Twisters is a film about the catastrophes happening in Oklahoma due to the devastating tornadoes hitting the state. It follows Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a former storm chaser who loses everything in one of these chases but is persuaded to return to the field by an old friend, Javi (Anthony Ramos). She embarks on a new adventure that turns her life upside down.
I can start by saying that this film is definitely an extremely enjoyable experience to watch in theaters. The film does a great job of entertaining you at certain moments with the relationship between Kate and Tyler (Glen Powell), the tension brought by each tornado destroying everything in its path, the excellent direction by Lee Isaac Chung, and even the story, which, although not bringing anything new, does well with the cliché of the protagonist who loses everything and is afraid to return for fear of it happening again. All these points make the film something that will keep you glued to your seat and make it enjoyable to watch.
And I can’t continue without mentioning Glen Powell’s performance, who, as in every role he plays, exudes charisma on screen and masterfully portrays the character of a “cowboy who chases tornadoes.” At first, both Kate and the viewers feel that he is just on YouTube to profit from his insanities, but as the film delves deeper into Tyler, we learn that he is as smart as our protagonist and has a purpose there. As he says, “If you have a fear, ride it.”
The relationship between Kate and Tyler was also very well constructed in the film. The two have great chemistry, and even though they don’t kiss once during the entire film, their romance is better built than many others we see on screen. Moreover, in this relationship, we see all of Kate’s trauma returning to her since her former boyfriend, played by Daryl McCormack, died in one of her previous chases, and she still hasn’t fully moved on from it, even five years after the tragedy. Her journey through this grief is done in a pleasant way, nothing genius, but it satisfied me well.
The other supporting characters are also very captivating. I really like how Javi, like Kate, still has his resentments from the tragedy but deals with it differently. Tyler’s crew, who help chase the tornadoes with him, are very entertaining, each bringing a peculiarity that makes the film much more dynamic.
Regarding Lee Isaac Chung’s direction, he is someone who can frame everything that happens on screen very well. The moments of despair in the film with the tornadoes are really good, especially the first sequence of the film, which was spectacularly done. In the first 10 minutes, you see the power of a tornado and how destructive it is, both in terms of physically destroying everything in its path and in destroying the lives of thousands of people in less than 15 minutes. For me, who had never seen how terrifying this phenomenon is, it was a spectacular sequence. And he doesn’t just do this at the beginning; every time one appears on screen, you feel this tension in your chest.
The moments of tension are the ones that shine the most, obviously, due to the nature of the film, but the dramatic moments also cannot be overlooked. The director does a good job here too, such as in a scene showing an old recording of Kate a day before the event that changed her life. He captures very well how euphoric and enthusiastic Kate was before everything, only to later show a tired and monotonous version of her, with no enthusiasm for anything.
The special effects here are done very well, obviously, given its generous budget of $200 million. Even though the film may have been a big gamble for Warner in bringing back this type of disaster film, the money seems to have been very well spent, with those terrifying tornadoes and all the destruction scenes being very, very well done.
The film’s soundtrack, honestly, didn’t surprise me much. I think this is a point that was lacking in the film. If the scenes had a memorable sound to accompany them, it would have taken the film to a higher level and made it much more intense. It’s nothing that will take someone out of the film or bother them, but it’s a point that, if done better, would elevate the film’s level.
Moreover, there is no real innovation in this film. As I said, it’s a cliché, but it’s the kind that follows an exact formula of what it will be, with the traumatic characters who need to face their trauma once and for all and ride their fears, the attempt to have someone “evil” who profits from others’ fragile situations, situations that may seem a bit unrealistic but make the film have more epic scenes, and a few others. Unfortunately, Twisters doesn’t seem interested in stepping out of its comfort zone, which made me feel that the film was very predictable.
Twisters manages to bring a whirlwind of fun with its epic scenes, remarkable special effects, and strong perfomances by Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. It’s a film that will keep you on edge and can even open your eyes to how truly destructive a tornado can be.
Twisters releases in theaters on July 19.
