Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisters is a roaring and heartfelt triumph that places gratitude for humanity at its center. As most narratives that orbit around natural disasters, it considers society while simultaneously balancing banter and thunderous action sequences that make for a perfect summertime film.
Starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, Harry Hadden-Paton, Sasha Lane, Katy O’Brian, David Corenswet, and more, the film is a well-paced spectacle that dives deep into the matters of both literal and emotional storms. There’s much to factor in here when taking action/thriller films that place characters center stage, and that’s precisely why Twisters works. It takes itself seriously enough to create a lasting impact while at the same time understanding that films need various beats to draw attention to critical narratives.
As a sequel, the film doesn’t add much to the original story; instead, it stands impressively on its own. It’s something for a different generation that utilizes its star power to create a thrilling marvel for various connoisseurs. Here, the characters set their own course, quite literally dabbling in millennial antics like YouTube and excessive merchandise to heighten some of the emotional beats that rely on grounding oneself.
With this, both physically and emotionally, Twisters is a story about remaining anchored. It’s a story about helping someone else stay steady before holding yourself in place. The trenches rivetingly force characters to look inward toward their purpose while also addressing the idea of facing fears.
It is, at the end of the day, both about taming the storm and riding it out. It’s about surviving to create something bigger than what you once believed would save the world, and much of that also requires looking toward the person in front of you with forgiveness and grace. In dark times, very few things matter. When a town collapses, helping your neighbor is the only option. Thereby, Twisters relies on both big gestures and small, explosive ones, too.
The only real flaw in Twisters? Too many tornadoes and not enough kissing. Sure, we could argue that this isn’t a romance, but it’s wasted potential when Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones have such explosive chemistry. And speaking of the stars, the film is made richer by the performances that allow vulnerability to rise to the eye of the storm for heart-pounding moments that hit in all the right ways. Still, what works best is the relationship that builds between Kate (Edgar-Jones) and Tyler (Powell).
The relationship adds remarkable levity to a story that’s otherwise brimming with a plethora of pain and grief. The sorrow comes in waves, ebbing and flowing with consistent character beats, making the narrative easy to invest in and want more of.
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In more ways than one, Twisters is a story about grief. It’s about survivor’s guilt and explores how human beings work through trauma with the people surrounding them. Sometimes, the world becomes an isolating place when heartache is a prominent presence in one’s life; other times, light comes crashing in from the people who refuse to leave you behind. There are countless moments and frames throughout the film that feel profound in portraying the human experience. It’s a story about doing the right thing at the right time and persisting to hold on when everything feels impossible.
The soundtrack is a little too country for my taste, but somehow, even that works. Maybe it’s the Glen Powell of it all—the indescribable charm he carries to ensure that his characters are likable through and through, even when (and especially while) they’re complex.
Twisters is now playing in theaters.
First Featured Image | Official Poster Credit: ©Universal Pictures