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Blue Velvet

1986 · directed by David Lynch · 120 min
25,036 feet · Prominence
481st of 15,261 films scored
Not coveredNo Rewatchables episode on file.

How this film scores

Draw44

$9m worldwide in 1986 — $26m in today's money.

As released$9mIn 2026 money$26mRank4,807 of 8,589In 198668 of 117

How Draw works

Inflation-adjusted worldwide box office, on one global curve, and nothing else. It does not know whether a film was good.

Praise85

Critics 83, awards 26. Half each, so Praise lands at 85.

Critics83 → 42Awards26 → 13

Oscars1 nominated Director
Golden Globes1 nominated Supporting Actor
How Praise works

Half critics, half a tiered award record where Picture and Directing carry most of the weight. Praise is the verdict at the time; Legacy is the verdict since.

Legacy72

Judged directly: Lynch landmark, Frank Booth permanently iconic.

Verdict72 of 100IMDb7.7 from 235kWikipedia72k views a monthAge40 years

On the listsCriterion CollectionSight & Soundevidence, not an input to the score
Scored beside it · 257 of 3,430 films judged

If it does not belong in this company, the number is wrong.

How Legacy works

Legacy is a judgment, not a formula. A film can be adored by critics and culturally quiet, or lightly reviewed and permanently lodged in the culture, and no arithmetic over IMDb numbers tells the difference. Every signal behind it keeps updating.

draw 44 praise 85 legacy 72averages 67, which places it at25,036 ft
How the three become one number

Added, not multiplied, so a film transcendent on one pillar and weak on another is not zeroed out. A compression curve then squeezes the top, because the seven greatest films ever made should not be four thousand feet apart.

In these careers — elevation for this film

No scored career runs through this film yet. The people-side engine currently covers 108careers, and this film’s cast sits outside them. Top billing: Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern.