David Lynch: The Art Life

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David Lynch: The Art Life

2017

1h 30m

Documentary

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80 Reviews

75%

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500+ Ratings

The life and career of iconic director David Lynch are explored in more than 20 conversations recorded with him at his home.

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Critics Consensus

David Lynch: The Art Life offers a look at the director's life and craft whose unusual approach is in keeping with its subject's singularly strange aesthetic.

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Donald Clarke

Irish Times

Focusing on the artist's work up to the creation of Eraserhead in 1977, The Art Life is utterly essential for his many followers. They may be surprised by how much of it makes sense.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 11, 2017

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Andrew Lowry

Empire Magazine

Crucial for serious fans of Lynch, even if it may baffle newcomers.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 17, 2017

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Simran Hans

Observer (UK)

Fans will make connections with Lynch's personal anecdotes and the images they know from his films, but watching the artist explain his work is never as interesting as the art itself.

Rated: 2/5

Jul 16, 2017

Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

It offers a portrait of Lynch's formative years and his creative process as an artist, but at times it remains in superficial zone where revelations are absent and the pace creeps forward like an oil canvas drying on a wall. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 6/10

Jan 20, 2025

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Adrienne McIlvaine

Vague Visages

If ever a soul was captured on camera, this is it.

Feb 6, 2024

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The film provides Lynch novices and fanatics with a fascinating peek inside of his entirely self-contained, self-created world, and the result is similar to his films in that it's fascinating, a little scary, visually engrossing, and worth every second.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 23, 2022

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Mason M

I'm not usually a big fan of documentaries, but this is probably my favorite that I've seen. The editing and visuals are amazing, it's very insightful into Lynch's artwork and early life. If you're a David Lynch fan, The Art Life is a must see.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/22/24

Full Review

Alec B

Yeah the focus is on Lynch's painting career and childhood/adolescence but these anecdotes help put his filmography in context. You may not still understand his movies but you'll definitely see what inspired them.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/03/24

Full Review

Donald J

A documentary that wisely lets the subject tell his story through the use of multiple mediums. "The Art Life" is a superb picture, vitally capturing the aesthetic of David Lynch, making the documentary as absorbing as the director's works.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

If you are looking for an in-depth, career-spanning doc on the filmmaker that is David Lynch, you will be criminally disappointed. If you're a fan of David Lynch talking a little, painting a little & chainsmoking a lot, then this is for you

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

05/12/22

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie itself is a piece of art.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

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Audience Member

5/10 very boring, even for a fan

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

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Jon Nguyen

Director

David Lynch

Self

Jon Nguyen

Producer

Sabrina S. Sutherland

Producer

Jason Scheunemann

Producer

Kurt Kittleson

Executive Producer

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David Lynch - The Art Life: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

The life and career of iconic director David Lynch are explored in more than 20 conversations recorded with him at his home.

Director: Jon Nguyen
Producer: Jon Nguyen, Sabrina S. Sutherland, Jason Scheunemann
Screenwriter: Matt Lutz
Distributor: Janus Films
Production Co: Absurda, Duck Diver Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 31, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $169.5K
Runtime: 1h 30m

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