Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

The film is alarmingly dark. It isn’t especially funny, or quirky, or even much in keeping with the spirit of the series. But in its own singular, deeply strange way, Fire Walk With Me is David Lynch’s masterpiece.

This may be the most truly disturbing movie to come along since Lynch's Blue Velvet of 1986...But for those who are willing to go the distance with Lynch, the return trip to Twin Peaks is well worth the trouble. [31 Aug 1992]

Though the movie ups the TV ante on nudity, language and violence, Lynch's control falters. But if inspiration is lacking, talent is not.

Judged by the standards of ordinary filmmaking, it's as strange, suggestive, and surreal as other Lynch pictures have been. Judged by the standards of Lynch's own career, however, it's amazingly stale and second-hand… [and] contains not a single moment of genuinely felt emotion. [1 Sept 1992]

There's the scene in which Jacques, the French Canadian proprietor of the Power and Glory, tells Laura, "I am the Great Went," to which she responds, "I am the muffin." Jacques returns, "I'm as blank as a fart." Maybe all Jacques is saying is "I am full of gas." Certainly Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me seems to be.

It's all rather haphazard, and fans will wait in vain for Sheriff Harry S Truman, rich girl sexbomb Audrey Horne and the rest, or for more Cooper. Brief bits that avid viewers can understand will render the film incomprehensible to the new viewer. [29 Aug 1992]

A two- hour-plus surrealistic bummer - it makes the audience feel as if it is coming down from a virulent drug. (The pacing, the images, the music and the endemic menace recall clinical descriptions of cocaine-induced paranoia.)...A disgusting, misanthropic movie.

A work of genius from David Lynch. Absolutely the single most disturbing movie I've ever seen. Undeniably incredible!

I think to understand this movie, you have to want to understand this movie and then stop trying. I don't mean understand on a conceptual level, although the underlying narrative is pretty clear. This is an emotional, even spiritual understanding, to use a word that may be taboo to many. Lynch is authentic, he is honest and he is filled with love, as far as I can tell. If these aren't your values, then maybe this film isn't for you. Watching Seasons 1 & 2 of Twin Peaks is required to absorb this film as fully as possible. I firmly believe this man has touched off something realer than many have and he's offering it to you. We do not know what this world is about, what this existence is. Watch this to get glimmer, to come in contact with some of the deepest energies of humanity. It is possible to experience this art piece and feel that nothing will ever be the same. That may not happen for you, but know that it's possible.

This has many of the same good and bad points as other David Lynch films. It answers some of the questions from the TV series, but loses much of the mystery. Some of the plot strands fizzle out.

As someone who LOVED the series, I must say that even though it was enjoyable, its notably worse (the bar is set too high). Everything surrounding Lynch and Twin Peaks is absolutely crazy, and this also has its disadvantages.

Movie isn't bad. Art direction is primorous as Lynch always does it. This spin-off can be interesting for TP's fans seeing Laura before she dies but this prequel tells nothing beyond that Twin Peaks' series viewer already knows and even if you doesn't ever saw show before, you may be stay out all series' symbology, beyond which, if you watch film first, many of series' mystery will miss out. In another words, film doesn't adds for who watched Twin Peaks and it isn't indicated to who never saw serie and wants to watch it.