David Lynch: The Art Life poster
Review

David Lynch: The Art Life 2016

Directed by Jon Nguyen, Rick Barnes, Olivia Neergaard-Holm · 89 mins · 2,268 views

4.2 Letterboxd 3.83(37,423)
Ratings J S C I ˗ R M V A S

Synopsis

An intimate journey through the formative years of David Lynch's life. From his idyllic upbringing in small town America to the dark streets of Philadelphia, we follow Lynch as he traces the events that have helped to shape one of cinema's most enigmatic directors.

Trailers

Reviews (37)

  1. J
    Justin LaLiberty 8 月 22, 2026

    I could listen to David talk about his hatred of school for hours. “Powerful hate.”

    538 2
  2. S
    SilentDawn 8 月 22, 2026

    79 – A young-adult David Lynch shows his dad a decrepit basement full of dead animals and other specimens for the purpose of artistic expression. – His dad, right after, tells him to not have children. – Lynch then finds out his girlfriend is pregnant. The ultimate cosmic fuck-you.

    1,724 8
  3. C
    claira curtis 8 月 22, 2026

    Needed to just sit and soak in Lynch’s history, his art, his perspective, him. Lynch believes in the continuation of the soul beyond physical death. He’s still here, just in a new form. The art lives on forever. “And I knew my stuff sucked. I needed to burn through- I needed to find what was my mine. And the only way to find it is to just keep painting and keep painting and keep painting and see if you catch something.”

    444 1
  4. I
    itscharlibb 8 月 22, 2026

    ugh yes.

    722 12
  5. ˗
    ˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗ 8 月 22, 2026

    could listen to this legend talk for hours he’s literally the coolest weirdo ever i don’t know a better man

    386
  6. R
    Robert Franco 8 月 22, 2026

    It’s an hour and 30 minutes of David Lynch telling stories, smoking cigarettes, and painting… What more could you fucking want?!?

    770 3
  7. M
    Matt Singer 8 月 22, 2026

    Clearly this is not what I was supposed to take away from this documentary, nor it is what we must remember David Lynch for, nonetheless it must be said: David Lynch had the coolest fucking hair ever.

    909
  8. V
    vi 8 月 22, 2026

    god i love this weird weird old man

    861
  9. A
    adriane 8 月 18, 2026

    yosi plus kape maybe some red wine

  10. S
    sara 🧚🏼‍♀️ 8 月 18, 2026

    but what did mr. smith say ?????!!!

  11. R
    Ritchie Tamayo 8 月 18, 2026

    “No one walks out on Bob Dylan!” “I walk out on Bob Dylan! Now get the fuck out of here!” “That was the end of Peter as my roommate.”

  12. J
    Joseph 8 月 18, 2026

    Rest easy GOAT ❤️

    3
  13. T
    tabbyvonmeow666 8 月 18, 2026

    I liked the part where he talked about sitting in a mud puddle

  14. E
    Emily Day 8 月 17, 2026

    this could’ve been 89 mins of him reading a restaurant menu and it still would’ve been 5 stars. every thing he does and every story he tells is so captivating. miss him.

    1
  15. S
    sgarin 8 月 17, 2026

    rip king miss your vision

    1
  16. B
    Brandon4000 8 月 17, 2026

    Just finished reading Room to Dream so had to give this a watch

    1
  17. C
    Carlos 8 月 17, 2026

    Slow and methodical, much like Lynch himself, for better or worse. The gentler pace makes more sense once you realize this is an origin story, not a life recap. Love that Lynch narrates it; watching him paint and craft is also fascinating. A great peek into a great mind.

    1
  18. Z
    zacksanyour 8 月 16, 2026

    My twin tho

    1
  19. E
    Ethan 8 月 16, 2026

    in awe

  20. M
    Maroenk 8 月 16, 2026

    Legendary yap session with David Lynch. Truly inspirational stuff. What a mind this man had

    1
  21. U
    utkukaragul 8 月 14, 2026

    Benim yaşlılık ya resimleri muhteşemdi sürekli sigara içmesi de beni benden aldı

    2
  22. B
    bongzilla666 8 月 14, 2026

    Coffee and cigarettes, maybe some red wine. Yeah.

  23. Y
    Yeager_Ishan 8 月 14, 2026

    thoughts, dreams, cigarettes, music, painting. beautiful things. also deep hatred, violence, torture, experiment, doubtfulness. absolutely incredible, terrifying things, yet beautiful.

