Twisters (2024) a Modern Spin with Familiar Twists

If you feel it, chase it.

Twisters swirled into theaters in 2024. After a dangerous twister chase gone awry, Kate retires from the craft. Years later, she is persuaded to return to Oklahoma to work with a new team. There Kate meets Tyler, a charming YouTube storm chaser, and they fight off the twisters.

I have a huge love for disaster movies. It’s not just the epic, catastrophic events that put me on edge, but also the balanced blend of character dynamics. I had mixed opinions about this film. Twisters swirls the usual disaster tropes, avoiding venturing into new territory.

Twisters stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell as our two main duo. The two had excellent on-screen chemistry, challenging each other, until eventually becoming friends. Their encounter also attests that there is more to people than meets the eye.

The choice of character perspective should have been switched. Kate (Edgar-Jones) endures the usual guilt-ridden storyline where she is afraid to venture back into the danger zone. Edgar-Jones was great, but Tyler (Powell) is a more compelling character.

Glen Powell livened up the film and is easily the best part. I was reluctant at first because I didn’t like his characters in Anyone But You. Give actors (and movies) a second chance. Filmmakers missed an opportunity to frame the story from Tyler’s perspective. I want to know more about this character.

The film also stars Anthony Ramos, Brandon Parea, Maura Tierney, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sasha Lane, Daryl McCormack, Kiernan Shipka, and Nik Dodani. The side characters are fleshed out, but certain characters deserve larger roles, preferably Tierney who only appears for one scene.

One aspect that makes disaster flicks excellent is when they have a fantastic blend of character dynamics mixed with the disaster portion. That’s what made Twister (1996) memorable.

Writers tried too hard with the supporting characters. They were generic and copied various tropes. The funniest character is Ben (Haddon-Paton), a London journalist. He is scared of everything. These are the side characters we need in movies.

The film takes its time to build momentum, and Lee Isaac Chung should have taken a different approach to the story. That’s where it fell flat for me. In my opinion, Twisters should have been its own story, instead of copying aspects from the 1996 film.

The story is predictable, which is why I would change the perspectives to inhabit a more enticing story. It lacked the thrills and intensity the original film conquered.

Now for the special effects. The special effects team did an incredible job with the film, creating destructive sets. The tornado sequences are where the film truly shines, showcasing heart-pounding action. The film also took its time with the twisters, though that may have been deliberate. The motel scene is one nail-biter as characters run for cover.

Scenes were shot in Oklahoma City (dressed to look like New York). Filming wasn’t easy being halted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the writer’s strike. Production was so behind that filmmakers didn’t finish the movie until months before its release!

The day I saw Twisters, I realized that five years ago exactly, I was in Cape Cod when a twister swept through the area! Similar to the movie theater setting in the climax, I was in a movie theater when my real-life events occurred. Luckily, nothing serious ensued and I was fine.

I was on edge in the final half as twisters roared through the city. If there’s any place, experience Twisters in theaters. It’s a suspenseful time and will excite weather disaster film fans.