Eraserhead

Play trailer

0:46

Eraserhead

1977

1h 29m

Horror

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

83 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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

J. Hoberman

Village Voice

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.

Jan 23, 2025

Full Review

Linda Gross

Los Angeles Times

Monster babies, like concentration camps, are bad subjects for jokes. Although Lynch's taste is objectionable, his directorial talent is unquestionable.

Jan 23, 2025

Full Review

Steve Morse

Boston Globe

I guess you can sell some people on anything as long as you tell them it's avant-garde.

Jan 23, 2025

Full Review

Pat Padua

Washington City Paper

...took several years to complete but unspools like a single, unforgettable fever dream.

Apr 30, 2025

Full Review

Brian Bisesi

Horror Movie Club Podcast

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.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 29, 2025

Full Review

Noah Berlatsky

Everything is Horrible (Substack)

David Lynch’s stunning debut remains a weird touchstone for art cinema snobs and lovers of the surreal everywhere.

Jan 23, 2025

Full Review

Read all reviews

tommy

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/25

Full Review

Coce I

A storyline so disturbing visuals and unsettling for me. Really shows you how society functions. unique cult classic.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/30/25

Full Review

Alex O

Lynch uses impressionistic visuals and haunting sounds to depict how Henry confronts his dread and self-destructive impulses, culminating in a surreal confrontation with his fears and a strange moment of release. The film is widely regarded as a deeply symbolic work reflecting on human vulnerability, fear, and the impact of repressed emotions.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/28/25

Full Review

Noah S

Movie was alright, not my type of movie and it was sort of disturbing. I would probably never see this movie again.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/18/25

Full Review

Jack F

Ok, ok, parenting is scary... but does it have to be like this?

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/17/25

Full Review

Cailei P

Its unsettling imagery and industrial soundscape create a something that feels both strange and oddly human. Lynch’s debut is strange and uncomfortable. It’s truly an experience.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/13/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

David Lynch

Director

Jack Nance

Henry Spencer

Charlotte Stewart

Mary X

Allen Joseph

Mr. X

Jeanne Bates

Mrs. X

Judith Roberts

Beautiful Girl Across the Hall

Audrey Rose

57%

43%

Audrey Rose

Watchlist

Burnt Offerings

50%

44%

Burnt Offerings

Watchlist

The Tenant

85%

87%

The Tenant

Watchlist

The Sentinel

43%

45%

The Sentinel

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Sentinel

The Island of Dr. Moreau

54%

40%

The Island of Dr. Moreau

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Eraserhead: Trailer 1

0:46

View more videos

View more photos

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)

Most Popular at Home Now