"Twisters" Review

a surprisingly sensitive summer blockbuster

LIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD: description of first 20 minutes and a couple of scene details

This remake of the 1996 movie Twister takes what worked from the source material and adds its own modern spin. It has clear homages to satisfy fans of the old with its own unique story to introduce the concept to a new audience.

The movie starts similarly to the original. Kate — portrayed by Daisy Edgar-Jones — is in a PhD program and trying to run an experiment involving tornadoes with her team of friends. Things go wrong, and all but Kate and her friend Javier — Anthony Ramos — die. This section of the movie is filled with beautiful shots showcasing the Oklahoma land and Kate’s undeniable connection with it. That insight helps the audience understand Kate’s trauma when the land she loves takes everything away. After that striking beginning, the narrative quickly shifts to the modern day, about five years later, when Javier pulls Kate back into the storm-chasing game.

From this point on, the story flies by. It has the perfect combination of adrenaline-rushing tornado chases and quiet conversations among friends. They introduce plenty of new tech to update the story and create an even more visually stimulating experience for the viewer. We may know that the main characters will end up alive, but the visual effects overtake the brain and put that thought in doubt. We are at the mercy of the movie.

Although the story is updated, there are many essential nods to the original. The narrative follows a very similar arc, and many scenes clearly grab points from Twister. There is even a cameo from the beloved Dorothy tornado tracker.

However, the most impactful parallel to me came from the scene in the movie theater. In Twister, there is a pivotal scene at a drive-in movie theater where The Shining is playing. The climax of Twisters takes place as the crowd hides from the tornado in a movie theater playing Frankenstein. In both scenes, as the wind picks up, the screen is torn apart, revealing the tornado behind it. I think the choice to use a horror movie for both scenes reveals something about these movies and why they appeal to us.

They are almost monster movies themselves, but the monster, the tornado, is entirely uncontrollable. When the movie screens are replaced with tornadoes, it highlights the spectacle. For many people, tornadoes are something we fear but cannot look away from. Both main characters reveal as much about their feelings toward tornadoes. The movie theater in the first movie was completely destroyed, but in the second movie, the storm calms down. Where the screen used to be there was now devastation, but there was also a calm sky. This reflects the theme of second chances that is present throughout Twisters. For a remake, that concept strikes the perfect notes.

What truly brings the viewer into this story, however, is not its reverence for the original but rather the wonderful performances. The three main characters, Kate, Javier, and Tyler — Glen Powell — flesh out a complex dynamic involving trauma, history, misconceptions, and morals. None of the characters are exactly what they seem at face value, and they all display a capacity for growth. Powell has made it certain in recent projects that he can masterfully portray the cocky yet kind leading man. For me, however, Edgar-Jones stole the show.

Stillness and hesitancy are qualities difficult to convey on screen. Acting titans like Meryl Streep made their early careers on that rare quality. Edgar-Jones articulates a beautiful stillness throughout the movie that does not make her character apathetic but instead fills her with life. Kate is hesitant because of her trauma, but she is teeming with life and enthusiasm just below the surface. Edgar-Jones makes that feeling clear to the audience and knows how to let the feelings seep out when necessary. The sensitivity of her performance cannot be overstated. Without that quality in Kate’s character, the adrenaline rushes and triumphs of the story would not hit nearly as hard.

Twisters surprised me. I knew I would enjoy it, but I did not expect to walk away feeling hopeful and touched. It was a truly fantastic experience to watch. Walking out of the theater, I was reminded of how I felt after seeing Top Gun: Maverick, another masterful blockbuster. Both gave me the feeling that the movies are BACK.

The best blockbusters both entertain and emotionally resonate. The ability to do both well creates movies anyone can love. For that reason, I recommend Twisters to basically everyone. Please see it. You will be glad you did.