My mother and I never shared any common interests until the spring of 1990 when we were introduced to the world of Twin Peaks. Full of quirky characters who seemed trapped in time in the beautiful Pacific Northwest town of Twin Peaks, the now iconic television series began with the murder of teenage Homecoming Queen Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) who was found washed up on the shore of the fictional Black Lake wrapped in plastic. My mother and I were hooked from the first episode and began a ritual of watching the newest episode together every Thursday night while having donuts and coffee and discussing theories on who might have killed Laura Palmer. We religiously looked forward to our Thursday nights in Twin Peaks and we eagerly devoured all 30 episodes of the series’s two seasons until it was cancelled in 1991. Visionary director of the show, David Lynch (Blue Velvet), said, “I look at the world, and I see absurdity all around me. People do strange things constantly, to the point that, for the most part, we manage not to see it.” That was the appeal of Twin Peaks. Lynch’s work taught us to notice and appreciate the absurdity in life. I was a budding cinephile; my mother was not. But we bonded over this weird, wonderful show. Twin Peaks has always been special to me because it was the only thing my mother and I ever shared and harmoniously adored, and I will forever be grateful to David Lynch for that.
L-R: Kiefer Sutherland as Sam Stanley and Chris Isaak as Special Agent Chester Desmond in TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Created by Lynch and Mark Frost (Hill Street Blues), Twin Peaks was groundbreaking in the way it brought a radically different cinematic feel to television using high concept storytelling that combined mystery, horror, and dark humor. Eccentric FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) is sent to Twin Peaks to investigate the murder of Laura Palmer, but the show also spends a lot of time focusing on the interactions of the bizarre residents of the town.
In 1992, Lynch and Frost returned to Twin Peaks with the prequel Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, which follows the events leading up to the death of Laura Palmer and the seven days before she was killed. Written by Lynch, Frost, and Robert Engels (Wiseguy; Twin Peaks), the film is much more graphic, disturbing, and darker than the television series. As loyal fans of the series, my mother and I excitedly went to see Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me when it opened in theaters. My mother hated it because of the graphic nudity and distressing subject matter; I was mesmerized.
Sheryl Lee as Laura Palmer in TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is Lynch’s most dreamlike, painfully beautiful film and a brutal but compassionate story about death and surviving trauma. Throughout the film, Lynch brilliantly portrays humanity as being capable of both good and evil. We can see in the days leading up to her death that Laura Palmer’s innocence has been stolen because of her father’s abuse, leading her to adopt coping mechanisms like drug use and promiscuous behavior. In contrast, the film depicts her best friend Donna’s wholesomeness and naivety, includes references to angels watching over Laura, and the good-hearted nature of Agent Dale Cooper.
Kyle MacLachlan as Special Agent Dale Cooper in TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Now The Criterion Collection is releasing a director-approved special edition 4K digital restoration with 7.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack which includes one 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and a multitude of fascinating special features. The restoration is breathtaking. It looks and sounds great, almost as good as seeing it in the theater in 1992. From the horn-focused, jazz-influenced opening theme of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me to the deeper, foreboding, but also hopeful “Laura Palmer’s Theme,” Angelo Badalamenti’s (Mulholland Drive; Blue Velvet) score highlights the surrealism, perfectly complements the themes of good and evil, and is especially effective during the darker moments; the sleazy, sexy, dreamy vibe of “The Pink Room” makes it one of the most memorable songs in the film.
Michael J. Anderson as Man From Another Place in TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
The Criterion special edition of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is loaded with in-depth, engrossing special features, including “The Missing Pieces,” an eye-opening 90 minutes of deleted and alternate scenes, and “Between Two Worlds,” a wonderful 2014 conversation between David Lynch, Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, and Grace Zabriskie.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me Special Features:
- 4K digital restoration, with 7.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, both supervised by director David Lynch
- Alternate original 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
- One 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
- The Missing Pieces, ninety minutes of deleted and alternate takes from the film, assembled by Lynch
- Interview by Lynch with actors Sheryl Lee, Ray Wise, and Grace Zabriskie
- Interviews with Lee and composer Angelo Badalamenti
- Trailers
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: Excerpts from an interview with Lynch from Lynch on Lynch, a 1997 book edited by filmmaker and writer Chris Rodley
- Cover by Fred Davis
Available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray October 7th, 2025.
For more information, head to the official The Criterion Collection Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me webpage.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews
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