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Eraserhead

Play trailer 0:46 Poster for Eraserhead 1977 1h 29m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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87% Tomatometer 84 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Henry (John Nance) resides alone in a bleak apartment surrounded by industrial gloom. When he discovers that an earlier fling with Mary X (Charlotte Stewart) left her pregnant, he marries the expectant mother and has her move in with him. Things take a decidedly strange turn when the couple's baby turns out to be a bizarre lizard-like creature that won't stop wailing. Other characters, including a disfigured lady who lives inside a radiator, inhabit the building and add to Henry's troubles.
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Eraserhead

Eraserhead

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Critics Consensus

David Lynch's surreal Eraserhead uses detailed visuals and a creepy score to create a bizarre and disturbing look into a man's fear of parenthood.

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Critics Reviews

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J. Hoberman Village Voice Jan 23
Eraserhead's not a movie I'd drop acid for, although I would consider it a revolutionary act if someone dropped a reel of it into the middle of Star Wars. Go to Full Review
Linda Gross Los Angeles Times Jan 23
Monster babies, like concentration camps, are bad subjects for jokes. Although Lynch's taste is objectionable, his directorial talent is unquestionable. Go to Full Review
Steve Morse Boston Globe Jan 23
I guess you can sell some people on anything as long as you tell them it's avant-garde. Go to Full Review
Max Allen Horror Movie Talk Dec 4
7/10
Time moves awkwardly slow, a low hum and sharp static hang over most of the scenes, and even the mere movements of the characters feel so off. Go to Full Review
Pat Padua Washington City Paper Apr 30
...took several years to complete but unspools like a single, unforgettable fever dream. Go to Full Review
Brian Bisesi Horror Movie Club Podcast Jan 29
4/5
Eraserhead is unsettling on nearly every level. The film is so surreal as to be profoundly disorienting, but still maintains enough structure to give emotional weight to its themes. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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tommy Feb 1 The ugliness of the universe is pulling the levers to release the baby (spirit) into the world dropped in to the water (wet planet earth) hairy hole gurney dirty industrial area the dirtiness of man the torn photo is how he feels about her he’s torn she is attached to her mother like the puppies to theirs In American culture family is everything keep grandma involved a slight toward the poultry industry man made chicken has her in a trance the divine comedy she’s crying bill is smiling Americans getting married due to tradition they don’t want to be together a child out of lust may not be as nurtured as one out of love she is a prisoner of her own thoughts she’s packed her bag and made up her mind the light in the furnace everything in heaven is fine go to the light his wife is the parasite in his life she’s causing nightmares the woman in the furnace is the woman of his dreams his worm in the box is his dirty little secret you can experience the light and things you want but Henry is attached to his earthly wants the ugliness of the universe shows it’s face if you stay of you give up on your dreams you will become another object to be used someone will come along and steal your thoughts and get paid for it lust not fulfilled baby laughs kill what keeps you attached and you will obtain heaven See more Geraldine V @Gerald3n111 Dec 18 this film was strange and I kinda got bored while in the middle of watching it. but overall there were some parts where it gave me goosebumps. See more Valeria P @valp15 Dec 18 Eraserhead is a haunting, surreal masterpiece that is as disturbing as it is mesmerizing that showcases David Lynch's unique vision. See more Wendi F @wendydj Dec 18 this movie is unsetteling! i fell asleep in the middle of it and woke up because i was having a nightmare i think because of the sound of the movie. See more Bnk 3 @TylerSalazar Dec 18 This film was strange and made me feel creeped out like a nightmare you try to escape but can't. The movie attempts to use images and creepy sounds to make the audience feel lonely and anxious. A true cult classic not for the faint of heart though. See more Justin N @justinnave Dec 18 David Lynch’s Eraserhead is a nightmarish, surreal masterpiece that feels like stepping inside a dream—or a fevered hallucination. The film’s black-and-white visuals, industrial sound design, and unsettling imagery create a constant sense of unease that lingers long after it ends. The story of Henry and his deformed child is minimal, but every scene is loaded with symbolism, dark humor, and psychological tension. Eraserhead isn’t meant to be "comfortable" or conventional—it’s an experience, a work of art, and a landmark in experimental cinema. See more Read all reviews
Eraserhead

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Movie Info

Synopsis Henry (John Nance) resides alone in a bleak apartment surrounded by industrial gloom. When he discovers that an earlier fling with Mary X (Charlotte Stewart) left her pregnant, he marries the expectant mother and has her move in with him. Things take a decidedly strange turn when the couple's baby turns out to be a bizarre lizard-like creature that won't stop wailing. Other characters, including a disfigured lady who lives inside a radiator, inhabit the building and add to Henry's troubles.
Director
David Lynch
Producer
David Lynch
Screenwriter
David Lynch
Production Co
American Film Institute
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 17, 1977, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 25, 2015
Runtime
1h 29m
Sound Mix
Surround
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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