In celebration of the life and career of David Lynch (1946-2025), we present Blue Velvet, widely considered his magnum opus, and one of the greatest films of all time.

Admired by filmmakers and cinephiles alike, David Lynch is one of history’s most revered auteurs for a reason. His spellbinding films straddle the supposed line between dream and reality, only to scribble it out and whisk the viewer into his singular vision of tragic beauty and unspeakable terror.

Blue Velvet is a deeply evocative and empathetic exercise in surrealism that, given its many competing layers of meaning, defies any singular understanding or interpretation. Indeed, the film’s true power and beauty lies in its polysemy; simultaneously both a broad examination of suburban life and the darkness suppressed within it and a personal story borne from nostalgic daydreams and nightmares. The film was recently ranked at 85 in Sight and Sound’s Greatest Films of All Time list.