By Sofia Johnson
I’m kinda maybe going to spoil this movie (but in a fun entertaining way!)
“Twisters”— the 2024 sequel/remake of the 1996 film, “Twister” — follows tornado expert and ex-tornado chaser Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones), as she journeys back to her small hometown in Tornado Alley and, inevitably, ends up chasing tornados again. Glen Powell makes an appearance alongside Daisy Edgar-Jones as Tyler, a small-town dude with a truck and an ego. It’s a movie filled with fun easter eggs, references to social media and streamer culture, and surprisingly heartfelt moments. In other words, it’s an instant classic. I saw “Twisters” as someone who hasn’t seen the original, didn’t watch the trailer, and walked into the theater fully confident that the movie was a comedy.
Spoiler alert: t’s not.
Let’s address the ever-charismatic elephant in the room: Glen Powell. He’s a classic Hollywood heartthrob, he’s a perfect pick for any smart-pretty-dude character, and he has a cute dog named Brisket! I wouldn’t be surprised if the majority of this movie’s younger audience was in the theater because he was on screen. When I told someone that I saw this movie, they responded with something along the lines of “Oh, isn’t Glen Powell in that one?” Seriously, a scientific study should be done on how much power he has over Hollywood and its audiences right now.
Besides Glen Powell, though, the movie itself is actually… genuinely good. The introduction is one of the best narrative hooks that I’ve seen in a long time. It draws you in, gets you attached to the characters and their relationships (I love a ragtag group of friends going on an adventure), and immediately shatters your heart and soul. I was on the edge of my seat, mouth agape, eyes wide, for the entirety of this opening sequence. For the next few hours, I kept thinking back to how powerful the opening was. (I suppose that could be considered a bad thing, since the beginning was so good it kind of distracted me from the rest of the movie.)
Let’s talk about our actual protagonist, Kate. While I do wish she had more dimensions, Kate’s motivation is never lost to the audience throughout the movie. There are always clear “why”s to everything she does. The movie’s writers made the very smart decision to have these reasons visually portrayed to the audience and to have these moments be the main source of the film’s emotional pull. This way the audience actually gets to understand Kate’s emotions and unravel them with her. Also, Daisy Edgar-Jones is the PERFECT “New York City girl goes back to small hometown to solve a crisis” actress. Don’t ask me to elaborate, because I can’t. Is it her mannerisms? Her appearance? Her character’s slight Southern accent? The world may never know.
Okay, back to Glen Powell (kinda). This casting director needs an award. Edgar-Jones and Powell have amazing chemistry, from the moment their characters meet to the (now infamous) moment where they don’t kiss at the end. Speaking of this ending, I don’t hate it. Sure, it’s a little sequel-bait-y, but I think it emphasizes that the movie isn’t really about the romance; it’s about Kate and her journey. Also, I think people are seriously underestimating the power of a classic pre-kiss moment of tension, which we do get. Anyway, Kate and Tyler’s relationship is pretty well-developed, and I loved every moment they were on screen together. Their characters challenge each other in interesting ways, which lends some tension and substance to their relationship as a whole.
I loved this movie. It has something for everyone: romance, comedy, drama, suspense, fun secret handshakes and, of course, Glen Powell. It is 100 percent on my rewatch list. Trust me, if you have a feeling that you want to see this movie, chase it. 😉
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