Eraserhead

Eraserhead (1977)

  • 90% of critics liked it
    (42 reviews)

  • 82% of users liked it
    (51,500 ratings)

Filmed intermittently over the course of a five-year period, David Lynch's radical feature debut stars Jack Nance as Henry Spencer, a man living in an unnamed industrial wasteland. Upon learning that a past romance has resulted in an impending pregnancy, Henry agrees to wed mother-to-be Mary… More

R, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By
David Lynch
Written By
David Lynch
Genres
Drama, Horror, Special Interest
In Theaters
Jan 1, 1977 Wide
On DVD
Jun 7, 2005
Libra Films

Critic Reviews

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    The mind boggles to learn that Lynch labored on this pic for five years.

  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

    Some of it is disturbing, some of it is embarrassingly flat, but all of it shows a degree of technical accomplishment far beyond anything else on the midnight-show circuit.

  • V.A. Musetto, New York Post

    Lynch, as he does with all his films, refuses to explain anything, although he does say that he has yet to read an interpretation that matches his.

  • Nathan Lee, Village Voice

    What a masterpiece of texture, a feat of artisanal attention, an ingenious assemblage of damp, dust, rock, wood, hair, flesh, metal, ooze.

  • Douglas Pratt, Hollywood Reporter

    It represented a monumental shift in how movies are seen and digested -- one that raised the level of aptitude and film literacy throughout the world.

Read all 18 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Sophie B


    Really not my type of film. I just found it annoying and boring. I'm sure a lot of stuff happens in the subtext and stuff but I just wasn't interested. I didn't want to find out what was going to happen. There were many moments where I really felt 'what on earth is… More

  • Graham J


    Horror in white noise. The "In Heaven" scene is great.

  • Tyler K


    A bizarre surrealist film by one of my favorite directors, David Lynch, is what Eraserhead is. My take on this film the first time I saw it was that it was strange and cool. My second take said the same thing, just with the scary factor removed... but on my third take, I decided to… More

  • paul o


    Its not scary but different. I didn't love it or hate it, I just thought it was something that separates itself from the crowd. In the end, I have no idea what its about but I want to see more Lynch!

  • Lucas M


    Eraserhead presents a terrific plot, just like the direction of Lynch, our screenplay and the strange and unforgettable actings of the cast. A surrealist and shocking portrait of parenthood, an schizophrenic view of another side of the cinema. Bizarre, scary and until funny, David… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Cast

See full cast

facebook_logo

Now you can share movies with your friends on Facebook!

  • Discover movies your friends are watching
  • Keep track of what you want to see
  • Add your reviews to your Timeline