Twisters Movie Review: Twisters, directed by Lee Isaac Chung and featuring a stellar cast including Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, and Sasha Lane, is a gripping sequel that seeks to capture the legacy of the 1996 classic, “Twister.” The film revisits the iconic theme of humanity’s battle against nature’s most terrifying force—tornadoes—but brings it to life with a fresh perspective, modern technology, and a new generation of storm chasers. While it manages to evoke nostalgia, “Twisters” also stands on its own as a thrilling disaster movie that incorporates both human drama and awe-inspiring spectacle.
The plot revolves around a new group of storm chasers who are united by their shared obsession with tracking and understanding tornadoes. Each of these characters brings their own motivations and baggage to the table, adding depth to what could have been a straightforward disaster narrative. Daisy Edgar-Jones plays the lead role of a meteorologist who, like Helen Hunt’s character in the original film, has a personal history tied to tornadoes.
Edgar-Jones delivers a nuanced performance, portraying a character driven by both professional ambition and personal loss. Her chemistry with Glen Powell, who plays a rival storm chaser with a more cavalier attitude, brings an engaging dynamic to the film. The tension between their characters adds another layer to the already high-stakes action, making their scenes together particularly compelling.
Twisters Movie Review
Anthony Ramos, in his role as a tech-savvy engineer, provides much-needed comic relief, and his performance injects a sense of humanity into the chaos. His character is responsible for developing new technology to predict and study tornadoes, serving as a key figure in the plot’s technological angle. Ramos’s natural charisma shines through, making his scenes enjoyable and adding balance to the more intense moments of the film. Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, and Sasha Lane round out the ensemble with strong supporting performances that flesh out the group dynamic, each contributing their own subplot and motivations, further enhancing the film’s emotional depth.
Sarnoski’s direction shines in the film’s pacing and visual style. The action sequences are well-crafted, utilizing state-of-the-art CGI to create some of the most breathtaking tornado scenes ever put on screen. From the moment the first tornado touches down, the film captures the raw power of nature in a way that feels both terrifying and awe-inspiring.
The tornadoes themselves almost become characters in their own right, with their unpredictable and destructive behavior driving much of the tension. Sarnoski’s use of wide shots allows the audience to fully appreciate the scale of the storms, while the close-up shots of the characters navigating the chaos help ground the action in a sense of immediate danger.
However, while the visual spectacle is impressive, “Twisters” doesn’t rely solely on special effects to carry the film. At its core, the movie is about people—how they respond to extreme situations, how they deal with loss, and how they find purpose in their passions. This is where the film distinguishes itself from many other disaster movies, which often sacrifice character development for action. In “Twisters,” the storms may be the main event, but the emotional journeys of the characters are just as important.
The film’s script does an admirable job of balancing these two elements, ensuring that the audience remains invested in the characters even as they are swept up in the tornadoes’ destruction.
The film’s emotional heart lies in the relationship between Edgar-Jones and Powell’s characters, who are both haunted by their pasts but handle their trauma in different ways. While Powell’s character initially appears reckless and driven by adrenaline, it becomes clear that his bravado masks a deeper sense of guilt and loss. Similarly, Edgar-Jones’s character is more reserved, but her quiet determination is revealed to stem from a desire to prevent others from experiencing the kind of loss she has endured. This exploration of grief and resilience adds a layer of depth to their characters, making their eventual reconciliation feel earned rather than forced.
Twisters Movie Review
Maura Tierney’s role as an older, seasoned storm chaser adds another dimension to the film. Her character, who has been chasing storms for decades, serves as a mentor figure to the younger chasers, and her perspective on the dangers they face provides a sobering counterpoint to their enthusiasm. Tierney brings gravitas to the role, grounding the film in a sense of realism amidst the increasingly fantastical storms. Sasha Lane and Brandon Perea’s characters, while not as fleshed out, provide additional layers to the group dynamic, adding a sense of camaraderie and diversity to the film.
The soundtrack, composed by a blend of orchestral and electronic elements, complements the film’s atmosphere perfectly. The music swells during the most intense moments, heightening the sense of danger and awe, while more subtle tracks underscore the quieter, character-driven scenes. The sound design also deserves praise, with the deafening roar of the tornadoes and the smaller, more subtle sounds of debris and destruction making the viewer feel as though they are right in the middle of the storm.
Despite its many strengths, “Twisters” is not without its flaws. The pacing can feel uneven at times, particularly in the second act, where the focus shifts more heavily to the interpersonal drama. While the character development is appreciated, some scenes drag on a bit too long, slowing down the momentum of the film. Additionally, the film’s attempts to modernize the original with new technology and gadgets occasionally feel forced, with some of the tech jargon detracting from the otherwise grounded nature of the story.
Overall, “Twisters” is a worthy successor to the original, successfully combining breathtaking action with compelling character drama. Michael Sarnoski’s direction, combined with strong performances from the cast and impressive visual effects, make for a film that is both thrilling and emotionally resonant. While it may not reinvent the disaster movie genre, it certainly elevates it, reminding audiences of the awe-inspiring power of nature and the resilience of the human spirit.
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Distributed by: Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures
Based on: Characters; by: Michael Crichton; Anne-Marie Martin
Box office: $369.6 million
Cinematography: Dan Mindel