Lynchian: The Spell of David Lynch

by John Higgs

'Terrifically lucid and compact . . . an unassumingly intuitive and insightful brief history . . . will tell you more about [Lynch's] life and filmmaking than a thousand academic studies'
PETER BRADSHAW, THE SPECTATOR

The loss of David Lynch in January 2025 produced an extraordinary outpouring of love and grief that revealed how deeply he mattered. But the strength and size of this reaction came as a surprise to many. In life, Lynch was a wilfully obtuse cult filmmaker who had been unable to get a film financed for the last two decades of his life. In death, both the man himself and his work are unquestionably in the pantheon of all-time greats.

He leaves behind an adjective, 'Lynchian', a term used to describe work that echoes his. And yet, only Lynch could be truly Lynchian, and those who copy him fail to have an impact. So why does his work affect people so deeply? Why do some find it haunting and unforgettable while others dismiss it as meaningless? Answering that question takes us into the strange realms of psychology, art and theology. We will discover why ambiguity and mystery are so seductive, how Lynch's creative and meditative practices overlapped and why a director whose work contains so much abuse of women has such a female-skewing fanbase.

Through a personal, first-person lens, Lynchian unpacks the mystery but refuses to solve the enigma of an artist whose work reshaped cinema from the inside out - where story gives way to dreams, and meaning lies not in answers, but in experience.

119 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 13, 2025

About the author

Also see J.M.R. Higgs

Reviews

[Hanne Rømsing]

Love you forever, Lynch, old pal.

[Matthew Yeldon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A eulogy of sorts for the man and unique genius that was Lynch. I learned a few interesting tidbits and the author’s love for the director is evident, but I don’t know what is being added to the story of the man himself. The more negative moments of his career are only glossed over and deserve more attention. Lynch and his works are legend already and will eventually qualify as myth, of that I have no doubt. His art, his ideas, his instincts are unparalleled. This is a donut of a book.

[Simon Blackman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whistle-stop tour around the life and works. Would have liked it to be longer and more in depth.

[Craig White · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favourite social commentator tributes my favourite cinematic creator, a respectful and appropriate tribute. No deep dives here, none promised, none needed. A fan's collection of all we can know is here, a lasting obituary to the only man who could ever have been Lynchian.

[Derek Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Higgs is always a day one buy for me. This is a great book on Lynch and what made him tick. A pleasure to read.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, and affectionate, tribute to David Lynch. Didn’t learn anything new, but I don’t think that was the purpose of the book.

[Sophie Beeby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful insight into the life and mind of the unparalleled David Lynch. It will make you, without doubt, want to binge his entire back catalogue and be more wind.

[Stagger Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable, brief, fairly simple read. No massive insights or revelations but it tackles Lynch from every angle - including his mental health and his creative processes. Left me wanting more, tbh

[Simon Barraclough · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent approach to this overused adjective. More books about adjectives, please.
RIP DKL

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book doesn't need to be long to love it. An extended love letter to Lynch and his work. Perfect