  24. C
    cowboyoism 8 月 13, 2026

    as someone who didn’t know much about David Lynch this really opened my eyes into the mind of that was this great man. His art does really speak its own language and its as beautiful as it is haunting at times. Definitely a documentary everyone should see at least once in their lives. An hour and half of “evil” Bob Ross smoking cigarettes and telling stories while showing off his art. Perfection.

    1
  25. P
    psychovsky 8 月 13, 2026

    Απορώ πώς γίνεται να μην το είχα δει αυτό. Ένα ντοκιμαντέρ αντάξιο του Lynch, η αισθητική ήταν πολύ κοντά σ’ αυτόν, κι ας μην ήταν ο ίδιος σκηνοθέτης. Πάρα πολύ καλό, στην ουσία σου παρουσιάζει την καλλιτεχνική του πορεία από παιδί και πώς έφτασε στη δημιουργία του Eraserhead. Εύγε και καρδούλα

    2
  26. C
    chaia 8 月 13, 2026

    i really adore this.

    1
  27. F
    filmchudd 8 月 12, 2026

    I could listen to David Lynch talk for hours and never get tired of it

    1
  28. В
    Вович Айтрай 8 月 12, 2026

    Я вообщето хотел посмотреть неонового демона, но у меня был ночной сеанс и родители спали, а в неоновом демоне очень тихие диалоги и очень громкая музыка. Я не хотел чтобы родители проснулись и дали мне пизды. Это борьба за жизнь. Дэвид Линч крутой дядька был люблю его сильно

    3
  29. J
    JuaniMarengo 8 月 12, 2026

    El “David no deberías tener hijos” se lo tomo tan personal que tuvo crías hasta los 70

    1
  30. K
    KilianKnight 8 月 11, 2026

    i was dumb enough to actually believe i was gonna get a cohesive documentary about David Lynch. what an idiot i am.

    3
  31. 𝓒

    David Lynch was such an effortlessly cool dude.

    1
  32. E
    Ethan Moreira 8 月 11, 2026

    obviously, yes!

  33. R
    Rollo Tomasi 8 月 10, 2026

    “What I loved about it was the world, and having it be my own little place… where I could build everything and get it exactly the way I wanted it for hardly any money, it just took time. It just…was so beautiful. Everything about it… Everything about it.”

    1
  34. P
    Petie J. 8 月 9, 2026

    Oh David

    1 1
  35. A
    alewonders 1 月 6, 2026

    I love David Lynch forever and ever

  36. S
    StifStaf 7 月 25, 2025

    Great doc

  37. C
    Carl Patterson 7 月 20, 2017

    It was very good and certainly worth the wait. Just to see him, literally, sticking stuff to canvases. He must get a great sense of flow, of being lost in that creative process. And I got my name in the titles.

    1

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My rating

D David Lynch Self
L Lula Lynch Self - David Lynch's Daughter
Director Jon Nguyen, Rick Barnes, Olivia Neergaard-Holm
Producer Jon Nguyen, Jason S., Sabrina S. Sutherland, Thure Munkholm, Airrion Copeland, Mahlon Chute, Adam Crossnoe, Collette Carpenter, Alain Cayrol, Rory Bhandari, Grace June Cleere, Elliot V. Kotek, Joseph Gribbin, A.D. Liano, Adam Harding, Andreas Bätzel, Alina Holgate, Jeremy Hobbs, Matt Brandstein, Greg Schuler, Palmer Stilwell Taipale, Yasmine Mehmet, Chad Miles Romney, Jessica Gerlach, Brandon Dinklage, Huib Snijders, Jacques Burtin, Mark Pickenheim, Kip Piper, Mark Reynolds, Brett McConnell, Nickie Huai, Clayt Hudson, Carol Gray, Mario Van der Meulen, Joni Steele Kimberlin, Don Erlandson
Synopsis
An intimate journey through the formative years of David Lynch's life. From his idyllic upbringing in small town America to the dark streets of Philadelphia, we follow Lynch as he traces the events that have helped to shape one of cinema's most enigmatic directors.
Director
Jon Nguyen, Rick Barnes, Olivia Neergaard-Holm
Studio
Kong Gulerod Film, Duck Diver Films, Hideout Films
Country
USA
Language
English
Year
2016
Runtime
89 mins

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