Twisters review: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones revive the disaster movie with exhilarating big-screen experience

While no movie genre ever truly goes away, there are definitely stretches when one rises above the rest; like how superhero movies have dominated most of the last 20 years. The disaster movie certainly had its heyday, most notably in the 1970s though a bit in the 1990s as well, but it has been relatively quiet in the last decade or so save for a one or two exceptions. It's too early to know if it's a sign of more to come, but Twisters blares its sirens to tell movie fans there is a new, thrilling disaster movie to enjoy.

The 2024 new movie owes its roots to the 1996 blockbuster favorite Twister, but there is actually little connecting this story to that original movie (a couple of Easter eggs is about it). With a story by Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, written by The Revenant writer Mark L. Smith, directed by Minari's Lee Isaac Chung and with the star power brought by Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones, Twisters isn't particularly revelatory, but it is unique enough and fun enough to be a standout of the summer blockbuster season.

The story centers on Kate Carter (Edgar-Jones), a former stormchaser haunted by a mistake she made in the field years ago. She is brought back to the game by her old friend Javi (Anthony Ramos), with the goal of getting data on a massive outbreak of tornadoes in Oklahoma to track future storms. But they're not the only ones on the scene, as Tyler Owens (Powell) and his team of scrappy but passionate storm chasers appear to be in it for the thrill. But when the storms intensify and people's lives are on the line, is there anything they can do to stop these tornadoes?

The primary reason for the success of Twisters is its two leads. Edgar-Jones and Powell have great chemistry and both exude movie star charisma. This is no surprise for Powell, who continues his hot streak of recent years that has included Top Gun: Maverick, Devotion, Anyone But You and Hit Man, putting forth a charm and swagger that instantly endears his character to us.

Edgar-Jones has also been building an impressive resume over the last few years, though with generally smaller movies. The Normal People breakout star has led the likes of Fresh and Where the Crawdads Sing, as well as having a key role in TV series Under the Banner of Heaven, but Twisters is undoubtedly her biggest movie to date. She does not shrink from the moment, as she goes go toe-to-toe with Powell to create a great dynamic between their characters. She also has the tall task of carrying the emotional weight of the movie, but does just what you need to make audiences care about these people and their personal goals in between all of the destruction depicted.

Of course, that destruction is key to the draw of the movie, and Twisters delivers. Chung and cinematographer Dan Mindel aptly create massive set pieces that are appropriately chaotic, terrifying and all around exhilarating to watch on a massive screen with theater-quality audio. Also credit to the visual effects team for their creation of the devastating storms.

The few issues in the movie are easily overlooked, like the lackluster subplots. The main one is the investor behind Javi's team, which Kate does not know about when she is brought on. We never get much detail about this, as its just there for character motivation and doesn't have any real impact on the plot.

Also, if you are asking yourself about any of the science in the movie, you're missing the point. Powell, Edgar-Jones and company spout off things that sound like they give their characters credibility, but don't spend any time worrying about how any of this would actually work in real life, just enjoy it for the ride that it is.

Twisters is a thrilling one to be sure. Sure, it's technically not an original movie, but it is a blast of fresh air, bringing back a genre that has taken a back seat for some time. It's got all the pieces of a big-budget spectacle and delivers on that promise. For my money it is one of the stand-out movies of the summer.

Twisters is now playing in the UK; releases in US movie theaters nationwide on July 19.