Get ready to hunker down and hold onto your seat. Twisters has landed and it brings to mind fun trips down movie memory lane while being a worthy entry in the Twister universe. It also boasts a great cast, soundtrack, and a surprise cameo. So, strap on your harnesses and be advised, there will be some light spoilers ahead. And if you’ve not seen the film, now is a good time to go catch it at the theater! You don’t even have to watch Twister first.
Killer Cast
Twisters boasts an excellent cast. Aside from our leads, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos, we also have Katy O’Brian, Tunde Adebimpe, Brandon Perea, Maura Tierney, and Sasha Lane for a great ensemble cast. Daisy Edgar-Jones is particularly good in the lead as Kate. She is smart and capable, but second-guesses herself because of her past, making her accessible and relatable to the audience. Her growth throughout the film is something truly wonderful to behold.
As someone who grew up in hillbilly country, Glen Powell’s Tyler captures the essence of country culture without the horrible stereotypes. He is a “hillbilly” in his origin but breaks the uneducated, ignorant, toothless, shoeless stereotype, which is apropos as Powell is a Texan. Tyler is much more like the salt-of-the-earth folks I grew up around, rather than the negative stereotypes that seem to only get airplay on film and television. Yes, he’s a little crazy, which is probably a prerequisite for storm-chasing, but he’s capable and intelligent. I hope this begets more positive portrayals of southern people in film and television, please!
Anthony Ramos’ Javi is a great character. He’s a good balance between Kate and Tyler. Javi understands Kate’s reticence because of their shared trauma but is more pragmatic than Tyler. His pragmatism becomes a source of tension in the film, which Ramos plays to great effect. He’s a sympathetic character, helping to balance Kate’s fear and Tyler’s lack thereof. I can’t say more without spoilers, so you’ll have to watch and find out more about him.
A Well-Assembled Ensemble
Twisters also boasts a great supporting cast. It would have been nice to get to know them better individually, but there just isn’t enough time. In the original Twister, you have to watch closely to get a good feel for the rest of the storm-chasing crew. While it’s not their movie, as the primary conflict centers on Kate, Tyler, and Javi, we do get bits and pieces of their personalities, which I enjoy. The standout for me is Brandon Perea’s Boone as our Dusty character, with his over-the-top antics, providing some great comic relief.
Speaking of Dusty, when the film was announced, I originally said I would have liked Cooper Hoffman to be cast in a similar role as an homage to his late father, Phillip Seymour Hoffman. As much as I adore Cooper, I must retract that statement. It’s no slight on Cooper, but after seeing the film, I think it would have been too distracting. It would have made Twisters bite too hard on the nostalgia bait, and undercut its impact as a sequel.
Soundtrack and Score
Twisters is bringing back the art of the soundtrack with a fantastic country lineup. We’ve already spilled some ink here on Fangirlish about how much we love the soundtrack. What I personally enjoy the most about the soundtrack is that it does the same thing its predecessor does so well. The lyrics of the chosen songs fit the thematics of the scene perfectly without drawing attention from the scene itself. I am glad to see that tradition has continued in Twisters. Also, the choice to load up the soundtrack with country versus the blend of country, folk, and rock that comprised the Twister soundtrack makes sense considering Tyler’s background. Many of the tracks are what he blasts during his “tornado wrangling” scenes. The soundtrack is quite extensive as well, featuring the likes of Miranda Lambert, Leon Bridges, Conner Smith, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Tucker Wetmore, Luke Combs, and many, many more. There are 29 tracks on the album, so you’ll be enjoying this one for quite a while.
The Twisters score by Benjamin Wallfisch is exciting and truly gets the blood pumping. The music does exactly what a great movie score should. It evokes and enhances the emotional stakes of the film without being distracting. Wallfisch’s score also invokes some of the score for Twister while making it its own. It pays homage without being an exact duplicate. I want both for my vinyl collection.
Final Thoughts
Twisters is a worthy entry in the Twister universe. It feels weird to say the phrase, “Twister universe,” as Twister is a perfect standalone film. It does not need a sequel. And yet, Twisters is another perfect standalone film. A rewatch of Twister isn’t required to enjoy Twisters. However, it will provide you with an enhanced viewing experience, enabling you to catch the carefully and minimally chosen Easter eggs and aesthetic touches that Twisters uses as callbacks to the original. There’s also a brief cameo from James Paxton, son of the late, great Twister star, Bill Paxton. Let me know if you spot him.
Twisters is a sequel that is bold enough not to rely on the popularity of the original film. And frankly, it doesn’t need to. Very few films of its like would dare to do the same thing. It’s a film that is wildly entertaining on its own merits and its own terms. While I don’t think Twisters charms me quite as much as the original (and that might be my 90s-tinged nostalgia talking), I think it’s a worthy sequel to Twister. I had a blast from start to finish. It’s big and loud like the original, making it best seen on the big screen, and in the highest premium theater available. Twisters is the perfect summer popcorn flick, and I look forward to riding it out a few more times on the big screen.
Twisters is in theaters now.
