Is it easier to make a movie that leans on the legacy of a pre-existing film than it is to recapture the feelings that film inspired in the first place? To a certain extent, that’s what a project like Twisters is supposed to do. Otherwise, why would the spiritual in-universe follow-up to 1996’s Twister exist? I ask these questions because while Lee Isaac Chung’s follow-up to that Michael Crichton co-written hit is indeed meant to draw fans of that tale’s legacy back to the box office, it does so in a rather unique way. Instead of merely chasing the success of director Jan de Bont’s predecessor, it instead epitomizes the catchphrase of Glen Powell’s Tyler Owens by chasing and capturing the feeling that the ’90s hit stood for.
Twisters
Release Date: July 19, 2024
Directed By: Lee Isaac Chung
Written By: Mark L. Smith
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Sasha Lane, Harry Hadden-Patton, David Corenswet, Daryl McCormack, Tunde Adebimpe, Katy O’Brian, Nik Dodani, Kiernan Shipka, and Paul Scheer
Rating: PG-13 for intense action and peril, some language and injury images
Runtime: 122 minutes
Twisters does have a narrative structure similar to that of its cinematic sibling. We’re introduced to the world of storm chasing through two competing teams that want to make a difference in the name of scientific advancement. The more put together firm is led by Javi (Anthony Ramos), whose background in mil-spec technology leads him to push for a hi-tech reskin of the original Twister’s goal to accurately map a tornado.
Meanwhile, social media sensation Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) leads a ragtag team similar to our lovable protagonists of the past, as he looks to study and educate people with his fearless bravado. Both sides overlap with the presence of Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a young scientist whose tragic past involving storm chasing motivates her to return to a life she left behind. Only this time, the stakes are much higher, as she has a theory how to collapse a tornado in the field.
Twisters is a rare example of a movie nailing the vibe of an original without trying to outright remake it.
While there’s a similarity in DNA between the Twister and Twisters screenplays, this isn’t just a wholesale remake that steals those components. The story of Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton’s chasers seems to exist in Twisters’ universe, represented with the presence of equipment like the Dorothy V. But there’s never an explicit mention of characters or events from that other movie – and there are plenty of opportunities when it could have gone down that road.
Distancing itself with its own brand of likable charm in yet another round of “slobs vs. snobs” gamesmanship, director Lee Isaac Chung never lets his cast of characters become overpowered by intense depictions of bad weather. The Minari helmer landing a movie like Twisters prompted some concern, as we’ve seen plenty of independent filmmakers co-opted into blockbuster projects only to see the results severely compromised.
That does not seem to be the case with this summer blockbuster, as Chung’s eye for stories on a personal scale isn’t lost in the suck zone of massive CGI spectacle. We get some insane action sequences that pay tribute to and even outdo what we’ve seen in the past, but after spending time with the cast of characters making their way through an unprecedented outbreak of tornadoes, we’re invested in seeing our new big screen friends make it out alive.
As a huge Michael Crichton fan, I have to commend Mark L. Smith as well as credited story contributor Joseph Kosinski for including a logical progression of the scientific story that links Twisters to its predecessor. With another tale of humanity’s relationship with nature and science, the new advances this movie’s characters propose build off of what came before.
Glen Powell continues to have a good year as his chemistry with Daisy Edgar-Jones and the rest of the ensemble is infectious.
Twisters has an ensemble of performers that make for a human cast you actually want to follow around. All involved know that audiences are not merely on board to see cows snatched up by destructive forces of nature. All of that is so much easier when you cast a charisma machine like Glen Powell as one of the leads.
It’s not a solo effort though, as without its ensemble of misfits and bureaucrats in play, Twisters wouldn’t be nearly as much fun as it is. A huge part of that victory should also be attributed to Powell’s prominent scene partner, Daisy Edgar-Jones. The chemistry between the pair is undeniable, but also properly restrained. We have a confident hunch throughout that Tyler and Kate are going to become a thing before the credits roll, and part of that assumption comes from how well the lead actors mesh in the quieter moments of Twisters. It’s never taken for granted though.
Twisters glides through its two hours and change running time not only because of well-played leads, but also one hell of a backbench of supporting performers. Nope’s Brandon Perea, Downton Abbey’s Harry Hadden-Patton, and Love Lies Bleeding’s Katy O’Brian are just a sampling of the familiar faces you’ll see mixed into the fabric of this joy ride, and each performer gets their highlight moment.
Twisters is a hot buttered popcorn blockbuster that charms and thrills through novelty, rather than just playing the hits.
If you want a good sign that loving attention has been paid to any particular movie, you only need look at its achievements through below the line talent. In my case, Twisters exceeded my expectations through, among other things, the score provided by composer Benjamin Wallfisch.
In a year when my movie music fandom has me paying close attention to the craft, I have great appreciation for the composer’s musical accompaniment to a scene with Kate scattering dandelions to the wind. Of course, the cues playing during more intense, tornado-adjacent moments are as intense and thrilling as one would expect, but being able to enhance the humanity and scientific wonder in small moments like the one mentioned above is the sign of a truly stand out effort.
Twisters comes along at an interesting and divisive time in pop culture and socio-political history. We still see some of that in that adversarial energy burned off between Anthony Ramos and Glen Powell’s merry bands of storm chasers, and this picture does have some messages it puts into the world as a result. However, it’s never overbearing with its story about science and unity serving the greater good. Even the pop country-laden soundtrack is something I think people can come together to appreciate, as it lends the right down home flavor to a story of protecting a community.
Watching Twisters in a movie theater along with my critic friends, I had the feeling of being in a basement living room, watching a VHS rented from the local video store. The charms and thrills surpass the usual nostalgia that’s used to get people in the door. If there’s one reason to see Twisters, it’s to relive those basement movie nights with friends, hot popcorn and cold soda in hand, having a blast with a blockbuster that doesn’t just play the hits, but aims higher than its predecessor and sticks the landing.