Twisters Review: Thrilling Tornado Tamers

Natural disaster movies are an oversaturated genre, especially after the 90s and early 2000s pummeled us all with every disaster movie imaginable from The Day After Tomorrow to 2012. The first Twisters came out in 1996 and now almost three decades later, we’re getting a sequel. Is 2024’s Twisters an unnecessary cash grab or an actual good movie? Read on to find out.

Back In Oklahoma

Despite being marketed as sort of a sequel, 2024’s Twisters feels more like a standalone follow-up that could even be considered a remake of the first movie. There’s almost zero connection to 1996’s Twister so you can fully enjoy Twisters without having watched the first movie. When it comes to the plot, Twisters is just like any other natural disaster movie you’ve seen before. It’s formulaic for the most part and follows the usual expected structure. When you’ve seen a couple of these natural disaster movies, you’ve essentially seen them all. That being said, to my pleasant surprise, 2024’s Twisters isn’t boring.

Twisters is a wildly entertaining experience from start to finish thanks to its fast (but not rushed) pacing that always keeps you on your toes. However, what makes Twisters compelling most of all is its characters and their performances. Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos all carry the movie on their backs. They have a chemistry with each other that makes their interactions fun to witness. In between the moments of chasing bustling tornadoes, we also get some heart and humour, which comes a long way in making us, the viewers, care about these characters. Natural disaster movies work best when you actually care about these characters and want them to survive.

In addition, these characters also have a refreshing dynamic together. The first movie pitted two groups of scientists with a more black-and-white morality; one is in it for the ‘science’ and to benefit humanity, while the other is in it just for money and fame. In 2024’s Twisters, things aren’t that clear-cut anymore. These are three-dimensional characters with their own problems and motivations (for example, protagonist Daisy Edgar-Jones’ Kate Cooper suffers from PTSD and survivor’s guilt, etc.), and we see that reflected in their actions and decisions throughout the movie.

Plus, the chasing tornado sequences in Twisters feel as thrilling as they should be, which was unexpected for me because I usually find it hard to pay attention to CGI-fest natural disasters. Twisters didn’t make me feel like that because one, I cared about the characters and find them likeable/interesting. As a result, that made me feel the tangible threat of the tornadoes, which is rare in many other natural disaster movies that tend to just focus solely on the spectacle.

Swirling And Spinning

To sum it all up, 2024’s Twisters is proof that even if the movie doesn’t do anything brand new or unexpected, it can still be a good and fun movie with heart, humour and thrills. Go check it out if you’re looking for an entertaining cinematic summer blockbuster.

FINAL SCORE: 80/100

We attended a press screening of Twisters courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery Malaysia. Twisters premieres in Malaysian cinemas on 18 July 2024.