Fire Walk With Me: Laura Palmer's agony -- did it justify the weirdness?

Okay, so I finally bit the bullet and watched Fire Walk With Me. I've been putting it off for ages because everyone always says it's way darker and weirder than the show (which is saying something, right?). And yeah, they weren't kidding. Sheryl Lee is phenomenal as Laura, absolutely heart-wrenching. You can see the abuse and trauma just radiating off her. I get why they wanted to explore her pre-murder, but I'm still a little torn. Did the intensity of it all really serve the character, or did it just lean into the shock value? The whole Theresa Banks investigation felt a bit disconnected, even though it's supposed to be connected to BOB. I felt bad for poor Chris Isaak being all confused in his role. Like, I get that it's Lynchian, but some of the dream sequences felt almost too abstract. And that scene in the Red Room with the monkey and the arm... I still don't know what to make of it! I guess that's the point, isn't it? I definitely have a deeper understanding of Laura's motivations and her internal torment, but honestly, it left me feeling more disturbed than enlightened. Any thoughts on if the really disturbing stuff was necessary or if it tipped into gratuitous territory? Also, am I the only one who thinks David Bowie's Phillip Jeffries was totally wasted? He shows up, spouts some cryptic stuff, and then vanishes! Seriously, what was the point of that cameo if they weren't going to do anything with it? I definitely appreciated the look into Laura before Twin Peaks (the series) but I think my opinion is that it was a little over the top, even given the source material.