Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
Updated: 12/11/2025, 8:16:16 AM Wikipedia source
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is a 1992 psychological horror film directed by David Lynch, and co-written by Lynch and Robert Engels. It serves as a prequel/sequel to the television series Twin Peaks (1990–1991), created and produced by Mark Frost and Lynch. It begins with the FBI's investigation into the murder of Teresa Banks (Pamela Gidley) before shifting to the last seven days of the life of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), a popular-but-troubled high school student in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington. Palmer's murder was the primary plot thread of the TV series. Greenlit shortly after the TV series was cancelled, Fire Walk with Me has a much darker tone than the TV series and does not address many of season two's unfinished narratives, including its cliffhanger ending. Although most of the television cast reprised their roles for the film, many comparatively lighthearted scenes featuring town residents were cut. In addition, the series' main star, Kyle MacLachlan (Dale Cooper), asked for his role to be downsized, and Lara Flynn Boyle's character Donna Hayward was recast with Moira Kelly. In 2014, several deleted scenes were recut and released as Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces.
Fire Walk with Me premiered at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival in competition for the Palme d'Or. The film was notoriously polarizing: Lynch said that the film was booed at Cannes, and the American press generally panned the film. The film was controversial for its frank and vivid depiction of sexual abuse, its relative absence of fan-favorite characters, and its surrealistic style. The film was a box-office bomb in North America, but fared better in Japan and France. Due to the poor reception, plans for a sequel were abandoned. However, the film has been positively re-evaluated in the 21st century, and is now widely regarded as one of Lynch's major works. Lynch and Frost eventually received funding to produce a third season of the TV series in 2017, which revisited several plot threads from the film. In 2019, the British Film Institute ranked Fire Walk with Me the fourth-best film of the 1990s.
Infobox
Tables
| Award(s) | Category – Nominee(s) | Result |
| Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or – David Lynch | Nominated |
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best Original Score – Angelo Badalamenti | Won |
| Best Female Lead – Sheryl Lee | Nominated | |
| Saturn Awards | Best Music – Angelo Badalamenti | Won |
| Best Actress – Sheryl Lee | Nominated | |
| Best Horror Film – Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Actor – Ray Wise | Nominated | |
| Best Writing – David Lynch and Robert Engels | Nominated |
References
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- This is later revealed to be the scene where Leland Palmer kills Teresa Banks.
- Teresa's body is discovered under similar conditions as Laura Palmer's body in the pilot of the TV series: floating down
- Laura's diary is further discussed in episode 11 of the TV series.
- In episode 29 of the TV series, Cooper is trapped in the Red Room and is replaced on Earth by a doppelgänger possessed b
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- In episode 14 of the TV series, Bob drugs Sarah again to set up the murder of Maddy Ferguson, and Sarah has a similar vi
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