Her Name Was Laura Palmer

Movies: Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

Spoilers, baby.

I'm sure David Lynch had noble intentions when he set out to make a feature length film "prequel" to his haunting cult TV show Twin Peaks. And I'm sure the audience came to the film expecting it to answer some of the questions left unanswered by the abrupt and bizarre finale. But the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me struck me as unnecessary at best and exploitative at worst. According to Wikipedia, Lynch originally filmed five hours worth of footage and eventually trimmed it down to two hours and 15 minutes for theatrical release. Perhaps those extra 2 hours and 45 minutes contained a larger back story and answered more questions about the supernatural elements of Twin Peaks, but the film as is just appears to be an excuse to show what happened to Laura Palmer the night she died, as well as the fear and torment she underwent in the weeks leading up to her death. And it ain't pretty. In fact, it feels a little like snuff to me. I really didn't need to watch Laura and Ronette Pulaski scream and cry for 20 minutes while they are terrorized, sexually assaulted, and finally murdered (well, Laura is murdered and Ronette escapes). It's not really that explicit, but it does seem unnecessary.

That's not to the say that the tone of the film is any different from the tone of the TV show. Twin Peaks the show had terrifying moments and dark glimpses into the human (and other-than-human) soul. The show had violence that would seem lurid and exploitative if taken out of context. But the key difference between Twin Peaks the movie and Twin Peaks the show is that the show actually had context. The movie does not. Thus, scenes and descriptions of violence and abuse in the show serve to move the plot forward and are part of a larger whole. Similar scenes in the movie just seem...gross.

In addition, Lynch trots out some of our favorite characters. But why? Special Agent Dale Cooper, who was the heart and soul of the TV show, is here for a bit, but his presence has nothing to do with the rest of the movie. In fact, it seems to raise more questions than it answers. New characters are introduced and then dismissed. Odds and ends from the show are brought into the film and then never explained (example: creepy old lady with the grandson who could make creamed corn magically disappear are in the movie and give Laura a weird picture to hang on her wall. If haven't seen the show, don't ask). 


Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me manages to be both boring and unpleasant. If you're a Twins Peaks completist, then it might be worth a watch. Otherwise, you won't miss out on much if you stick with the show.

2 out of 5 stars