“Twisters” - Film Review
At the risk of sounding like a broken record when discussing the state of blockbuster movie fare, it’s safe to say that the expectations for Twisters were not high when it was initially announced. Why remake a 28-year-old movie that had a complete story and no reasonable means of continuing that story? What was so urgent in the world of tornadoes that made it worthy of revisiting? Well, it turns out the skeptics were wrong on this one. Twisters is a film that exists firmly on its own while wearing a thrilling, earnest heart on its sleeve.
courtesy of universal pictures
Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) works at the New York office of the National Weather Service. She moved from Oklahoma to the Big Apple after a tragic event that occurred in her college days. As far as Kate is concerned, Oklahoma only exists on a weather map on her computer, and she has no desire to return home. Of course, the best laid plans and all that. Kate is called home by her grad school friend Javi (Anthony Ramos), who has military technology that he believes can make a 3D rendering of a tornado. Reluctantly, Kate agrees to join his fancy corporate team. They aren’t the only ones chasing tornadoes though. Enter YouTube celebrity Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) and his team. Kate immediately distrusts Tyler, but as the storms worsen and the threat of twisters grows, the two must team up to better understand the science of these natural disasters.
Where Twister is a fun romp through Tornado Alley, Twisters makes sure the audience understands what’s really at stake, not just for our plucky, ragtag group of main characters, but for the common folk. How often have we seen blockbuster movies revel in entire cities that are devastated when Mother Nature exacts her revenge for the way humans have treated Earth? How often do those same movies care about the people whose homes have been demolished? As much fun as Twisters has racing into the eye of the storm, its characters are also there in the immediate aftermath, making sure the affected citizens have food, water, and medical care. It’s a purposeful choice for a genre that often cares very little for the victims of impossible-to-believe disasters, one that elevates Twisters beyond the current state of blockbuster movies.
courtesy of universal pictures
Perhaps what makes Twisters such a great sequel is that it doesn’t act like one. The references to the original are few and far between, and entirely missable if the audience hasn’t seen Twister. No cast members from the first film return, but Bill Paxton’s son has a sweet cameo as a motel guest. Twisters bets entirely on its new cast, and it pays off in spades. 2024 is Powell’s year, and we’re all lucky to be living in his charismatic world for a time. Edgar-Jones is best known for the devastatingly lovely limited series Normal People, and her performance of Kate is commanding. The chemistry between the two is what has been so desperately lacking from other big-budget fare. Their bickering is never fully biting. Instead, it’s more flirtatious, but never so much that it completely takes over the greater narrative. It speaks to the deft way that screenwriter Mark L. Smith balances all the film’s different needs. Twisters is fun, but also somber. Thrilling, but tender. Romantic, but heartbreaking. All these emotions are given space to breathe and develop without overpowering each other, and that makes for a roller coaster of a film.
The best blockbusters are ones that get the pulse racing while never forgetting the heart of the audience. Think of the films that made you fall in love with movies. It was the ones with the slightly impossible circumstances and an endearing team of people who, at the end of the day, wanted to make the world a better place. Whether that be by punching Nazis, helping a weird alien find its way home, or figuring out how to tame a tornado, the blockbuster exists to remind its audience of the goodness that exists in people. To encourage those watching to go about their day actively choosing kindness in order to make this world better. Twisters is a good, old-fashioned blockbuster. It’s the sort of heart-racing, tear-jerking fare that earns itself a place among the greats.
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