In this day and age of a thousand different cable channels, as well as streaming services like Netflix and Hulu popping up every eight seconds, it’s not that surprising to see some more off-the-wall content being produced for the masses. However at the time that the TV series Twin Peaks initially began to air, it was one of the weirdest shows in TV history. It’s honestly baffling that ABC ever even picked it up in the first place.
But obviously there was just something about Twin Peaks that worked, because even after only two seasons the show developed a cult following that kept going for so long that Showtime eventually revived the series for another season more than a decade and a half after the show was canceled. But even now the series has a legion of fans, and if Twin Peaks is the kind of bizarre mystery that you enjoy, here are ten films you’re guaranteed to love too.
Memento
When it comes to trippy mystery movies, there are very few films out there in the world that are trippier or mystery-er than Memento. This Christopher Nolan film is one of his earliest and wildest works, and it’s one of those movies where as the end credits start rolling you’ll want to watch it all over again. The movie follows the story of Leonard Shelby, a man who lost his ability to form new memories after an accident and can’t remember anything that happens more than a few minutes in the past. The movie’s story is told backwards, and Leonard uses a variety of tools like photos and tattoos to keep all the information he really needs.
Oldboy
There aren’t many movies in the world that push the boundaries of storytelling more than the Korean film Oldboy. The movie focuses on a man named Dae-su who is abducted by unknown captors and imprisoned in a room by himself for a decade and a half, with no clue or explanation as to why.
After those fifteen years he finally escapes, and promptly begins investigating his kidnapping and captivity. To say that Dae-su falls down the rabbit hole would be an understatement, and if anyone decides to give this movie a shot, be forewarned that it’s darker and crazier than anything you could possibly expect at the beginning.
Arrival
Arrival and Twin Peaks are two fictions that don’t seem to have very much in common on paper, but in reality, there is a kind of hallucinogenic strangeness to both of them that is really unique. Arrival tells the story of the landing of a bunch of alien crafts and the attempts of a human linguist to communicate with the aliens that exist within them. The story seems straightforward enough at first, but as the tale progresses, it becomes more and more apparent that all is not as it seems. Any fan of Twin Peaks will undoubtedly enjoy Arrival’s strange twists and turns too.
M
Austrian filmmaker Fritz Lang is undoubtedly best known for his work on Metropolis, one of the first dystopian science fiction movies ever made. But another gem from his body of work is a film called M. M was one of the director’s first forays into film with sound, and famed actor Peter Lorre plays the lead character. The movie focuses on the hunt for a child serial killer, and although the film was made in 1931, it still feels as relevant today as it did when it first came out (if not more so, considering the subject matter of the movie).
Get Out
If you’re one of the few people left on planet Earth who hasn’t yet seen Jordan Peele’s debut horror film Get Out, then what have you been waiting for? The hype around Get Out was extraordinary, but this movie is one of the few examples where hype is not only warranted, but the actual end product will outdo even the highest of expectations.
Spending a weekend alone with a bunch of passive-aggressive white people is a nightmare in even the best of circumstances, but when Chris accompanies his girlfriend Rose to meet her family at their upstate New York home, the mystery that he begins to unravel is as insane as it is terrifying.
Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler is the directorial debut of filmmaker Dan Gilroy, and boy did he want to start his career off with a bang. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the lead character of Louis Bloom, a man who makes his living by finding and recording tragedies and crimes that occur over the course of the night in LA and then sells the footage to news stations to air the next day. Louis seems to have a knack for the job and he’s always looking to up his game, but this antisocial eccentric proves that he is willing to do whatever it takes to get the best footage possible.
Blue Velvet
As much as it’s great to branch out and try new things, sometimes if you like a particular thing then it’s just good to stay in the same lane because you’re at least almost guaranteed to keep enjoying yourself. And there’s a reason why David Lynch is such a beloved and renowned filmmaker, because his style and storytelling is just so uniquely his own. So if you enjoyed Lynch’s work with Twin Peaks, then why not give another one of his films, Blue Velvet, a shot. This mystery film noir was written and directed by Lynch, and even stars Twin Peaks alum Kyle McLachlan.
Badlands
Anyone who considers themselves a fan of strange, mysterious crime dramas needs to see Terrence Malick’s landmark movie Badlands. The film stars Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek as a pair of disaffected youths who follow in the footsteps of famous criminal couples like Bonnie and Clyde or Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate (if you haven’t heard of them, they were the real life inspiration for the characters).
After Spacek’s father tries to force her to break up with Sheen’s character (when she is 15 and he’s 25), Sheen murders her father, and they both fake their own suicides by burning down the house. They take off to the open road, killing people and committing other crimes at any available opportunity.
Gone Girl
If you’re someone who really liked Twin Peaks then you’ll undoubtedly love Gone Girl, because Gone Girl is essentially the story of Twin Peaks if the real answer to Laura Palmer’s mysterious death was that she faked her own death and framed her husband for her murder. The titular girl in Gone Girl is Amy Dunne, a woman who is unhappy with her cheating husband and disappointed in herself for letting her life become absorbed by a man who wanted to change her. So she does what any rational person would do — she spends months setting up her own disappearance and ensuring that all of the evidence left behind will point the finger at said cheating husband.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
So it’s safe to assume that anyone reading this article is more than a little familiar with Twin Peaks the TV series, however some may not have heard of Fire Walk with Me, the movie prequel to the TV series. Obviously if you enjoyed the trippy mystery that is Twin Peaks, then you’re pretty much guaranteed to enjoy the prequel film, which follows both the murder investigation of a woman named Teresa Banks as well as the last week of Laura Palmer’s life. It has all of the weirdness that you could want from a David Lynch film while offering even more insight into Twin Peaks.
