Twisters‘ Awesome Action and Surprising Heart Totally Won Us Over

The biggest twist in Twisters isn’t one spinning on screen. It’s that the film goes a surprising step beyond what you expect it to be. Yes, Twisters delivers plenty of high-octane, effects-driven action set pieces with tornadoes destroying all manner of homes, hotels, and the occasional human. But it also prioritizes life in a way the original 1996 film didn’t. We care more about who lives and who dies, and that heartfelt humanity at its core elevates Twisters in all sorts of ways.

Though, that’s probably to be expected too, considering the director. Twisters is directed by Lee Isaac Chung, who also made the Oscar-winning Minari. Minari was a celebration of life and family and so too is Twisters, just from a different point of view. Here we meet multiple unconventional families, all of whom share a love of chasing tornadoes with varying, sometimes opposing goals. For some, it’s science. For others, it’s thrills. And for the real scumbags, it’s money. But the script for Twisters, written by Mark L. Smith, doesn’t just stick to those generic classifications and expectations. There are some interesting, and at times shocking, cross-pollinations of who is in the tornado game for which reasons, and that keeps the story fresh and engaging.

That story centers on Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a meteorologist living in New York still trying to forget an unspeakable tragedy that happened the last time she went chasing tornadoes. However, when her good friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) comes calling with a chance to make a difference once again, she’s reluctantly back on the hunt. Kate then meets Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a self-proclaimed “tornado wrangler” and YouTube vlogger with over a million subscribers. Tyler is brash and annoying, but he’s also completely charming, and instantly finds himself in a tit-for-tat with Kate over who is better at finding tornadoes.

For its first act, Twisters is mostly by the book. Kate and Javi’s team chase tornadoes for science, Tyler chases them for glory, and the two teams battle back and forth. There’s lots of flirting, lots of big tornadoes to be driven around or through, and it’s just generally entertaining. But soon certain truths come out and, eventually, Kate and Tyler team up, which is when the movie shifts into another gear.

Once Tyler and Kate team up, not only do you have a semi-steamy, will they/won’t they romance at the center, each opens up, becoming more dynamic and vulnerable. We care for them, we want to see them together, and that makes what they set out to do even more intriguing. Kate has always believed she could stop a tornado in its tracks, and Tyler thinks he has the final piece of the puzzle. It also helps immensely that Powell is as charismatic and endearing as ever and Edgar-Jones finds a nice balance in a character that’s smart and confident herself, but carrying some heavy trauma.

All of which is well and good, but the best thing about Twisters is that while it does have these (at times overly explained) science goals, any time those goals come up against the idea people might die, they get thrown out the window. Kate, Tyler, and others move heaven and Earth, sometimes literally, to help save lives. Multiple times over the course of the film, maybe even too many times, the characters set out to do one thing, but have to stop to help people in danger. The repetition shines a light on what Chung clearly feels is the film’s big takeaway. No matter what these characters are after, no matter how exhilarating it is to watch a tornado on screen, tornadoes are dangerous, destructive killers, and they should be respected and feared.

That’s bolstered in huge part by a motley cast of supporting characters that give the film even more flavor. Plus, like the 1996 original film, there are several big names and recognizable faces in the bunch. There’s Brandon Perea who you’ll recognize from Nope, Kiernan Shipka from Mad Men and Longlegs, Harry Hadden-Paton from Downton Abbey and The Crown, Sasha Lane from American Honey and Loki, Daryl McCormack from Peaky Blinders, Tunde Adebimpe from the band TV on the Radio, and more. Most recognizable though are Katy O’Brien from Love Lies Bleeding and The Mandalorian, and the Superman himself, David Corenswet, in the most un-Superman role ever. All of the characters are quirky, weird, and additive, but Corenswet might be the most memorable of the bunch just because of how hateable he is.

Having a dynamic, exciting supporting cast along with its steadfast two leads is the main thing Twisters has in common with its predecessor. Which, to be honest, was my biggest disappointment with the new film. As an unapologetic superfan of Twister, I was a tad frustrated there’s only the smallest dose of connection to the first one. (There is one direct connection but it’s never explained.) However, most people who don’t bow at the shrine of Jan de Bont, Bill Paxton, and Helen Hunt will probably consider that a good thing.

That’s the vibe Twisters is going for though. It’s its own thing. The first movie had classic rock, this one has country rock. That movie was mostly straightforward, and this one takes you on a bit more of an emotional and ethical ride. And, of course, while that film certainly was all about saving lives, Twisters really hones in on this theme, leading to a finale that sneaks up on you in the best possible way, with genuine edge-of-your-seat tension and a highly satisfying conclusion.

Nothing about Twisters is overly unique, but it does everything right. You go in hoping to be entertained and you get that plus a little bit more. Thanks to its solid story and character development, we’re left with a reverence not for this franchise, but for these characters. I genuinely want to see what’s next for Tyler, Kate, and the crew, which I wasn’t expecting at all. It’s quite the twist indeed.

Twisters is in theaters Friday

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