No warning. No escape.
There's no twist per se in "Twisters." You know what you'll get before walking in, a good ol' natural disaster movie. "Twisters" is a standalone movie and not a sequel to the 1996 blockbuster, "Twister."
Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is a former storm chaser in college who experienced a tragic tornado encounter years ago. These days, she monitors storm patterns safely on monitor screens in New York City.
After being persuaded by her friend (Anthony Ramos) to test a cutting-edge tracking system, backed by a pedigreed corporate team, Kate is back in rural Oklahoma, crossing path with a social media star Tyler Owens (Glen Powell; "Hit Man," "Top Gun Maverick"). Tyler chases storms as spectacle with his ragtag crew, like shooting fireworks into a tornado, for popularity and dollars.
Tyler’s instantly intrigued by the “city girl” chasing storms, not knowing her personal story or scientific background. As one spinning funnel after another gets closer to the area, Kate’s team and Tyler’s team tries to one up each other.
Soon it’s clear to everyone that Kate’s not merely a city girl. She’s storm expert, and a tornado whisperer, if you will, combining science with intuition in predicting its path. Kate is not amused when she uncovers something about her crew’s motive behind in utilizing those tornado trackers. Surprisingly, Tyler and his team are more than meet the social media eye. And with a meteorology background, Tyler himself is not merely a self-proclaimed “tornado wrangler."
Scientific jargons pepper conversations, dealing with wind shear, structure, moisture, temperature, cap and flow, but the gist is easily grasped. This storm season is no laughing matter, not that it ever was.
Terrifying threats materialize and monstrous tornados are unleashed. The convergence of multiple systems not only put the teams in a frightening run of their lives, it also destroys town after town into debris and swallows lives whole.
It’s utterly scary to see how hopeless it is once those tornadoes are approaching the great plains and then touching down in an instant. Hairs stood at the back of my neck. Whipping wind, assailing hail, pelting rain, twirling fire, striking lightning turn into twisting tornadoes – wrecking grounds, destroying buildings, tearing into walls, shredding roofs, flying away vehicles, raining rubbles and crushing people. Chaos abounds and lives are gone.
The massive, maelstrom impact cannot be understated. Devastated communities have to rise and rebuild their lives. Beyond the thrills of special effects, there’s a real human story about the caring spirit, resilience among the rubbles, and making a difference.
No matter how powerful we've become as humans, mother nature's tremendous power remains one to be reckoned with. Ferocious and fearsome, the tornadoes storm with boisterous bluster and furiously batter anything and anyone on its destructive path.
“Twisters” is visceral in power and grounded at heart. Thrilling, yet terrifying twister of a ride.
*I watched it at a press screening earlier in the week on a regular theater screen. Just finally had the time to write the review. If you can, see it on ScreenX, immersive wraparound screens. Or 4DX, if you like lengthy simulation rides.
**I went back and saw it in ScreenX!
