June 22, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Film Review: Twisters

FILM REVIEW
TWISTERS
Rated PG-13
122 Minutes
Released July 19th

Twisters was filmed in Oklahoma, part of a region called Tornado Alley which spans from Texas into South Dakota. Of the 1423 tornadoes in the US in 2023, most of them occurred in that region, causing mass devastation and tragedy. The routes of tornadoes have changed recently and continue to change, and numbers have increased. Whether this is due to natural forces, or the El Nino-El Nina shift, or to climate change is yet unknown but is being studied by scientists and storm chasers.

Storm chasing, especially of tornadoes, is a phenomenon, and tornadoes are magnets for tourists. Tornado tour operators carry high-paying customers on “tornado safaris” into the path of the storms for a few minutes of thrills after hours on the road. Storm chasers are highly skilled and experienced, seldom get closer than a couple of miles from a twister, and always have a preplanned escape route, so don’t try it on your own – instead, you can go watch this movie. 

The story is excellent. There is a lot going on, but the narrative is wrapped in an emotional package that the ensemble carries seamlessly, with all the players working together. The film deftly encompasses the terror and destruction of tornadoes from alternate points of view – scientific, thrill/publicity seekers, weather professionals, and community, and it does so with personal tie-ins for the characters. The cast seems natural when showing fear and horror as the storm rages around them.  Through the skilled cinematography by Dan Mindel and editing by Terilyn A. Shropshire, you only realize later that the actors were not performing in real tornadoes.

This isn’t just a story of survivors, thrill-seekers, and regular people caught up in a catastrophe; it’s also a tour de force in recreating the effects of this terrifying weather phenomenon for moviegoers. Director Lee Isaac Chung grew up in rural Arkansas, within Tornado Alley. His Oscar-nominated autobiographical film, Minari (2020), told of his childhood in an immigrant family struggling to establish an existence on a small farm. Chung had also directed an episode of The Mandalorian, which gave him a chance to work with special effects. Chung says that producers selected him to direct Twisters because they knew he could “understand the sense of place,” 

Chung enlisted tornado specialist Kevin Kelleher, who provided scientific details to make sure the story remained authentic technically and physically. “But,” Kelleher says, “at the end of the day, there’s no research that we’re aware of that people are seriously doing to try to affect tornadoes. Not yet, anyway.”

Chung’s cast is well-chosen. Glen Powell’s “Tyler” undergoes a distinct character arc, and he plays it well. Powell began his career with Guest Star roles on television and small roles in major films, and now his career as a leading man is firmly cemented. Daisy Edgar-Jones grew up in London, but she is a natural as “Kate,” the tornado scientist from Oklahoma. Edgar-Jones had already been immersed in Southern US culture in her role as “The Marsh Girl” in Where the Crawdads Sing, shot in 2021 in Louisiana. “Javi” is a breakout role for Anthony Ramos, who starred onstage in the musicals Hamilton and In the Heights. Tyler’s crew are memorable characters, played by Brandon Perea (Nope), Sasha Lane, Katy O’Brian, and Tunde Adebimpe. David Corenswet (the new “Superman”) plays an uptight scientist in Javi’s crew.

The cast had assistance in believability by the extreme conditions rendered on set and by the special effects crew, who used wind machines, a jet engine from a plane, gallons of water, ice blowers, flying debris, smoke, complex stunt choreography, and wire work. Mother Nature also assisted with some real storms and tornadoes. Although the set had to be shut down at one point when an actual tornado formed behind them, it was reported that Chung took off with a storm chaser consultant and chased it. Chung noted that the locals who were hired as extras for a tornado scene were asked by an assistant director, “Has anyone here ever been in a situation like this before?” and they all raised their hands. A scene in a movie theatre really hits home to audience members who are sitting in…a movie theatre.

Tornadoes are something that humans still cannot control, and that can be terrifying. This is really a monster movie in that sense. Showing the tragic aftermath of tornadoes is vital and is done well here: towns left in shreds, whole neighborhoods wiped off the face of the earth, people stumbling through the wreckage with the look of “this was never supposed to happen to me.” 

It’s sad that we cannot seem to create such an in-your-face scary narrative for our climate crisis. We have a hard time thinking in large enough temporal increments to sense the terror that should light a fire under humanity about our planet.

Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people.  She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com

<>Related Posts

Malibu Traffic Delays Expected: REPORT

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

The warning applies to the first weekend of summer Transportation officials are warning travelers on the Pacific Coast Highway through...

Strongman to Pull 34,680-Pound Bus at Santa Monica Pier

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

Licis, also the 2022 “Arnold Strongman Classic” champion, will undertake the feat to showcase his strength  Strongman Martins Licis, the...

All Aboard to LAX: Metro Opens Game-Changing Transit Hub Ahead of Global Events

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

 New LAX/Metro Transit Center Comes Closer to Connecting Metro Directly to LAX The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)...

New Leadership at Samohi: Jane Han Named House Principal

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Equity-Focused Educator Joins Samohi Leadership Team By Diana Bouchaaya, SMMUSD Communications Specialist The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Board...

Food Fight on the Venice Boardwalk: Chefs Stand Up for Immigrants with Food

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Turk’s Pizza Party Rallies Top Local Eateries for an Immigrant Rights Fundraiser In a bold display of culinary activism, Turk’s...

Weekend Lane Closures on PCH in Malibu Could Snarl Summer Beach Traffic

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Army Corps Work Triggers Weekend Closure on Pacific Coast Highway Motorists traveling along Pacific Coast Highway this weekend should prepare...

SMC Gallery to Showcase Faculty Art in Virtual Exhibition

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

The online event will feature works by seven Emeritus faculty artists. The Santa Monica College Emeritus Art Gallery will host...

(Video) Where great minds grow at The Willows Community School

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

The Willows, a DK-8 co-educational school, enrolls 474 students from 57+ zip codes annually. As a balanced, progressive educational leader, experiential learning,...

Film Review: The Life of Chuck

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

FILM REVIEWTHE LIFE OF CHUCKRated R110 MinutesReleased June 6th A  heartfelt movie of lie, love, friendship and loss, delivered in...

THIS WEEKEND: Five Outdoor Concerts for Make Music Day Comes to Santa Monica

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

The global event, inspired by France’s Fête de la Musique, unites communities through music and is observed in over 800...

(Video) The Guest List Collab Dinner with Chef Raphael Lunetta and Chef Alan Wong

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Held at Marelle Restaurant at The Sandbourne Hotel in Santa Monica. An Incredible mix of Hawaiian and Santa Monica’s flavors...

Jeni’s Drops Goose-Inspired Ice Cream Flavor to Kick Off Summer of Sweetness

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Goose Tracks Is a Nod to the Jam-Band’s Live Magic + Super Fun Times Flavors Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is...

Santa Monica’s ‘Summer Soulstice’ Festival Returns with Music, Classic Cars, and Family Fun

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

The event, featuring music, a PRIDE-themed bingo, a car show and a beer garden, spans Main Street from Strand Street...

(Video) A Plus Tree: A Steward of Urban Forest Management Across Los Angeles

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

For More Information, Go to Aplustree.com For More Information, Go to https://t.co/oL7U8M4k7B pic.twitter.com/fCAYMCsLXU — Santa Monica Mirror (@SMMirror) June 19,...

(Video) See Inside Voodoo Doughnuts’ New Venice Beach Shop

June 18, 2025

June 18, 2025

The Creative Portland Franchise Has Opened Up at Windward Circle The Creative Portland Franchise Has Opened Up at Windward Circle....