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The stormy romance and thrilling action of “Twisters”
In the world of disaster thrillers, “Twisters” has taken the cinematic landscape by storm, quite literally. Directed by Lee Isaac Chung, the film has captivated audiences with its blend of heart-pounding action and complex character dynamics. The movie stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate Cooper, a determined scientist, and Glen Powell as Tyler Owens, a charismatic tornado chaser. Their chemistry is palpable, yet the film’s ending has sparked considerable debate among fans and critics alike.
The kiss that never was
For over an hour and a half, ”Twisters” builds a palpable tension between Kate and Tyler. From their initial banter—Tyler’s playful nickname for Kate, “city girl,” and her teasing about his face on a t-shirt—to their shared experiences, the audience is led to anticipate a romantic culmination. However, in a surprising twist, the film concludes without the much-anticipated kiss. Instead, Kate and Tyler walk off together, ready to chase more storms.
Director Lee Isaac Chung stands by this decision, despite the mixed reactions. “I filmed both versions, and I even tested both versions,” he explains. “It’s a very polarizing decision. There are people who have felt I should have kept it, and then there are execs who feel like we did a good job of removing it.”
Chung’s choice was driven by his vision for Kate’s character. “I didn’t feel it should be a kiss,” he says. “I felt like what she has earned and led up to is having community and having a sense of love for what she does again. She’s still active at the very end, and she’s going out and chasing another storm.”
Daisy Edgar-Jones, who plays Kate, agrees with this perspective. “I love that they don’t kiss at the end, personally,” she told Variety. “They’re such equals, and it’s really cool that there’s this flirty friendship potential. Who knows? It feels like it’s open and it’s an energized ending, where they walk toward more storms. She’s still developing.”
The tornadoes: characters in their own right
While the romantic subplot has garnered much attention, the true stars of “Twisters” are the tornadoes themselves. Each tornado in the film was inspired by real-life events and brought to life through a combination of practical and digital effects. The filmmakers even gave each tornado a unique name and personality.
“T1, I just call ‘T1.’ T2, I call that ‘Fireworks.’ T3 is ‘Twins.’ T4 is the ‘Rodeo Tornado’. T5 is the ‘Datenado’ and then the last one is ‘The Monster,’” Chung shares. The final tornado, “The Monster,” is particularly significant, serving as the climax of the film’s action.
“We spent a lot of time in post refining each of our tornadoes, making sure they’re all unique, and knowing that we have to hold back for that final one,” Chung says. “That final one will need to be the one that is the real capper.”
The prologue: a haunting introduction
The film’s prologue sets the stage for the intense journey that follows. In a 14-minute sequence, we meet Kate, Javi (played by Anthony Ramos), and their college chasing team as they attempt a scientific experiment to “tame” a tornado. However, their plan goes horribly wrong when they encounter an EF-5 tornado, the highest rating on the Fujita scale.
“I wanted to willfully make that sequence feel a little bit childlike and innocent and naive, and to let the horror of what happens come out of that childlike sense of innocence,” Chung explains. “Each of those actors needed to be individuals, people who we fall in love with and understand their history and relationships together in a very short amount of time.”
Daisy Edgar-Jones found the prologue to be one of the most compelling parts of the film. “Kate’s got a lot of PTSD and numbness, this guilt, and that was an interesting thing to play,” she says. “Of all the characters she’s the most hesitant to chase.”
A reflective closure
“Twisters” is more than just a disaster thriller; it’s a story about passion, resilience, and the complexities of human relationships. The film leaves us with an open ending, inviting us to ponder the future adventures of Kate and Tyler. Will they ever share that elusive kiss? Or will their bond remain defined by their shared love for chasing storms?
For now, we can only speculate. But one thing is certain: “Twisters” has left an indelible mark on its audience, much like the powerful tornadoes it so vividly portrays.
For more information and to watch the trailer, visit Twisters Trailer.### The making of “Twisters”: A journey through chaos and creativity
A stormy beginning: Filming in Oklahoma
The prologue of ”Twisters,” starring Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate, was shot during the second week of production. Filming on the open roads of Oklahoma, right in the heart of tornado season, brought an immediate sense of reality to the project. Director Lee Isaac Chung recalls, “We had all kinds of weather during that sequence. When those guys were running towards the overpass, there was an actual storm coming in—a supercell. After we got our shot and cleared out of there, it produced a tornado. I remember thinking, ‘We are in a hell of a place to be making this movie.’”
