Queen of Hearts: A Twin Peaks Fan Film (2022) User Reviews

As another fan put it. "A labor of love."

[nazcarfanatic24 · 7/10 · 1 December 2022]

The meanness, the nastiness, it really isn't necessary. This was a fan film made by someone with a deep love of Twin Peaks.

The dialogue and scenes are quirky much like you'd expect. Charlotte and Nico's performances really stand out. These two young talents have a bright and wonderful future ahead of them.

Are their technical issues which could be better, yes. Are there scenes that were shot in houses, hotel rooms, and offices which obviously stand out? Yes.

There were numerous technical and personal setbacks the director faced. Despite the odds, he brought his vision to life.

Can you, who mock and deride him, do better with the same equipment and the same budget?

Cameron Cloutier is a better filmmaker than I am, know why? Because he got off his butt and made a movie. Which is more than I've ever done.

There's heart in this fan film.

For fans of Twin Peaks as a whole

[jrwoolleyfilms · 7/10 · 21 November 2022]

If you have enjoyed Twin Peaks in its entirety from 1990 to the present day, with the fantastic return in 2017, this film comes in 5 acts and has a similar feel to the episodic structure of the first two seasons. There are some surrealist touches here and there particularly when it comes to the genuinely well-done and sensitive portrayal of the Caroline Earle character as played by the charming and charismatic Charlotte Roi. This is a project which takes it time but does pay-off in its emotional weight and effective film-making. Well done to Cameron and his actors, a promising debut. Damn fine.

I can't believe they actually released this, after seeing the finished product

[MaryHutter · 1/10 · 7 December 2022]

I can't believe someone actually saw the final product, and didn't immediately delete it off their phone. This feels more like a home video meant for family and friends, than a serious attempt to make something for public consumption. They should have tried for a short film to gain experience, before committing to make a four hour movie. Speaking of which, you feel every second of that ludicrous running time. The filmmaker sadly felt the need to shoot every thought he had in his head, and unfortunately we as an audience paid the price. The acting was terrible, but I am sure these all had to be friends that had their weekends free. I have seen worse, but even experienced actors couldn't salvage a story this weak, and a movie this cheap looking. Somewhere David Lynch is shedding a tear for what was done with his iconic characters.

To call this a "film" is too generous

[CooperScooper · 1/10 · 28 November 2022]

I don't know where to start. I watched Queen of Hearts episodically as the parts were individually released over the last year hoping that they would begin to gel at some point and feel like a unified body of work, but that was naive. I understand that this is a low budget fan film (well, the budget was higher than one might think after watching this, but I digress), but the writing feels more like a parody of Twin Peaks than a continuation of the story by someone familiar with the content. The dialog made me cringe. Annie berates Cooper at one point, and it's just completely inconsistent with how that character communicates in the series, like the filmmaker only picked up on how the actors look and not how they carry themselves or behave toward one another. That brings me to the acting. The lead actress was the only one who seemed like she had any on-camera experience. The rest felt like a high school theater production that was perpetually on the verge of bursting into song. And though it doesn't quite come to that, there are a number of musical montages that derail any sort of mysterious Peaks-like mood that the filmmaker was attempting to establish. I'm not talking about 20 second interludes where music takes over in the absence of dialog. I'm saying they play Sweet Caroline IN ITS ENTIRETY. I'd say they may have been padding it out for time, but creeping up on four hours total, I can't imagine that was the case. The lighting and audio were so distracting throughout. It was difficult to make out what the characters were saying because whatever mic they used was picking up every sound in the room. Most irksome was the lack of lighting. If a scene took place at night, I had to question whether I was meant to see what was onscreen at all. I think Mr. Cloutier is simply an inexperienced filmmaker who bit off more than he could chew. I would not recommend this to Twin Peaks fans, but I might recommend it for a Razzie.

It's like watching paint dry, only that doesn't take four hours

[ronkoja · 1/10 · 3 December 2022]

Queen Of Hearts A Twin Peaks Fan Film is like watching paint dry, although watching paint dry doesn't take up four hours of ones time. The acting does not get any worse than what you see in this movie, and it looks far cheaper than what it cost to make. Fan/cosplay movies like this range in quality, but this is definitely a lower tier project. I can only imagine the director is very young, as he doesn't seem to have a grasp of how to operate the camera, I would suggest next time he tackle a lesser property, as Twin Peaks is far beyond him at this stage of his career. We always the genuine article with Lynch's classic work at least, as Queen Of Hearts isn't worth one minute of the four hour commitment.

