Twisters is a story about chasing tornados for science. After a horrific encounter with a fierce storm, Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) leads a quiet life. Kate works for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she demonstrates an acute sense for predicting tornado paths. This leads her old friend, Javi (Anthony Ramos) to show up with an offer. Javi requests Kate joins him for a week on the road to test out tornado disrupter technology based upon her previous research. Reluctantly, Kate agrees. Once out in the field, Kate crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Glen Powell). Known as the Tornado Wrangler, Owens has his own brand and unusual methods for engaging with storms. While Kate and Tyler seem to come from different worlds, they soon learn that they have more in common than they thought.
What works in Twisters is the bombastic action anchored by charisma. Powell in particular understands the assignment. He shows up scene to scene with a million-dollar grin, oozing charm. He’s almost infuriatingly hard to dislike, and his energy is infectious. In terms of thrills, Twisters delivers. Director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari, The Mandalorian) gives the audience exactly what they want: tornado fury. The storms and situations are borderline ridiculous, but never campy. As such, the stakes feel very high. This allows watchers to enjoy the absolute destruction with bated breath. And while the visuals are stunning, it’s the sound that really shines. The audio effects will make people feel as though a locomotive is headed straight for them as their bodies tremble slightly from the rumbling. All in all, Twisters is a super fun experience.
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Individuals who require strong scientific grounding in their movies may not enjoy Twisters as much as others. While the production team consulted with NOAA, many creative liberties are in play. The majority of the tornado activity, and especially the technology employed, are works of fiction. Twisters cares much more about giving its audience a spectacle, and less about how weather actually works. For that reason, the suspension of disbelief is an absolute necessity. Furthermore, to create the emotional stakes, situations of consequence dot the film. This means people who have personally been affected by weather-related tragedies may be uncomfortable with several scenes. Finally, Twisters leans heavily into stereotypes and archetypes. This includes several of the characters, but also the state of Oklahoma itself in a slightly reductive manner.
Twisters is the definition of a summer blockbuster. Its sole mission is to provide people with a sense of awe and enjoyment at seeing and experiencing things they (hopefully) never will. It also doesn’t hurt that their guide through the flatlands of chaos is Powell, who seems impossible not to like wherever he shows up. Highly recommended.
Recommended if you enjoyed: Armageddon, Twister, Godzilla v Kong: The New Empires
Twisters is now available for purchase or rent on digital platforms.
