Movie Review: Twisters

Opening in theaters July 19th, ‘Twisters’ is real throwback moviemaking –– which makes sense, since it effectively follows (though rarely directly references) the 1996 Jan de Bont-directed original.

Which means you don’t have to watch a 1990s movie to enjoy the new film, which serves as a callback to that era of filmmaking. It sits firmly in large-scale event-movie territory, and the hand of executive producer Steven Spielberg can be lightly felt.

Will ‘Twisters’ blow you away?

At one point, it looked like ‘Twisters’ might be heading down the path of a sequel to the original film featuring the daughter of Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton’s characters. But Path instead took him to a more singular place, drawing only on the concept of storm chasers (and including, early on, allowing a storm-watching device called “Dorothy” from the 1996 movie).

It’s a smart move, as ‘Twisters’ is largely allowed to stand on its own, and offers enough entertainment value to overcome any issues.

‘Twisters’: Script and Direction

With a script that nods back to ‘Twister’ in the credits form (referring to the original film’s writers Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin as “based on characters created by”), the new film is written by Joseph Kosinski (‘Top Gun:’ maverick director Few flirted with making this in its development stages years ago) and Mark L. Smith (yes, the man behind ‘The Revenant’).

In many ways, it leans more towards Kosinski’s blockbuster sensibility, in both positive and negative ways. The screenplay is a slick machine, driving you from breezy set-pieces to spinning scenes of doom, but at least takes the foot off the pedal enough to fill in some decent character details for Edgar-Jones’ Kate and Powell’s Tyler.

Yet with that shape comes predictable clichés that always seem impatient. There are shortcuts to emotional drama, and some of the supporting characters may even have signs that read “uptight martinet” or “nervous reporter” instead of sounding like real people. Still, the movie around them is entertaining enough to pull it off.

‘Minari’ director Lee Isaac Chung is probably tired of surprising people by directing an intimate, personal drama of family conflict to a large-scale thriller where cars and people fly. But he brings some echoes of his past work to this latest effort, dialing in what makes the main characters tick, while the tornado scenes work, with cinematographer Dan Mindell and a talented effects team. And the personal stakes don’t end with our heroes –– there are scenes of locals affected by terrifying twisters and even some sneaky chat about climate change.

‘Twisters’: Performance

From the marketing, this could have been re-titled “The Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glenn Powell Show”, with the subtitle “Also featuring Anthony Ramos and a few others”. While the focus is mostly on the main pair, Ramos and one or two others get moments to shine.

Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate Cooper

Daisy Edgar-Jones is our focus here, enjoying the lion’s share of her portrayal of storm expert Kate, including a dramatic, tragic introduction and a complete arc that sees her rediscover her passion for dealing with tornadoes (she chases them). (Less looking for something to do, more finding a way to turn them off).

And in an actress, Chung couldn’t have picked a brighter lead –– many moments work because Edgar-Jones’ expressive face does, and she’s certainly got the dramatic chops to carry the story. Plus, her chemistry with Powell is palpable, even if the romantic side is more of a bubble than a raging storm.

Glenn Powell as Tyler Owens

Between ‘Hit Man’ and now, Glenn Powell is spending 2024 proving he has full-on star power. His introduction smug-but-likable charm and thanks in part to the actor himself, Owens has more depth than you might suspect at first glance. Sure, he’s cocky and arrogant, but Powell imbues him with those extra layers.

Anthony Ramos as Javi

Anthony Ramos may be regretting signing on to this latest blockbuster –– after being overshadowed by Optimus Prime in ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,’ he’s now playing third fiddle to his co-star. Still, Javi is a solid character enough to prove the actor worthy.

Maura Tierney as Kathy Cooper

Appearing as Kate’s mother, Maura Tierney makes the most of her couple’s scenes, playing well against Edgar-Jones and Powell.

supporting cast

As we mentioned in the scripting section, the rest of the characters are largely archetypes, with future ‘Superman’ David Korensvet essentially a reboot of the snooty, profit-chasing character Cary Elwes played in the original. The rest of Tyler’s storm-chasing team is a fun bunch, but only gets the occasional moment to impact the story.

‘Twisters’: Final Thoughts

With a film like ‘Twisters’, there is always debate as to whether it justifies its existence. But (mostly) not looking to reboot or go the legacy route of the 1996 movie, it’s enjoyable enough, its nostalgic nature not directly tied to ‘Twister’, but rather the type of movie one typed.

It’s driven by two great leads and certainly throws enough on screen (literally in some scenes) to make its basic concept work.

‘Twisters’ gets 8 out of 10 stars.

What is the story of ‘Twisters’?

‘Twisters’ stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glenn Powell and Anthony Ramos as equal forces, with opposing motivations, who come together to predict and possibly tame a tornado’s immense power.

Edgar-Jones stars as Kate Carter, a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado during her college years, now safely in New York City studying storm patterns on screen. She is lured back to the open fields by her friend, Javi (Ramos) to test a new tracking system.

There, she crosses paths with Tyler Owens (Powell), a charming and reckless social-media superstar who thrives on posting his storm-chasing adventures with his rogue crew, the more dangerous the better.

As hurricane season intensifies, never-before-seen horrors unfold, and Kate, Tyler, Javi, and their crew find themselves squarely in the path of multiple storm systems converging over central Oklahoma in a fight for their lives.

Who else is in ‘Twisters’?