also just a brilliant and haunting film that I think more people should see.

    1 vote
  12. crulife
    Link
    I recommend doing meditation, twice a day, 15-20 minutes. Doesn't have to be Lynch's TM, just sitting in quiet works. I don't know if it will help you or do anything for you, but it'll certainly...

    I recommend doing meditation, twice a day, 15-20 minutes. Doesn't have to be Lynch's TM, just sitting in quiet works. I don't know if it will help you or do anything for you, but it'll certainly be lynchian. Many people report positive results after a month of doing that, though.

    Personally, I'm using Sam Harris's guided meditations sometimes, and sometimes just sitting in quiet. You don't really need the guidance after listening to a couple dozen of them.