A thoughtful fan film

[sabrinawaqar · 10/10 · 19 November 2022]

The film delivers fresh and imaginative content. The actors too represent true essence of original characters under excellent direction by Cloutier. That Cloutier pulls off multiple roles: writer, producer, director, editor successfully, is remarkable. The choice of music, scenes shot at original sites in Washington, sets to pay homage to key original themes such as the black lodge, coupled with believable special effects, transport the fan right back to the mystical world of Twin Peaks, where pacing and tension created by the scenes keeps the fan engaged and craving more! A brilliant fan film.

So bad it's good but, it's really, really bad.

[westrichard-21873 · 1/10 · 19 November 2022]

Watched this with a couple people on a discord call out of a curiousity, we are all huge Peaks fans

Listen. I have never laughed so hard in my entire life.

It's pure cringe. I know that's overused terminology on the internet but that's what it is. I feel embaressed for everyone involved. I really feel bad for the actress who played Annie. She seems so sweet, she did NOT want to be there. We could tell. She didn't deserve any of this.

I don't care if it is a fan film, it still has to function as a film.

Looking at it from technical perspective everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Just pure incompitence on every front. There are moments where the person who directed this wanted to get a close-up so he just decided to zoom up on a person's face in post-production. But he never stopped to think if zooming in would make the shot look blurry. The biggest problem is the sound, sometimes it's all echoy, sometimes it's too soft, or full. The lighting is weird too... like, they just turned on the overheads and called it a day. There is no depth of field so everything looks flat and no intrest in making things look good cinematography wise. There's liscened music literally STOLEN. Which one could say this is all stealing, but one is paying homage with a fan film, one is just taking when reusing music. It's a mess.

Like, it astounds me that the person overlooked some of this stuff! And there are a million of these tiny screw ups. The biggest one is the black lodge. Instead of investing in strobe lights they cut out everyother frame and it just looks like buttsauce. My epleptic friend had to leave the call. The black lodge doesn't even have the right floor, there is a seem in the middle of it!

Like, there was no passion or drive. Probably the most hialorously bad thing about it is the r*pe scene in the first act where the bad cooper just decides not to r*pe annie. Like she says no, and he's like.... okay I will do my r*ping elsewhere. Like what? Imagine if someone came from mars, suffered from a dibilatating brain injury and then was forced to write dialougue for a Twin Peaks fan film.

Other scenes drag on way too long. There is this one time where the Annie character is driven home and it takes a hour for the car to arrive. THen she has to walk up a flight of stairs in her high heels. And none of the costumes fit so she's half-stumbling. Annie is as intresting as a brick BTW.

(God that actress does NOT want to be there.)

Cooper is cooper as cooper was in the show but lacks the charisma of Kyle Mclaughlin. The girl that cooper is in love with is one of those manic pixie dream girl types. ("This was written by a dude!", shouts everyone on the discord call at once.)

What's funny about QoHaTPFF is that it's based on a show that surrounds a mystery. But QoHaTPFF has none of that. It just has cosplay, wooden acting, and a runtime of 4 hours.

Gone with the Wind is four hours.

QoHaTPFF is four hours, it doesn't need to be four hours.

An Ernest Film About Wonderful and Strange Characters

[joeypedras · 10/10 · 20 November 2022]

Queen of Hearts: A Twin Peaks fan film comes from the same place most fan films of any famous property do: an absolute love for the source material. This film centers on Annie Blackburn, the troubled, determined soul that brought light to the final stretch of the original Twin Peaks run. A character underserved by the most recent Twin Peaks story that definitely deserved a story of her own. Annie is plunged into a reality and responsibility she did not ask for, but is compelled to do the right thing when put up to the task.

The film stars many first time as well as seasoned actors placed in the shows roles made famous by Kyle Maclachlan, Heather Graham and many more. While performances are a tad touch and go at first, throughout the film the actors can be seen embodying and interpreting these iconic roles with their own gravitas and flare. The subject matter ranges from comedic and heart warming to dark, traumatic affairs as it dives into the morally grey relationships of the characters before entering their Twin Peaks centered realities. The interweaving stories of Queen of Hearts are treated with extreme attention to detail from Twin Peaks source materials. Rarely a line or notion is out of place, and props are as true to Twin Peaks barring their associated serial numbers. This Twin Peaks is not the Twin Peaks of Lynch/Frost, but they echo through each and every character, line, and frame.

Queen of Hearts: A Twin Peaks fan film serves as exactly that, a fan film. This fan funded, low budget production does not serve to be a Hollywood spectacle, but an intimate, personal story for an endearing audience. Lynch himself has notioned that Twin Peaks is a continuing story. A dream from the dreamer and those who live inside the dream alike. Queen of Hearts was the Twin Peaks dream of one person that decided to place actors and cameras in a room to create that dream. Queen of Hearts is simply one dream in the infinite realities of Twin Peaks, and it was a blast watching those characters and places personified in that dream.

