Is it a sequel? Is it a remake? Does it even matter? Twisters is a wild, entertaining and periodically intense ride that needs to be seen on the big screen for maximum impact.
The formula will be intensely familiar to fans of the 1996 film Twister (starring Helen Hunt, the late Bill Paxton, a strong supporting cast, and a flying cow). The biggest difference (aside from an ‘s’ on the end) is the colossal upgrade in technology and special effects, and perhaps the subtext of climate change and its undeniable impact on our weather and weather-related events.
In this new chapter of what will likely spiral into an epic-disaster-film franchise, Daisy Edgar-Jones takes the lead as Kate Cooper, a former storm-chaser and tornado survivor (understandably, with a bit of PTSD) who is lured back into the hunting game by her friend Javy (Anthony Ramos). He’s testing a groundbreaking new tracking system that could lead to better advanced warnings, and insights into the potential for tornado mitigation, or “taming the tornado.” It’s a pursuit that Kate is passionate about, even if it almost killed her.
Kate and Javy hit the rural roads of Oklahoma’s tornado alley, alongside myriad other adventurous, quirky, and perhaps a bit nutty data wonks, storm chasers, entrepreneurs and social media influencers. Among them: Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a cute, cocky and charming self-described “Tornado Wrangler” who broadcasts his adventures on YouTube, and takes a liking to Kate. It takes Kate an extra beat (barely) to succumb to his charms and see the wit and brains behind the bravado. Together, they make a formidable team, out to fight corporate greed and save the world, one tornado-ravaged community at a time.
Budding romance aside, the real star of Twisters is the twisters themselves. Several tornadoes tear across the screen throughout the film’s adrenaline-fueled two hours. They are massive, destructive, powerful, and in their way, beautiful and alluring- essentially seducing the rag-tag teams that make it their mission to track, outrun, and run into these unpredictable forces of nature.
Twisters is directed by Lee Isaac Chung, the Oscar-nominated writer-director of the 2020 Korean-American drama Minari. This marks Chung’s first foray into action-adventure territory and he certainly holds his own. The film isn’t without its flaws, but it gets the job done. And it will surely have you taking those tornado warnings on your phone way more seriously, as you consider where to seek shelter from the storm. Stay safe, people.
Twisters hits theaters July 19th.