Twisters
Starring: Daisy Edgar Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos
Directed By: Lee Isaac Chung
Did you know that Twisters is a big-budget Hallmark movie in disguise? As something of a Hallmark expert, let me lay it all out.
Big city girl Kate (Daisy Edgar Jones) goes back to her small town to help the residents for a very SHORT time. It’s only going to be a week, so please stop asking her to stay longer. GOSH! She has things to do in New York, where she lives now. She’s a city person. In Oklahoma, she meets a handsome tornado-wrangling YouTube star, Tyler Owens. The two butt heads concerning their very different styles of storm chasing. The conflict!
Tyler is wild in his approach while Kate is all about the data. But wait…is it possible that behind that wild exterior, Tyler has feelings? He has an actual backstory beyond all of his wild tornado-wrangling ways. Will Tyler and Kate put their differences behind them and find common ground while chasing tornados in Oklahoma?
I feel like Hallmark might as well adopt Twisters into their summer movie lineup because it fits their formula perfectly. That’s not a dig at Twisters. It’s an action-packed summer blockbuster that is meant for the big screen. Director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) crafts a film that keeps the audience engaged from start to finish. Let’s face it, everyone is coming to see the tornado content and the movie delivers on that front. This is a film where the villain is weather and it’s plenty anxiety-inducing to watch. The movie does not let up on tornado disaster content to the point where I’m confident no one would willingly live in Oklahoma if it were this bad.
There are things about Twisters that are very absurd. I could be accused of nit-picking here but in 2024 when we have constant access to weather updates on our phones, half of the events in this movie are totally avoidable. There is a rodeo scene in particular that would be believable in the 1950s but by today’s standards is completely insane. Also, there are frequent instances where the main characters are seen as heroes for telling the people of Oklahoma how to take shelter during a tornado. I think they’re aware. They live in Tornado Alley. I feel like Perd Hapley pointing these things out in a Twister sequel but someone has to do it.
How I feel pointing out inaccuracies in a sequel to a disaster movie about tornadoes
Daisy Edgar Jones leads the film as Kate, the meteorologist who left tornado chasing behind after a devastating personal tragedy. Jones is a good lead who can easily carry her own but her British accent slips through a lot. It’s not believable that she’s an Oklahoma native or a New Yorker. Despite that, she makes Kate an interesting and well-rounded character. Glen Powell is having a huge summer between Hit Man and Twisters. He has a ton of charisma as Tyler to carry a blockbuster like this. (Scream Queens fans have known this all along.)
The soundtrack for Twisters is a huge part of the film. Country music blares through almost every scene as the characters go out on multiple tornado chases. While not my favorite genre, I can understand that country sets the tone for the Midwestern setting. That being said, the songs are way too literal. Kate will say a line of dialogue like, “I just need to be back home” and then a song blare with lyrics stating, “And I miss my home in Oklahoma.” Let’s just say subtlety is not Twisters’ strong suit.
While it may not be particularly subtle or factor in the knowledge of Tornado Alley residents, Twisters is a wild summer blockbuster that is worth seeing on the big screen. From start to finish, the film builds tension through anxiety-inducing tornado sequences that keep you engaged until the final moments.
My Rating: 7/10