Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

The final chapter of the Twin Peaks saga revisits the last week of Laura Palmer’s (Sheryl Lee) life, standing as one of David Lynch’s most controversial films. Here, the stories of two teenage girls intertwine with the fates of FBI agents: Chester Desmond (Chris Isaak), who is trying to track down the killer of Teresa Banks (Pamela Gidley), and Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), haunted by ominous visions. As in Blue Velvet, the surface presents an illusion of normalcy, while darkness and trauma simmer beneath. Upon its release, the film was a commercial failure and met with mixed reviews. However, time has softened its initial criticism, revealing Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me as a deeply unsettling meditation on guilt and confusion—crafted by Lynch in collaboration with Robert Engels. It serves as a prequel, though one best viewed after the series. Many consider it a pivotal moment in Lynch’s career, marking his departure from conventional narratives in favor of an increasingly surrealist and dreamlike approach.

Joanna Najbor

David Lynch (1946 – 2025) – an American director, screenwriter, producer and visual artist, born in Missoula, Montana. He studied painting in Philadelphia, before moving to Los Angeles to make films. He began production on his feature-length debut, Eraserhead, while still a student at the American Film Institute’s Centre for Advanced Film and Television Studies, which initially provided funding for the project. Lynch was one of the most original and influential cinema visionaries. His signature mix of surrealism, genre tropes and experimental narration found favour with a wide audience. Lynch’s films relied heavily on striking visual and soundtrack elements, which always function as integral parts of the complex structure of his works. In addition to directing, he has practised painting, photography, meditation and experimented with new media. A three-time Oscar nominee, Lynch was awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for Wild at Heart (1990).