Twisters isn't an announced remake of Jan de Bont's 1996 cow-chucker Twister, but it kinda is? Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) honors the beloved storm-chasing picture by borrowing plot milestones for his blustery "continuation," yet it's hardly a copycat. Twisters is an exhilarating summer blockbuster with plenty of giddyup, trading Van Halen needle drops for buckin' Wild West rambunctiousness. Chung's breathtaking intimacy as a storyteller never sacrifices the adrenalized thrills found in life-threatening tornado hunts, swirling together rapturous disaster sequences with adventurous mavericks who yee-haw their way into our hearts. It's hands-down one of the 2024's champion titles so far, meant to be experienced on a gigantic theater screen.
The film's setups are familiar, but new characters hardly make for a stale Twister regurgitation. Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Kate Cooper, the New York City meteorologist called back into action five years after tragedy strikes in the field. Kate's former colleague Javi (Anthony Ramos) lures Kate into a week-long Oklahoma partnership with promises of military-grade cyclone scanning panels. Kate and Javi arrive as an unprecedented tornado marathon decimates Oklahoma suburbs, but they're not alone. Fame-seeking chasers from around the globe have gathered, none more prominent than the hot-to-trot "Tornado Wrangler" with a million YouTube subscribers, Tyler Owens (Glen Powell). Kate and Javi attempt to collect data for the latter's company Storm Par that might someday prevent extreme catastrophes, while Tyler shoots fireworks up a tornado's "butt" for views — every chaser has their motivations.
Chung translates the tenets of popcorn entertainment into a country-twangy love story that isn't afraid of clichés or expectations. Twisters feeds us shots of Glen Powell in a rain-soaked white t-shirt, a boot-steppin' soundtrack featuring Luke Combs and Miranda Lambert, plus not only F5 tornados, but F5 tornados spitting refinery-fire flames. Meteorologists are once again mocked as a profession, corporate sleaziness is spotted a mile away, and characters spew complicated technical jargon that means nothing to onlookers but sounds impressive. Chung's cornfed vision of America's humble farmlands is kicked-back and cozy, while the ensuing tornado destruction leaves horrifying wakes of architectural rubble. Depictions of slowed-down Oklahoma livin' versus city-slicker anxieties benefit from Chung's to-the-heart connection with his films' outdoorsy settings, helping us feel welcomed by Southern hospitality.
Mark L. Smith's screenplay lassoes the bonfire comradery and rebellious expressionism of nomadic Wild West flicks. It's present in Twister, but doubly as infectious in Twisters. Tyler is the modern-day cowboy, driving his heavily fortified Dodge Ram pickup like his rodeo bronco into danger — behavior Javi scoffs at as "Wild West" gallantry. Benjamin Wallfisch's score echoes excitable orchestras from Elmer Bernstein's The Magnificent Seven to John Barry's Dances With Wolves, with help from pitch-perfect licensed tracks like "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" as Tyler barrels toward a monstrous weather phenomenon. Cinematographer Dan Mindel pours over wavy golden wheat stalks like a meditative exhale or the calamitous fury of tornado attacks. There's a lawless freedom to how devastation strikes and heroes charge forward. While contemporary gizmos ground Twister in our century, there's a prairie-doggin' quaintness to what's essentially a road movie with tornados.
Where Twisters can't compete with Twister is the ensemble — not in talent, but usage. De Bont takes advantage of steak-and-potatoes family meals to characterize every chaser, whereas Chung leaves us wanting to know more about each rival squad beyond their figureheads. Brandon Perea is the eccentric videographer, Sasha Lane is the drone operator, Tunde Adebimpe is the science guru, and Katy O'Brian is the mechanic — but what else? David Corenswet becomes Javi's no-bullshit sidekick who immediately gives distrustful business-snitch vibes. Wanting to feel closer to Tyler's crew isn't a massive failure — infinitely better than feeling nothing — but Twisters can't contend with Twister regarding the community vibes.
That said, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell are magnetic as storm-chasers caught in a Jane Austen or Nicolas Sparks dreamland. Powell's abundantly charismatic online celebrity is overtly virile in his same secretly softened Everybody Wants Some!! way; the gorgeous daredevil with a heart of gold who confidently plasters his face on merchandise. Edgar-Jones is playing the Bill Paxton role, down to an "I'm not back!" line delivery, but as Kate reopens herself to the reckless lifestyle she left behind, sparks erupt with Powell like the 4th of July. These uber-nerds finish each other's meteorological equations with beaming grins, and share adorable afternoon dates drilling Tyler's truck into sturdy soil so they don't fly away when entering the "suck zone" (not an innuendo). Ramos' Javi exists as a third-wheel crush option, but he never really is — and the movie is better for this brushed-away complication. Twisters lets Tyler and Kate's courtship blossom as Kate realigns herself with the "good guys" she identifies, none of which is particularly shocking in Smith's linear screenplay. Powell and Edgar-Jones flirt with danger and each other without interference, which is authentically darling.
Twisters won't be classified as "horror," but that's not to discredit the natural disaster escalations as menacing tornados tear Oklahoma buildings to debris. De Bont's twirlers hissed this monster-like sound that's not reused, but the imposition of visual effects is no less staggering. Tyler, Kate, Javi, and others find themselves as tornados blow through bull-riding arenas and motel lots, tossing vans and marquee signs like they're tumbleweeds. Practical effects staging might be more abundant in the peak-90s original, but Chungs' determination to extrapolate danger is preserved as tornados multiply, their magnitude engulfs movie theaters, or red-flared explosives add embellished spectacle to the display. Twisters brings a thundering intensity as victims are yanked into a gust-circling death tunnel, trapping audiences in helpless scenarios where Mother Nature imposes her dominance.
Twisters boasts that Top Gun: Maverick energy; how is a decades-later sequel that good? Lee Isaac Chung admonishes overcomplication and executes a lyrically poetic, passion-led, and exceptionally addictive summer blockbuster. Glen Powell could find chemistry with a phone book, but lucky for us, Daisy Edgar-Jones is his walk-all-over-you equal. The spirit of Twister is alive and honored in this bracing blast of fresh air despite its franchise ties. Any movie that blows by as briskly as Twisters deserves the highest accolades.
Movie Score: 4/5
Matt Donato is a Los Angeles-based film critic currently published on SlashFilm, Fangoria, Bloody Disgusting, and anywhere else he’s allowed to spread the gospel of Demon Wind. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. Definitely don’t feed him after midnight.
Daily Dead's Official Podcast! Daily Dead's Official Podcast!
