A well known classic of its genre, “Twister,” tapped into audience desire for natural disaster movies. The film was the second highest grossing film of 1996 and the film received Oscar nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound.
“Twister” was so well received and a crowd favorite that a ride in Universal Studios Florida was made in which riders could experience simulated effects of a tornado.
In June 2020, a reboot was announced which was changed to a standalone sequel in October 2022.
After years of waiting, “Twisters” was released on July 19, 2024 and was a box office success, becoming one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer.
“Twisters” is set in the modern day after a brief flashback that left Kate, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, as a survivor of a tornado that wiped out her field team, barring Javi, played by Anthony Ramos. Years later, Kate — who now lives in New York — is brought back to Oklahoma by the insistence of Javi.
The film establishes a thorough plot and well thought out characters. We know why Kate decided to leave home, so the audience sympathizes with her.
Other characters introduced include Glen Powell as Tyler Owens, an internet personality with a camera and a modded truck that can withstand being in the center of a tornado, as well as Kate’s opposite.
While unlikeable at first, Powell’s true character starts emerging and his friendship with Kate begins. While the plot does seem outlandish at times, the film does a great job of filling in all of the gaps with in-world explanations.
The plot plays out well as the separate teams find out the tornado they are chasing is actually twin tornados and they must decide which of the two will die out first. A simple but intriguing situation.
On top of this, the film also does a great job of immersing the audience. The CGI used in the film was really well thought out, and director Lee Isaac Chung also used practical effects for other portions of the film’s set.
“The fact that the cameras are mounted on moving vehicles, and there’s real wind and noise and bumps , gives you another layer of tactile involvement for the viewer,” lead cinematographer Dan Mindel said in an interview with IndieWire.
This added a layer of amazement to the film — it felt like the original in its use of classic methods like practical effects to the modern day.
“You don’t even need to revisit the original, but you can if you want — there will be more easter eggs that way. But I think this movie stands on its own with new characters, new cast and new effects,” said Glen Powell in an interview with K Law.
Overall, I loved the film. It left me with a sense of nostalgia for the original and definitely cemented itself as a top film of 2024.
