I remember being six years old when my parents first let me stay up late to watch a film with them. I was hugely excited by the idea of staying up after bedtime to watch a film and I didn’t really care what the film was. The film in question was Twister which starred Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. I was instantly hooked. The film followed a group of storm chasers who attempt to learn more about how Tornadoes work and function. I soon developed a keen interest in natural disasters as a result of the film, something that still interests me to this day, and also a love for blockbuster films. Twister had a unique selling point, some really amazing visual effects for its time and a group of characters who exuded passion and ambition for their love of weather. It is amazing to think a film such as this never really turned into a franchise. Well, better late than never as we now have a standalone sequel, or reboot depending on how you see it, to Twister.
Twisters, with an emphasis on the “s” at the end of its name like Aliens, is a film that honours the original film and adapts the core ideas and values of the first film but for a more modern audience. Technology has advanced, influencer culture is everywhere and danger is still something that attracts the attention of the youth. Twisters heightens the stakes and delivers an intense ride that never really stops.
Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones are slowly becoming mega stars with Top Gun: Maverick and Where the Crawdads Sing proving just how illustrious these two charismatic actors are on the big screen. They play meteorologists with different ideologies on storm chasing. Powell plays Tyler Owens, a storm chaser with an emphasis on the chasing. Edgar-Jones plays Kate Cooper, a scientist who has a very good understanding on how Tornadoes works and wants to develop the technology to stop them from forming completely. Kate and Tyler are opposites and opposites certainly attract as they both race towards one tornado after another. Their lives have been affected by their passion as they have lost people and been through some sort of personal tragedy. The opening moments of the film instantly draws you in as you learn about Kate. Later when she is introduced to Tyler she becomes to see a different side to this natural spectacle.
Twisters balances the spectacle with the danger of tornadoes perfectly. Every time we witness one form we are captivated by it against the Americana aesthetic, but then we’re reminded the pure chaos that shortly ensues. We are constantly reminded of the danger and filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung puts us in front of the characters for most of the runtime. Instead of showing some choppy effects and capturing the awe of tornadoes, we are instead invested in the characters and fear for their lives as the danger amplifies. I felt like a little kid again, in the living room with my parents, watching not only a film but feeling an experience. Twisters is one of those films that you can truly feel it, whether it is in the sound design, the practical sets or the characters fear on their faces, you are just truly immersed in it from start to finish.
Twisters may be a little rough around the edges when it comes to the story, we do meet a lot of characters and there is more emphasis on Kate than Tyler but we do soon learn the stakes at play and why they’re chasing these terrifying forces of nature. The ending may feel overdramatic too, but it just further proves the effects that tornadoes have on small towns and cities in Oklahoma. It helps that we care for the characters with the music and cinematography equally capturing the heart of America, transporting us to this land of danger and beauty. By the end of the film you will have to breathe because from start to finish Twisters is a tense but thrilling experience.
★★★★☆
4/5
Final Verdict:
They don’t make films like Twisters anymore and they really do need to make more. A bit like Top Gun: Maverick, Twisters updates and modernises a classic blockbuster in a way that feels authentic and true to the spirit of the original. Prioritising the characters instead of the spectacle somehow increases the scope of the film. You feel every emotion they feel, and you yourself will believe you are there with them. Twisters is pure entertainment and it has that re-watchability feel to it. You will never be bored and like Tyler Owens, if you feel it you should definitely chase it!
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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