For the fans asking for more

[skyishpaperclipslover-32797 · 10/10 · 21 November 2022]

The main takeaway I had with this film was that it was made for the fans. There are no drastic character and story changes which would anger you. There are many fun callbacks that aren't too annoying and in your face. A lot of the acting is surprisingly good for a fan film. It captures the Lynch feel in a way more similar to Blue Velvet rather than Twin Peaks. Most of all, the movie shows you can still make Twin Peaks in 2022. You don't have to make "The Return". As well, the ending manages to make you want more even after the long running time. There are a few flaws though. It works better episodically. The audio is inconsistent. And there are too many musical montages.

But with no sign of any more seasons and the OG cast dropping off like flies this movie is a very welcome entry into the Twin Peaks universe. Plus, you can go back and watch the journey to making the film and feel like you are apart of the process.

Great Film

[jojolopez-64460 · 10/10 · 20 November 2022]

"Queen of Hearts" is without a doubt the greatest "Twin Peaks" Fan Film that will probably ever get made.

In my humble opinion, is is 100% canon.

Everything works to pull you back into the amazing world created by David Lynch and Mark Frost.

You get it all: Annie, Cooper, Caroline, Windom, the Lodges, Flashbacks, Flash Forwards and a climax that is stunning.

This was never meant to be a surrealistic mystery film in the conventional sense--but a character driven story about the most mysterious thing of all: human behavior.

I loved it from start to finish and I feel a true "Twin Peaks" fan will embrace it with open arms.

A Film With Big Heart

[BigLoveReviews · 9/10 · 20 November 2022]

This film was a long time, dedicated labor of love and it shows.

The writing is outstanding. Some of the lines blew me away. Interesting dialog and engaging monologues kept me immersed throughout the story. Nico was so good as Cooper I forgot I was watching a different actor. He gave Cooper a vulnerability that we hadn't seen before. Madison gave Annie new life. Annie was never a character that interested me. This film gave her strength and purpose other than a love interest. My outlook on Annie has forever changed. Seeing the relationships between Cooper, Caroline and Windom was fascinating and touching. Charlotte did a fantastic job at creating a personality bigger than life for Caroline. Bravo to all the actors in the film!

The cinematography is top notch. Interesting angles and framing. Never boring to look at and stays true to the original shows aesthetic.

The music is so good. Perfectly timed and poignant. Every time I would hear one song choice, I couldn't wait to hear what song choice would be next. There is a lot of personality in the choices and they are so well thought out. I think it might be my favorite aspect of the project.

It's a fantastic film done with a lot of love, heart and dedication. If you're a true Twin Peaks fan, this is right up your ally.

Unfortunately, there are trolls out there who are determined to inflict damage to this project. They try to seem impersonal about it in their posts but, don't be fooled. They are not judging it based on truth. This troll attack is premeditated. They probably haven't even watched it. So, pay no mind to them.

Great Addition To Twin Peaks Story

[depechemodelovercom · 9/10 · 11 June 2023]

Ok first it is a fan generated film, although quite well done considering. Basically centers on the Annie Blackburn character, providing both a prequel to Twin Peaks as we know it, and a bit of a sequel to top it off. Pretty much sticks with the canon mythology of the series and books, but gives an in depth concept to Annie and her importance, which of course sadly was never in the authentic Twin peaks show. Gave it a 9 for good writing and concept, taking away a point only for a technical issue, the night scenes were way too dark, hard to see on the TV. Being a fan film, one would not expect the same quality of actors as in the real Twin Peaks, so did not judge at all on that. I had a nice feeling of satisfaction at the end of this film. Long too, 4 hours or so, but it went by quite nicely. Highly recommend to all fans of Twin Peaks.

Haters gonna hate

[nonplanar · 10/10 · 21 November 2022]

It's so blatantly clear those who vote a one for this fan-film are on a personal vendetta against some or all of the people who poured their own hearts into this flick. Very sad. The truth is, it's a fan-film. Not a 10-million dollar TP episode. See it as such. Judge it as such. Perhaps then you'll see it's beauty.

If you truly don't like it, that's okay: you're entitled to your opinion. Though you should consider to refrain from making accusations and posting libel comments. It might come back at you a bite you in the ... Yes, everyone knows this isn't going to win any awards. If you don't get that, you're missing the whole point of fan-films.

Wow Annie Wow!!!!!!!!

