Twister

Twisters was a very enjoyable film from 2024 that did everything it needed to to satisfy audiences and satisfied I was. Would I rush back to rewatching it? Hard to say but I did want to rewatch the original Twister from 1996 having not seen it since I was a young teenager. This wouldn't have the latest special effects but I remember there being something quite charming about Jan de Bont's second feature film, following the success of Speed the year prior to this.

Much like its sequel, Twister sees a group of storm chasers trying to deploy a new research device that could help save lives by understanding how tornados work and increasing the time to warn local citizens of the impending storm. Bill Paxton was once part of a rag-tag team but, with the collapse in his marriage and fellow colleague, he traded the danger for becoming a weatherman. However, he has to set out to Oklahoma to get the divorce papers signed and just as it is time to sign on the dotted line, a storm is kicking up and so he is forced into joining the old team for another mission with his wife, and girlfriend.

Jan de Bont's career as a director isn't the longest or most decorated but there's no denying that Twister remains a highly enjoyable film today and his direction plays a large part in its enduring popularity today. The script is also nicely paced, the visuals benefit from being shot on film giving this a very good earthy texture and the CGI isn't all that bad either. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the action here easily trumps the sequel when everything ramps-up in the final act.

It is just so much fun to watch and it wouldn't be the same without Helen Hunt and the late Bill Paxton who are all great together. We even get a young Philip Seymour Hoffman who is firing on all cylinders as the wild character in the crew, a charming Lois Smith as Hunt's mother and a dastardly Cary Elwes as the corporatised baddy who "chose the money". Twister has such a great cast and, as much as I enjoyed the sequel, just has a charm that makes it better. 

If you enjoyed Twisters but haven't seen Twister, then this will be a very easy recommendation. de Bont's direction keeps the story moving along nicely and the payoff when the storm comes crashing down at the end is very exciting to witness but it's the characters who glue it all together so well. There are bigger and flashier disaster films but Twister still remains one of the best.