If you’re anything like me, nothing signals a soulless, uninspired Hollywood cash-grab quite like the term “re-make”. These days it can easily feel like one week doesn’t pass without a treasured piece of cinematic pop-culture falling victim to this form of bastardization.
How many attempts to subvert genuine creativity and original storytelling can the movie-going public be expected to sit through before a CGI cameo of some dead movie star miraculously fails to justify ticket prices?
I walked into “Twisters”, the 2024 reboot of the 1996 classic disaster thriller with cynically low expectations. I walked out feeling the closest one could possibly get to watching the film’s predecessor for the first time, all over again.
“Twisters” managed to pull off a modern re-make that prioritizes storytelling ahead of nostalgia. The original “Twister,” starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, stood the test of time, telling the story of a ragtag group of tornado chasers, headed by a divorcing husband and wife, brought together one last time to face danger and revolutionize the fight against natural disaster through science.
“Twisters”, which stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell, borrows the best elements from the original, but twists them into an original, stand-alone story that merely teases at redundancy before winding along its own path.
Both films feature a protagonist driven by a traumatic event to chase tornadoes and prevent other people from being victims of their destructive power. Both films feature a mother of said protagonist who serves as a “home away from home” for the entire group. Both feature a reluctant return to tornado chasing by one of the two main characters and a complex romantic dynamic that resolves itself the way we all expect.
While “Twisters” borrows structural elements from the original film, it uses its inheritance wisely. At no point in its 122-minute runtime will audiences feel cheated out of an original story. The characters are a refreshing blend of nostalgic and original. Powell’s performance as Tyler Owens, the rival and thrill-seeking influencer injects a unique and modern spin on two archetypal pillars of the 1996 counterpart.
Edgar-Jones plays Kate Carter, a storm chaser haunted by tragedy. While mirroring the disposition of Hunt’s character, Edgar-Jones’s performance expands the emotional context of her character’s journey, and places it front and center in a way that can be seen as underdeveloped in the original.
If you haven’t seen the 1996 original “Twister” in some time, or haven’t at all, I’d suggest watching it prior to seeing the sequel. This is a suggestion, not a prerequisite. “Twisters” stands up and honors the legacy of its precursor in a way that isn’t often seen with high-budget remakes. Prepare to be blown away.
Ryan Pacheco can be contacted at