[josiepackard · 10/10 · 1 December 2022]

What a bold move to take on this dual spire of a story. Annie Blackburn and Caroline Earle, two women at the heart of this story. We also get to explore why such a man like Cooper would have an affair with his partner's wife. All of these characters collide in a huge character epic and it's thrilling from start to finish. Yes, if you're expecting a $30 million dollar production, you may be thrown back by the low budget of this film; though the people who made this clearly went above and beyond what a typical low budget production does. It looks great and the viewer is 110% committed to the story. Really well done and gorgeous.

The great and moving adventures of Annie Blackburn

[Ludovic_Ligot · 10/10 · 21 November 2022]

In my opinion, all Twin Peaks fans should watch this movie. They won't waste their time... and here is why.

The director Cameron Cloutier knew what he wanted and what he was doing, as a long time dedicated fan of the TP universe. His goal was to tell us more about Annie Blackburn (played by Heather Graham in the David Lynch series), because he thought she deserved it. And he was absolutely right : in this movie, Annie becomes a true heroic figure, living strange adventures. An important note : the script never contradicts the official Twin Peaks stories !

The technical quality is excellent overall. Obviously, one can find minor problems, but don't forget the small budget... All actors and actresses did a good job. Special congratulations to Madison Bates, who played Annie AND produced the movie ! The story is really clever and interesting, with many touching, strange and magical moments. Music is everywhere... and I really can't complain about that either.

Some will say it's too long and too slow. Then watch it in several parts. The story, the characters and the direction never disappointed me, and even after 3,5 hours, I wanted to know more... Well done !

A wonderful film from beginning to end

[reneistheman · 10/10 · 22 November 2022]

Pay no attention to the negative "reviews" on here. They are the product of 1-2 trolls with multiple accounts determined to bombard the reputation of this fan film simply because they can.

As my title says, this is a wonderful film from beginning to end and if you have been following the production, release and reception, you know that a lot of people have been rooting for this film to succeed. And it does, in many, many ways.

The characters and their arcs keep in line with the series and movie and one truly believes they are watching these characters.

Yes, the actors are not Heather Graham and Kyle MacLachlan but it needn't matter.

All of the actors in "Queen of Hearts" are incredible and by the end, you accept them as these new iterations of once and familiar characters.

The film is long but is paced brilliantly, making one feel the film is going to tell this story without skimping around the edges.

The negative comments on here are just meant to be negative and mean spirited, nothing more. It's a real shame people target this film and Cameron just to be annoying. With all their anonymous accounts, it's not like they can take credit for their banality.

It's not like they can stop the film from being made anymore. It's been made and people who love "Twin Peaks" love it.

Cameron and his team have won. "Queen of Hearts" is brilliant, exciting, touching, funny, heart warming, a mind trip and just plain fun.

Take your anger and resentment elsewhere.

This Film is a 10 and I Will Always be its Number 1 Fan

[kilybricht · 10/10 · 7 December 2022]

I attacked this film and its director for many years, for no reason but self amusement.

I only stopped because the filmmaker discovered my real identity.

I did terrible things. I created numerous social media accounts and got others in the Twin Peaks fan community to believe what I wanted them to think about this film and boycott it.

My only goal was to stop this film from being made because I was jealous. I was also mad that I had not gotten the recognition I feel I deserve in Hollywood. Not sure why I was so angry. My therapist is still working with me.

This film was made out of affection and wasn't trying to be anything more than what it is.

Now I see the error of my ways.

This film is tremendously entertaining. The best film I've seen since "Married to the Mob" back in 1988.

Without DREAMERS in this world, no creative endeavor would come to fruition :)

[nrnnik · 10/10 · 23 November 2022]

QUEEN OF HEARTS: A TWIN PEAKS FAN FILM, is a creative & layered script, and a EXCITING extension in the world of TWIN PEAKS! Pulled me in immediately with the theme song and where we last left off, from Season 2. Brought back to life! The story flows from one scene to the next beautifully! It satisfied my NEED for more of this magical world. Throughout the film, I teared up many times. Happy and heartfelt tears. It's simply an amazing labor of LOVE & DETERMINATION! YOU DID IT CAMERON! NO ONE, can take that away from you and your dedicated cast, and the amazing, Madison Bates! IT IS A MUST WATCH!

A film that made me laugh, shout and cry in the best possible way.

[paulolafsveen · 10/10 · 24 November 2022]

Queen of Hearts. A Twin Peaks fan film, a labor of love , that I absolutely loved.

The thing I really appreciate about Queen of hearts is, Cameron has taken an interwoven storyline and made it heartfelt and honest. It's through the story's relationships and the character's obstacles they have to confront and overcome that's mind blowing.

