Twister, Jan de Bont’s explosive tornado-rager from 1996, was the pinnacle of moviegoing experiences for a decade. A thrilling show that almost felt like the wind was tearing through your hair, it also brought a sense of coolness to the weather with its group of irrational, passionate meteorologists.
About thirty years later, Twisters (like Aliens, a pluralized sequel) sets out on a quest quite similar to that of its predecessor, mostly treading on the same tyre tracks but with a few new tweaks. Although weather is still present, its intensity has increased due to global warming, resulting in a series of violent tornadoes that are causing havoc across Oklahoma. The opening set-piece of the sequel, which features one in all its majesty and violence together with all the tension and suspense of a horror movie, starts the movie on a terrifying note capable of upending the lives of knowledge-hungry friends Javi (Anthony Ramos) and Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones).
However, the tug of purpose is too great, so Kate reluctantly makes her way back to the centre of the storm with Javi’s sleek new gear and an Ivy League-educated crew, determined to “kill a tornado” and save others where she was unable to previously. But this time, they’re not alone—a convoy of chasers powered by social media, lead by Glen Powell’s character Tyler, dubbed the “science cowboy,” are into pulling off risky exploits in exchange for likes and subscribers.
In other words, Twisters is a movie that embodies its Big Summer Movie spirit.
Lee Isaac Chung, who is most recognised for his previous picture, the subdued, sun-drenched immigrant story Minari, is in charge. This may not have sounded like the most predictable sequel, but as Twisters delves more into its rural settings and deeply ingrained societies, the collaboration makes perfect sense. You can almost smell the leather and muck in a scene that is set at a rodeo; it feels like a real, lived-in Oklahoma. Aspirational tale of the American dream, Minari was also filmed on site in Oklahoma. Twisters gives its protagonists more reasons to care about than just avoiding danger, money, or recognition by enmeshing them in that utopian America.
With an overabundance of performers portraying the opposing parties, it’s a killer cast. Powell is the pivotal figure in the megawatts, bringing a healthy dose of Hangman bravado and skill carried over from Top Gun: Maverick. Furthermore, Tyler’s charming demeanour as the boy next door pierces through Edgar-Jones’ slow-burning, endearing connection. The actor from Normal People is unfamiliar with the blockbuster, but judging from the way she deftly handles the enormous scope of the movie while making her character’s PTSD just barely apparent, you wouldn’t know it. Although Kate has had a sixth instinct for storms since she was a young child, the actor’s direct demeanour lends credibility to the phenomenon.
To varied degrees, the large supporting cast is employed. Although Ramos’s conflicted Javi, who works for a dubious businessman, has less to work with, he nevertheless makes an impressive impression, and Nope breakout Brandon Perea gives Tyler’s wired right-hand man, Boone, with endearing scrappiness. Though it’s funny to watch future Superman David Corenswet play the token dickwad, Love Lies Bleeding star Katy O’Brian does little more than wear a cowboy hat endlessly. In the end, though, the character is throwaway.
The movie excels at action, even though it underplays a few characters. Although it may seem odd to upgrade a tornado, the sequel does it with visual touches that vary from horrifying to incredibly entertaining. Under the Amblin brand, Steven Spielberg is credited as executive producer. The suspenseful thrill of the thrashing rain and the enormous, unrelenting cylinders of destruction, as the human drama simmers below, are reminiscent of Spielberg’s work. Everything is caught on camera, with the storms’ gray-toned wash contrasted with bright greens and brilliant tones as the weather breaks.
In other words, Twisters is a movie that embodies its Big Summer Movie spirit. The star power is often too much to handle when watching directly, but the score is uplifting and morally virtuous (to be clear, Powell wearing a white T-shirt while strolling through a deluge is completely unrelated to the plot). Powell’s reunion with Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski, who is serving as screenplay writer here, feels like a natural progression; even without Cruise, Twisters manages to fling every other heart-pounding cinematic device inside its tightly controlled arsenal at the viewer. Our heroes are shown at one point actually directing throngs of people into a movie theatre so they can take cover. It would be wise for you to join them.
Twisters feels like both a compelling throwback film event and a tribute to the new generation of stars, with Edgar-Jones and Powell at its core. Be afraid of it. Observe it.