David Robert Mitchell doesn't make the same movie twice. In just four features, he's bounced from a low-key teen hangout to a modern horror classic, then to a baffling neo-noir, and now to a big-budget dinosaur spectacle. It's a filmography that defies easy categorization, and each entry brings its own strange energy. Whether he's working with a tiny indie budget or a studio-sized one, Mitchell's films feel like they come from a restless, curious mind. Here's how his four movies rank, from the most puzzling to the one that comes closest to a masterpiece.
4. The Myth of the American Sleepover (2010)
Mitchell's debut is a coming-of-age dramedy that feels like it's trying to channel Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused, but it lands somewhere far more elusive. The title's word "Myth" hints at something deeper, but the film itself is a strange mix of the mundane and the dreamlike. Teenagers drift through a long summer night, but the drama is muted, the romance is barely there, and the comedy is almost nonexistent. It's a movie that might be intentionally amateurish, or just genuinely undercooked. Either way, it's a curious start that shows flashes of Mitchell's later ambition, but it's the least essential of his works.
3. The End of Oak Street (2026)
After an eight-year gap, Mitchell returned with a dinosaur movie that feels like a love letter to Steven Spielberg's blockbuster era. Set in 1982, it drops a small group of people into a prehistoric landscape, and the result is a thrilling, sometimes bloody adventure. It's not a Jurassic Park sequel, but it borrows liberally from that franchise, as well as from Poltergeist, Close Encounters, and Jaws. Anne Hathaway leads a cast that also includes some of 2026's biggest stars, and the film delivers the kind of dinosaur mayhem that Jurassic World Dominion only teased. The ending is divisive, but the ride is undeniably fun.
2. Under the Silver Lake (2018)
Mitchell followed up his horror breakout with a paranoid, sprawling neo-noir that's as frustrating as it is fascinating. Andrew Garfield plays a slacker who becomes obsessed with a missing woman, and his investigation leads him down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, pop culture references, and hidden messages. It's a movie that's less about plot and more about atmosphere, and it's packed with so many ideas that it can feel overwhelming. Some see it as a misunderstood gem, others as a mess. But it's undeniably ambitious, and it's the kind of film that rewards multiple viewings.
1. It Follows (2014)
Mitchell's second film is his best, and it's the one that made him a name in horror. It Follows is a slow-burn nightmare about a supernatural entity that pursues its victims at a walking pace. The concept is simple but terrifying, and Mitchell executes it with a dreamlike dread that's hard to shake. The film's synth score, its suburban Detroit setting, and its timeless quality (it's set in an ambiguous era) all contribute to its power. It's a modern horror classic, and it's the closest Mitchell has come to making a film that feels truly timeless. If you've only seen one Mitchell movie, make it this one.
Mitchell's filmography is small but varied, and each entry offers something different. Whether you're in the mood for a haunting horror, a baffling mystery, or a dino-filled adventure, he's got something for you. And with The End of Oak Street now in theaters, it's a good time to revisit his earlier work and see how far he's come.