But that's the genius of Queen of Hearts. This incredible piece of work's ability, to give resolution, clarity and answers, where before, there were none; is why, this jaw dropping body of work, is so incredible.

Great writing. A must watch for Twin Peaks fans looking for answers.

Epic Twin Peaks Fan Film!

[tpuberfan · 10/10 · 30 November 2022]

Love, love, love this film. It's so good. So many moments made me gasp, think, feel, smile, jump and go wow. I'm so happy to see such kindness in these other reviews because this film deserves it. Everyone who worked on this film deserves praise for pulling off the near impossible. I can think of a million ways this film could have been bad but everyone involved knew what they were making and respected the material that came before.

They clearly understood the assignment and gave us more Twin Peaks memories to hang our hats on. I am so thankful for this and for the cast and crew who brought this to us. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I was wrong

[diekelstorkfarm · 10/10 · 30 November 2022]

When I first heard about this project, I went on a tirade. Only David Lynch and Mark Frost should make "Twin Peaks", I thought. I then did a really juvenile thing and targeted the filmmaker for wanting to make it. I tagged everyone I could find in the "Twin Peaks" fan community and made it a goal to turn them against the film.

I even went to blogs writing about the film and blasted it in the comments.

Now that I have seen the film, I can say that I was wrong. I would have been wrong even if I didn't like the film because my online behavior had been disgusting.

The finished film is really incredible and fun, with great performances and mood. Seek it out.

Watching this film felt like coming home

[marthagrimes · 10/10 · 1 December 2022]

I have spent a lot of time up in PNW where Twin Peaks was shot and it always felt like home to me. Watching this film made me feel like I was back in the area, as well as when I first watched the series. The feeling was unbelievable. I didn't think I could ever be transported back to that original feeling again. Yet now I have. This film is not just a nostalgia trip, but an original story that takes the characters seriously. It also has a rocking soundtrack that makes me want to tap my feet. This film continues my love for the world Mark Frost and David Lynch created and I can't see me not re-watching this when I do my series viewing each year. This film is a gift and makes me feel like I'm coming home.

Lynch Lover Says, "Yes!"

[lynchlover-95023 · 10/10 · 7 December 2022]

I am an OG Lynch Lover and I love, love, love anything to do with David Lynch. If it touches him in any way, I love it. This is why I love this film. I was going to love it anyway but I really do love it. I mean, love it, love it. I get to see the characters I love, the locations I love. I may be bias but it's wrong to say otherwise. I love what I love. I love David Lynch. I love Twin Peaks. I love Queen of Hearts. I wish there was part 2 I could love just as much. I want this movie to cuddle up and let its secrets fill my ears with passion and excitement of what's to come. Please let their be a sequel. Please. Please. I want to love it too.

An incredible film that respects the source material

[annarkie12-101-36587 · 9/10 · 6 December 2022]

I'm one of Twin Peaks fans who actually LIKED Annie, so I checked out this film. Holy wow, the actors and creator did an amazing job telling a compelling story about Annie's life and what became of her after she came out of the Black Lodge. And it was AWESOME.

I confess that I had some doubts about seeing the whole backstory with Cooper and Windom Earle, and Cooper's doomed romance with Caroline, but WOW, it made for an extremely compelling watch. I fell in love with Caroline too!

I also really liked some of the holes from the Season 2 finale being filled. Showing Norma at Annie's bedside, Annie calling Cooper out for leaving her in the dark about Windom Earle, and addressing that they didn't know each other well enough for their whirlwind romance to have worked. And then the film continued to function seamlessly with Fire Walk With Me AND The Return!

There's so many other awesome aspects of this film, but I don't want to spoil any more of it. I've watched it twice already and will watch it again. I hope the actors, writer, and director go on to make more films because they were all super talented!

Two Thumbs Up!

[dbcooper-46307 · 10/10 · 7 December 2022]

Long in the making and deep in thought, this powerhouse of a fan film is unlike anything we have seen before.

Drawing on every aspect of the TP universe (series, books, FWWM), this tale of Annie, the little train car that could, and how she came face to face with Laura Palmer is incredible and inspiring.

The film also tells us about Dale Cooper's tragic love affair with Caroline and shows us how it all went down.

Windom Earle returns and you can see the anger, jealously and resentment building all throughout.

The actors are wonderful in this fan film and it is shot very well.

Some of the reviews mention the fan film looks bad because it was shot on an iPhone--but I couldn't tell. I thought it was a higher end digital camera, to tell you the truth--but who cares.

I could see and hear the film and the rawness helped in many ways; bringing an intimacy to the material so rare to find in any film, let alone a fan film.

I truly enjoyed this and I believe you will too.