‘Twisters’ – A tense throwback

In a time when your average blockbuster centres around the fictitious and the fantastic, a film about devastating winds is a breath of fresh air. There are no space aliens, witches, or super people bringing along the burden of dull lore and overcomplicated mythology. Twisters is so accessible, that to enjoy it, you don’t even need to watch its 1996 predecessor.

It’s a rarity to be sure, but Twisters isn’t a complete departure from typical summer cinema. The film has the same bad dialogue, one dimensional characters, and predictable plotting that, hopefully, is saved by an expensive-looking action sequence that gets viewers’ eyes popping and their hearts thumping.

The wager pays off with Twisters as the set pieces are tremendous. The film establishes from the outset just how dangerous a tornado can be. A quick prologue sets the tone of a thriller, with the first whirlwind snatching unsuspecting victims like a slasher in the woods. The weight afforded to the storm lays the foundation for some distinctly tense moments throughout the movie. Then Glen Powell enters the picture, driving head first into the dangerous storm for the sole purpose of lighting fireworks and giving his streaming fans his best “Yeehaw”.

The dramatic tone set by the opening ends up undercut, but the characters win you over with their charm. With characterisation so blatant it’s easy to figure them out, making them relatable in a situation most audience members wouldn’t see themselves caught dead in. There are no surprises in Twisters, and the people you follow in the film are so likeable, you don’t even mind them spouting pseudoscience babble about weather patterns and tornado physics.

There’s charisma among the cast and the grandiose effects are sold through grounded moments of terror. Characters holding on for dear life lest they be sucked into a flaming vortex, is just the right mix of intimate stakes in the face of unmitigated disaster that cinema has been missing. Unfortunately, those same characters make bad decisions and say clichéd things in service of a story you could forecast from a mile away. Still, at least you don’t have to know what part of the multiverse anyone is from.

Rating: Half Price

Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies.