Eraserhead, Lynch’s first feature-length project, started streaming on Tubi on October 6th. “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with an 87% critic score and 82% audience rating, the black-and-white surrealist body horror film is one of the wildest movies in Lynch’s filmography. It stars Jack Nance as Henry Spencer, a factory worker and first-time father attempting to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and his newborn mutant baby. Charlotte Stewart, Jeanne Bates, Judith Anna Roberts, Laurel Near, and Jack Fisk also star in the cult classic film.
Eraserhead Is a Fever Dream of a Movie
Eraserhead is the type of film where you never truly understand what’s happening, and you’ll either love it or hate it. An experimental and intensely surrealist film filled with dreamlike logic and grotesque imagery, the movie set the tone for Lynch’s career and established his signature style: confusing plots focused more on atmosphere than narrative, surreal imagery, and unsettling sound design.
The movie, widely interpreted as being about the anxieties of fatherhood, operates on a deeply psychological level to create a visceral viewing experience that sticks with you long after the movie ends. From the anxiety-fueled, nightmarish atmosphere of an industrial, decaying landscape and grotesque and abstract imagery to the haunting soundscape, every piece of Eraserhead works together to evoke a lingering sense of dread and unease that pulls the viewer into the protagonist’s psyche. Eraserhead will leave you feeling completely unsettled and wondering what exactly you just watched. The movie, preserved by the U.S. National Film Registry, definitely isn’t for everyone, but it’s an undisputed masterpiece of surrealist cinema that leaves a lasting impression.
Tubi features a massive catalog of horror movies that are all free for streaming, and even more titles joined the lineup in October. Movies like An American Werewolf in London, Arachnophobia, Don’t Breathe, Grind House: Death Proof, The Hills Have Eyes, The Omen (1976), and The Ring are all now available on the Fox free streaming service. Tubi is also streaming a few family-friendly spooky films, such as The Spiderwick Chronicles, Coraline, and Goosebumps.
Lynch fans also have a few options for streaming. In addition to Eraserhead, Tubi’s library features Shadows of Paradise, Blue Velvet, and Blow Out.
