“Twisters”: The Disaster Movie We Didn’t Know We Needed
A standalone sequel to that 90s box office hit starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, Twisters has become one of the surprises of the season.
Summary
Kate Cooper, a former storm chaser and weather enthusiast, is haunted by a devastating event involving a tornado during her college years. Unable to cope with the experience, she leaves her adventurous life for an office job in New York.
Everything changes when Kate reconnects with Javi, an old friend who is working on new technology that will help study tornadoes. All of a sudden, she finds herself in the open plains once more, facing danger, but also getting an opportunity to make peace with her past.
A Well-Crafted Adventure
While the trailers for Twisters looked pretty interesting, I did not have high expectations for the project. It seemed like one of those movies that come and go without much noise, especially considering how close its release was to Deadpool & Wolverine’s. However, it quickly became one of my favorite films of 2024. Let me explain why.
Before starting, I must point out that scientific accuracy should not be expected in this story. As I’m ignorant on the subject, I’m incapable of saying exactly how atrocious the creative liberties taken were, but I’m pretty sure that reducing the intensity of a tornado must take a lot more than what the movie portrays. And that, if it’s even possible at all.
It would be fair to say that Twisters brings nothing never seen in technical or storytelling aspects. In fact, when it comes to the latter, it sticks to a pretty traditional formula. But guess what? It works.
There is no interest in lecturing us on climate change. No politics, no sex scenes, and no going out of the way to be diverse and inclusive. This is simply an adventure. Two hours full of action, with tinges of comedy here and there. Even though the film touches on some serious topics and has emotionally charged moments, Twisters knows full well that its first objective is to entertain, which I find refreshing.
Maybe the best part of the film is the opening, when we are introduced to Kate and experience first-hand the tragedy that marked our protagonist’s life. Those first scenes keep you at the edge of your seat, with a display of well-done special effects that show the brutality of our villains: the tornados. Also, seeing Kate before the event, interacting with her friends and boyfriend, was a great way to show how much this experience changed her.
And here is another big reason why the film works so well: the characters.
The Importance of Nice Characters
To my surprise, both the protagonists and the supporting characters are actually likeable people. I care about them, I want them to do well and not get killed by the tornadoes. Which is a lot to say in this day and age. As it’s usual in this kind of film, they don’t have the most amazing on-screen development, but I was not expecting that.
The cast does a great job in general, but once more, Glen Powell steals the film, outshining Daisy Edgar-Jones, who is technically the main character. They even got me a little invested in the romance between Kate and Tyler.
Perhaps the one I did not like as much was Javi, but just because the film does not seem to know what to do with him. Is he a villain? Is he there to be friend-zoned and create a love triangle? Or is he just a friendly and harmless supporting character?
One way or another, I came out of the theater thinking that I wouldn’t mind seeing those people again. If they ever make a sequel, I will be paying a ticket.
Twisters: The Soundtrack
The musical choices for Twisters are amazing. The soundtrack is composed of original songs by many country artists that are a perfect fit for the tone of this film. I’m not a big fan of country music, but the two songs that played during the credits made me want to stay in the theater a little longer.
Box Office Surprise
It must be considered that while in several countries the film was released on July 11th, the domestic release was on July 19th. It opened with $81.251.415 on its first weekend. The audience’s enthusiasm and good reviews have encouraged more people to go watch it these past weeks, helping Twisters achieved $274.386.000 worldwide.
Now, will it break even and become the season’s hit? It’s hard to tell, but probably not. My reason for saying this is that the production budget was $155.000.000. While it has earned a respectable amount of money so far, it has to make a lot more to be profitable. And as I mentioned before, Deadpool & Wolverine is a serious competitor.
One way or another, I must confess I’m rooting for it. I know my opinions on most releases tend to be gloomy, but this time around, I really hope this film makes it. I left the theater feeling very pleased.
Maybe if it does well financially, the entertainment industry will finally take note, and we could have movies like this more often. In the meantime, if you haven’t watched Twisters yet, I recommend you give it a chance.
