Twisters Movie Review: Plot - Taking cues from the 1996 film by the same name minus the ‘s’, Twisters is set in Oklahoma, where storms and tornadoes are almost like Thanos, threatening to destroy everything in their path. Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a bright mind, wants to stop this and save her hometown after losing three friends while working on a school project. Half a decade later, another friend who survived, Javi (Anthony Ramos), brings her back, setting her up again on the mission with Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a Tornado Wrangler/Influencer. They now face a deadly tornado that could obliterate the entire town.

Twisters Movie Review: Analysis

Long before franchises became a trend and we weren't consuming a plethora of movies outside the thriller bubble, we were captivated by the idea of a town in danger and normal people, without superpowers or magical talents, saving it. We never questioned why only that specific town was in peril or how geography and environment worked differently for this isolated piece on Earth. We simply suspended our disbelief. Movies like Twister (1996) fit right into that bracket, where a couple on the verge of divorce deals with a tornado sweeping away the real world around them. Twisters (2024) comes in as a belated sequel with multiple tornadoes, but none are as metaphorical as the first one. Will it survive the curse of sequels? Let's dissect.

Creating a movie set in a disaster is very difficult because you must think of a compelling solution before presenting the problem. The writing process is almost inverted because the solution is what will make the audience stick around, as the build-up can be shaped in many ways if you have a strong reason and conclusion. Twisters, written by Joseph Kosinski and Mark L. Smith from characters created by Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin, is directed by Lee Isaac Chung, known for the beautiful Minari.

The standout aspect of the writing and direction of Twisters is how the town and the tornado both become leading characters, as opposed to the actors. It is also Chung’s ability as a filmmaker to put his world before the massive names he has on board.

The story of Twisters begins on a distressing note, avoiding any attempt to lure you in with the beauty of a town, the love of the people, or an optimistic vision of the world, only to shatter it all with a tornado that doesn’t even spare a windmill. They jump straight to serious business with some unserious folks testing out a science exhibition model in a real man-eating tornado. While one might say their dumbness deserves this, it is in Lee Isaac Chung’s conviction that it looks impressive. While it is indeed a massive dent in the lives of those who survived, Twisters never really bothers to explore that dent or make it feel apart from a couple of instances. This is the first place where it goes wrong.

The world-building is well done. Oklahoma is no small place, and the way the film compresses it into little villages/towns that anyone can reach in minutes is impressive because you never question it. The drama in a crisp screenplay flows very smoothly, just like the vlogs of Tyler Owens, a Tornado Wrangler. You even accept that as someone's job because the digital world has people gaining followers for the most mundane things. Standing in the center of a tornado to light fireworks is still some work for the followers he demands.

However, the randomness of this world is not covered for long by the pace of the drama. At some point, you start questioning things. You understand a scientific setup or a meteorological department team, but what are random rock-band-like people aspiring to by chasing tornadoes? That cannot be their life. Additionally, where are the people of such a populated place? Barring the climax and a playground scene, the absence of people and the lack of casualties seem like cost-cutting measures.

Twisters gets the immediate story perfect. These are the people who want a solution to the constant tornadoes that have turned their lives into a ticking time bomb. It works until it is just that. But when Twisters aspires to be more than that, it leaves wide-open plot holes. Why does no one other than Kate have a backstory? Where are their families? Why do these people not call anyone home? Are they not losing loved ones?

There is the next Superman, David Corenswet, casually thrown into the mix, playing the most inconsequential character in the script. There is Kat O’Brien, last seen in Love Lies Bleeding, who has nothing to do but act strong all the time. These are good artists; why not give them something consequential? It is the Akshay Kumar-fication of Glen Powell (for non-Indians, this means the sheer number of movies Akshay Kumar does in a year). Powell has been a thirst trap with almost no clothes on, a hitman, and now a vlogger in the same year, and not even a full year but the first half. His charm is irresistible, but there is also something called burnout. Daisy Edgar-Jones is the most balanced and nuanced performer here because only her character gets a fuller arc than anyone else.

The background music and score in Twisters are precious and must be appreciated. The set design is perfect and doesn’t try to clutter unnecessarily, which is the best part about it.

Twisters Review: Final Verdict

Twisters manages to rise above the curse of sequels but also struggles in some parts. It is not a perfect movie but it is actually a decent watch that gets the drama right and appropriate. The rest is a dicey affair.

Twisters hits the big screen on July 18, 2024.