The impact of the SAG-AFTRA strike
Production faced significant delays due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which took the actors out of commission from July to December. During this hiatus, Chung and editor Harry Yoon Shropshire focused on assembling the movie. Each tornado had to be a force of nature unto itself, building in scope and in relation to Kate’s journey. They concentrated on crafting the T1 sequence first, as it was the only action scene that had been fully filmed.
“So much of the challenge of this project from an editing perspective was building the dynamics of big spectacle—moments of intensity and then allowing the audience enough time to process before the next one,” Shropshire explains. “It’s always a balance between the storytelling, the character building, and the spectacle of these amazing pieces of work that were created.”
The monster tornado: A force of nature
“The Monster” is a massive EF-5 tornado that begins as a supercell thunderstorm, gets supercharged after rolling through an oil refinery and catching fire, and turns to terrorize the small town of El Reno. The tornado’s destructive path includes toppling the town’s water tower, destroying the local farmer’s market, and shredding the movie theater where “Frankenstein” is playing.
Chung explains the choice of movie: “I thought of this film in many ways as a monster movie. Universal has had quite a history of monster films, in which Frankenstein is probably the key. Once I had that in mind, I also thought about the way that tornado is born and formed—even the refinery is meant to mirror what happens in ‘Frankenstein.’”
Real-life inspirations and challenges
The tornado itself is based on three separate events: a wedge-shaped tornado that rolled through Kansas in 2023, a tornado that struck Mayfield, Kentucky, in December 2021, and a tornado that touched down in El Reno, Oklahoma, in 2013. The production shot in the real El Reno, adding extra gravity to the situation.
“That tornado was very unpredictable in the way that it behaved, and that was the reason why someone who is such a veteran of storm chasing was caught up in it,” Chung says. He shares that “The Man Who Caught the Storm,” the biography of legendary tornado chaser Tim Samaras, who died in the El Reno tornado, was one of the first books he read to begin researching for the film.
Crafting the climactic sequence
In terms of filmmaking, everything about the sequence was challenging—from designing the visual of the tremendous EF-5 tornado to nailing the physics of how it would operate. Shropshire was tasked with intercutting the action in the movie theater with Kate’s drive into the tornado, striking the right balance so that every character gets a hero moment.
“Ultimately, what is anchoring that whole thing is Kate doing that drive,” Chung says. “Filming that sequence, we were in a field and Daisy was reading this book on Greek mythology in between takes. I remember looking at the monitor and I just thought, ‘Oh, this is the scene where she really becomes like a Greek god. She’s contending with weather and she takes charge of being a hero.’”
Daisy Edgar-Jones: A heroine’s journey
Edgar-Jones relished the opportunity to be the one with ”the grit and the resilience and the bravery to do that.” She said, “It’s a real ‘Don’t try this at home’ type thing, but it’s fun to see a female lead who is the one at the end to save the day on her own and not be saved.”
Shropshire agrees: “I love the way that Daisy played that. Even at her most heroic, she can also be her most vulnerable, and stay true to who she was at the beginning of the movie—just as a more mature woman who’s been through a lot and has still got a long way to go.”
A personal reflection from the director
While filming “Twisters,” Chung found that he related to Kate’s story quite a lot. He was inspired by the way she triumphed over her fear, anxiety, and trauma to become this bold, fierce, and powerful person. Likewise, the filmmaker had always dreamed of making a big summer blockbuster and after his soul-excavating experience of making “Minari,” he finally got that chance to step into the full range of his abilities.
“This project felt like I was chasing a tornado,” Chung says. “But on the flip side, what Kate is doing is pretty much what it’s like to be a filmmaker: to chase after something and to go through difficulties, then come back to it, and then ultimately, to find joy in it. I certainly had a lot of joy making this movie.”
For more details and to watch the trailer, visit Twisters Trailer.
The ensemble cast: A dynamic team
“Twisters” features a stellar ensemble cast, including Tunde Adebimpe as Dexter, Sasha Lane as Lily, Harry Hadden-Paton as Ben, Brandon Perea as Boone, Katy O’Brian as Dani, Anthony Ramos as Javi, Glen Powell as Tyler, and of course, Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kate. Each actor brings a unique energy to the film, contributing to its rich tapestry of characters and stories.
For more information on the cast and their roles, visit Twisters Cast.
Final thoughts
“Twisters” is more than just a disaster movie; it’s a story of resilience, bravery, and the human spirit. As we follow Kate’s journey through the chaos of nature’s fury, we are reminded of our own struggles and triumphs. The film serves as a powerful metaphor for the storms we all face in life and the strength we find within ourselves to weather them.
“Twisters” leaves us with a sense of awe and reflection, much like the unpredictable and awe-inspiring force of a tornado itself.
