The summer of 2024 saw a string of big-budget blockbusters that were hailed for months, only to be met with disappointing reviews and lackluster audience attendance. Inside Out 2 had enough heart and soul to consistently draw in adoring crowds, young and old. Twisters has now stormed the box office to earn the biggest opening weekend numbers ever, grossing over $80 million.
Twisters is a sequel of sorts to the 1994 film Twister starring Bill Pullman and Helen Hunt. Twisters has a similar plot. A team of daredevil storm chasers set out to tame tornadoes. Since it's an update, there are plenty of YouTubers along for the ride, streaming video of each funnel cloud. The film is enriched with details that feel authentic, like a middle school science project and notes in a spiral notebook. Twisters is anchored by characters that feel like real people played by actors who can bring emotional resonance to their roles.
What makes this movie thrilling is the CGI. The movie takes the audience into the heart of the storms. With a great soundtrack and impressive sound design, the tornadoes become characters. This makes the adventure more visceral when the fierce wind and swirling dark clouds seem like monsters trying to destroy cities and coming straight at our plucky group of misfits.
It’s Glen Powell’s summer. His most revelatory role was as the cocky pilot in Top Gun Maverick, but he’s on a roll: he wooed Sydney Sweeney in Anyone but You, then made TV screens heat up as Netflix’s Hit Man. Now he’s Tyler Owens, the tornado chaser. Powell’s charisma and all-American good looks are a big part of the movie’s appeal. The fact that he’s funny and self-deprecating is the cherry on top.
Director Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) has kept this action film grounded in a realistic story and grounded in real emotions. Tornadoes are deadly and can destroy entire cities. They are becoming more frequent with climate change. Without turning the film into a sob story and moralizing, the message is always loud and clear. It features characters like Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate, who has lost loved ones and suffers from PTSD. She is emotionally deprived and has given up on her dreams. Kate seeks solace on the family farm. Her mother, wonderfully played by Maura Tierney (in a role clearly meant for Helen Hunt), reminds her of the toll storms take on American farmers.
Another wonderful touch is how the characters you would expect to be scorned by the narrative aren't treated as mere entertainment. These eccentric characters who flock to tornado alley to chase storms for the adrenaline and media attention, are revealed to have hearts of gold. This film doesn't mock middle America, it embraces rodeo culture and farming communities.
Kate is often mocked for being a city girl, but the joke falls flat when it turns out Tyler is also a college-educated woman. They are more compatible than audiences might think; defying expectations keeps the film relevant. There is a sweet romance at play, but what is unusual for a Hollywood blockbuster is a meeting of minds.
Kate doesn't chase storms in cut-off shorts and let the man save the day. No, she saves the entire city. She risks her life and uses her hard-earned knowledge and a trailer equipped with chemicals. Which isn't to say that women won't want to buy a cool leather camera strap, because Kate definitely looks like a badass.
I hope Hollywood pays attention. Hire an independent filmmaker known for telling personal stories with a strong emotional charge and give him a big budget. Maybe he will inspire more actors to take characters that could be role models and give them life and nuance. Give audiences action films that are exciting but also reflect our culture and realities.
Drinks With Films Rating: 4 bottles of American beer, sipped straight from the bottle, no fancy pint glasses needed here (out of 5)
