Summer Blockbuster Alert: ‘Twisters’ Review

“Twisters,” the disaster movie starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, is an oddity in 2024: a reboot that’s actually worth your time.

Maybe it’s strange to call a film depicting the enormous devastation wrought by tornadoes a pleasant surprise. But, like the weather phenomena these rebellious scientists chase, this summer smash whooshed in out of nowhere.

A thrilling scene from the movie

After all, why would ticket-buyers assume that a follow-up to 1996’s “Twister” is any good? Usually, when Hollywood cravenly defibrillates franchises to make a buck, it ignores what audiences loved about the originals in the first place.

Not “Twisters.” Director Lee Isaac Chung’s bracing movie, with no labored connections to its predecessor, starts with a strong story and rich characters — and, yes, cool cyclones — and rightly goes down a storm.

A Gutsy Opener

A gutsy and tragic opener introduces us to Kate (Edgar-Jones), a chipper meteorology student in Oklahoma with big dreams. Her head’s in the clouds in every sense. Obsessive Kate believes she’s invented a method to stop tornadoes dead in their tracks, but the technology isn’t finessed yet. She finds out the hard way.

A young meteorology student in Oklahoma

Five Years Later

Five years later, the shell-shocked woman is working at a TV station in New York — where the most fearsome Cyclone is on Coney Island — when her old pal Javi (Anthony Ramos) begs her to rejoin him in the Great Plains during a record-breaking season.

Javi is endeavoring to capture a sophisticated 3D scan of a whirlwind, much like Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton did in the original using the aluminum-balls sensor “Dorothy,” to better predict the storm’s behavior and keep people in the destructive path safe.

Mentally Prepared

Mentally prepared, Kate thinks, she flies back to Oklahoma, where there’s no surrey with the fringe on top, but rather muddy trucks with satellite radar. She doesn’t need fancy devices — Kate relies on instinct alone.

Updated for the 21st Century

So far, “Twisters” largely tracks the Hunt-Paxton film. How is it updated? There’s a lot less denim, for one, and I didn’t spot any silly cows mooing through the sky.

The hottest YouTube star of the lot is Tyler (Glen Powell), a cocky cowboy who competes for dominance with Javi’s straitlaced crew, one of whom amusingly is DC’s future Superman, David Corenswet.

Compelling Characters

Without a doubt, these characters’ backstories and drives are vastly more compelling than those of 28 years ago. And the main trio’s opposing auras — Edgar-Jones’ damaged soul, Powell’s sensitive jock, and Ramos’ heart of gold — marry beautifully.

Moral Complexity

There’s greater moral complexity this time, too. Screenwriter Mark L. Smith has cannily reworked the research vs. profit angle from the 1996 film into something newly pressing. And it’s not just sober data collection battling vapid social media clicks.

A Bold Directorial Choice

Chung was a bold pick for “Twisters.” Indie directors can flop big-time when handed the reins of big studio tentpoles burdened by high expectations (see: Chloé Zhao and Marvel’s “Eternals”).

The Oscar nominee turns out to be an ideal match. Chung brings the same skillful style he used to shoot the green meadows of Arkansas in “Minari,” at once serene and dark, to the action-packed cornfields of Oklahoma.

Action-Packed Cornfields

Action-packed cornfields of Oklahoma

He mines depth in the most unlikely place — millennials sprinting after tornadoes. And, for those of you who couldn’t care less about character arcs, nuanced acting, and unique views of nature’s majesty: Thanks for reading, and, yes, the twisters are badass.

The Verdict

“Twisters” is a surprisingly good reboot that’s a bona fide summer blockbuster. Don’t miss it!