In the iconic pilot of Twin Peaks, David Lynch masterfully captures the mundane rhythm of everyday life within a high school setting. A student sneaks a cigarette, another is summoned to the principal's office, and attendance is being taken in a classroom. The scene shifts abruptly when a police officer enters and whispers to the teacher, prompting a scream and the sight of a student running across the courtyard. The teacher struggles to hold back tears as the realization dawns that an announcement is imminent. Lynch then focuses his camera on an empty seat in the classroom, as two students exchange glances, understanding that their friend Laura Palmer is dead.

Lynch's talent lay in his meticulous attention to the surface details of life, yet he always probed deeper, uncovering the unsettling undercurrents that lurked beneath. This scene from Twin Peaks encapsulates the thematic essence of his career, highlighting the tension between normalcy and the disquieting unknown. However, it's also not the definitive Lynch scene, as his prolific career spans over four decades, filled with moments that resonate uniquely with each fan.

The term "Lynchian" has become synonymous with an unsettling, dream-like quality that defies easy explanation, much like the complexities of Lynch's work. This quality is what makes his passing so difficult for fans to accept; he was an artist with a singular voice, yet his appeal varied widely among individuals.

Few artists are honored with their own adjective, yet "Lynchian" joins the ranks of "Kafkaesque," transcending the specifics of his work to describe a broader, disorienting experience. Unlike terms like "Spielbergian" or "Scorsese-ish," which often refer to specific stylistic elements, "Lynchian" captures a more elusive, unnerving atmosphere.

Watching Eraserhead has been a rite of passage for budding film enthusiasts, a tradition that continues across generations. Lynch's influence is timeless, as seen when a new generation independently binges Twin Peaks, exploring the Windom Earle era of Season 2.

Lynch's work has an odd timelessness, exemplified by the 2017 revival, Twin Peaks: The Return. Here, he placed a child in a bedroom reminiscent of 1956, complete with cowboy decor, reflecting his own childhood. Yet, this child inhabits a world of Lynch's surreal imagination, where dimensional clones and violent encounters are part of the narrative fabric.

Twin Peaks: The Return arrived during a Hollywood trend of nostalgia reboots, but Lynch subverted expectations by not relying on the original series' key characters in a conventional way. His refusal to conform was quintessentially Lynchian.

Lynch's foray into mainstream Hollywood with Dune resulted in a notorious misfire, yet it bore his unmistakable imprint. Despite the challenges documented in Max Evry's book, A Masterpiece in Disarray, Lynch infused the film with bizarre imagery, like the infamous cat/rat milking machine, showcasing his unique vision even within a troubled project.

Lynch's films also possess a haunting beauty, as seen in The Elephant Man, which, while touching on mainstream themes, delves into the unsettling world of Victorian sideshows, highlighting the plight of John Merrick. This too is a testament to the "Lynchian" essence—finding beauty and humanity amidst the strange and disquieting.

Attempting to categorize Lynch's work into genres or tropes is futile, yet his distinctive style remains unmistakable. His films explore a world beneath the surface, often literally pulling back curtains to reveal hidden truths. Blue Velvet exemplifies this, starting with a seemingly idyllic suburban setting before descending into a dark underworld of crime and surrealism, influenced by a mid-century Americana that masks deeper truths.

Lynch's influence spans generations of filmmakers. Initially inspired by predecessors, he eventually became a significant influence himself, embodying the essence of "Lynchian." This term continues to resonate in contemporary cinema, as seen in films like I Saw The TV Glow, which captures a Lynchian atmosphere through its surrealism and visual style, directly inspired by Twin Peaks.

Filmmakers like Yorgos Lanthimos, Robert Eggers, Ari Aster, David Robert Mitchell, Emerald Fennell, Richard Kelly, and Rose Glass have all drawn from Lynch's well of surrealism and dark humor. Even Quentin Tarantino and Denis Villeneuve, in their pre-blockbuster works, reflect Lynch's otherworldly influence.

David Lynch, seen here with Jack Nance on the set of Eraserhead, represents the end of an era. His films, which often evoke a sense of nostalgia while exploring the hidden depths of reality, continue to inspire new generations of filmmakers. As we look beneath the surface, we're reminded of the enduring "Lynchian" legacy that he leaves behind.