New in the streaming subscription: This disaster film is a must for fans of spectacular 90s blockbusters – Kino News

In the 1990s, the disaster genre experienced a high – thanks, among other things, to the never-ending blockbuster “Twister”. There was speculation about a sequel for years, and the time had come last summer. With “Twisters”, however, no direct retelling or generational passing of the baton stormed into cinemas. Instead, “Twisters” is a sequel that follows the old-school motto: “Similar but greater dangers befall new characters!”

It received a good 3.5 stars from FILMSTARTS critic Oliver Kube and is one of the biggest box office hits of 2024 with box office earnings of $371 million. “Twisters” is now on the Sky streaming service WOW Included in the subscription:

“Twisters” on WOW*

“Twisters”: A film that touches an American nerve

Former storm chaser Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) has left the US grain belt behind after a stroke of fate. Now she resides at a desk in New York City. But then her former companion Javi (Anthony Ramos) persuades her to test a new type of tracking system in her old homeland. Barely back in rural Oklahoma, Kate meets social media superstar Tyler Owens (Glen Powell). His posturing annoys Kate, but he proves to be a valuable partner when researching increasingly violent weather phenomena…

Contrary to today’s everyday blockbuster routine, “Twisters” is clearly an American box office affair: The film grossed more than $267 million in the United States and Canada, accounting for 72.2 percent of its global box office. For comparison: “Deadpool & Wolverine” achieved 47.6 percent of its worldwide box office revenue there and “Inside Out 2” only generated 38.4 percent of its revenue in the USA and Canada. “Twister,” meanwhile, split its $494.58 million gross almost 50/50 between the US/Canada and the rest of the world.

Calm region, terrible weather

Maybe it has something to do with cultural shifts that happened between “Twister” and “Twisters”: A disaster film about the part of the USA called the Grain Belt or Bible Belt once promised easy-to-digest American romance full of Small town coziness and cohesion. However, the United States has since dismantled this magic most effectively. It is therefore quite conceivable that international film fans simply feel unwelcome when they see the “Twisters” trailer.

However, it would be a shame if “Twisters” suffered from the massive (and understandable) image problems of the USA. With his $155 million production, “Minari” director Lee Isaac Chung has managed to create an entertaining, yet integrated fusion of 90s-style popcorn fun and his own directorial sensibilities.

The director, who grew up on a farm in Arkansas, lovingly and exaggeratedly captures the duality of living in tornado territory: He stages the small towns and huge areas of fields, forests and trails in a comfortable and comfortable way. But it also illustrates the helplessness of the population when a tornado is heading towards them: As much as the weather phenomena in “Twister” offer amusing thrills, in “Twisters” they are of unstoppable horror. And the destruction they leave behind, under Chung’s direction, isn’t just devastation pomp – it hurts.

Nevertheless, Chung does not lose sight of the tradition in which he stands: the characters are exaggerated, the dialogues are silly and light-hearted and every now and then, far from possible victims, he catches the tornadoes as booming, roaring special effects madness.

In tandem with an unintentionally comic excess of country pop and country rock as well as Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell staring at each other in love, the result was an enjoyable, old-fashioned blockbuster that effortlessly brings pathos and show values ​​together. Even if fans could argue about the ending of “Twisters”:

“I take this very personally!”: “Twisters” star Glen Powell reacts to audience anger

This is a revised republication of an article that previously appeared on FILMSTARTS.

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