The A-Listers Talk About Twisters (2024)
From the couple who see a lot of movies because they have AMC A-List.
Patrick: Taylor, why don't Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones kiss in this movie?
Taylor: I wish I knew, then maybe I could sleep at night! The lack of physical intimacy between our two hot leads is ASTOUNDING. It may have been a 5-star movie if it had even an ounce of hot action.
Patrick: Apparently, it was a Steven Spielberg note. He knows what he's talking about, right? Right...
Taylor: Stop letting old men decide what us Gen Zers need! In all seriousness, I am always the first to roll my eyes when an action/thriller/horror movie makes time for romance because I always think to myself, "Why is this on your mind? You don't have time to kiss! Go!" and I have to admit that there were moments I was concerned the kiss could fall into that category here... but that doesn't mean it should never happen! The chemistry...the tension...at a certain point the kiss is for me, NOT the characters...
Patrick: That was easily the biggest disappointment in a movie that otherwise more or less delivered. What about Twisters worked for you?
Taylor: So much! And, I have to be honest, although I was excited about this movie, I had reservations about them pulling it all off. I've already mentioned the very clear, palpable chemistry between Glenn and Daisy, but I don't want that to diminish their performances. Daisy's accent could use a bit of work, but the beats are all there. Visually, it looks really good for being mostly CGI. I also appreciate how much the script goes for it with a modest run time. It tackles some pretty big moments and themes, and while some get more attention than others, none are completely unsuccessful. What about you?
Patrick: I went into this with low expectations. It seemed like the big disaster movie I'd been waiting a long time for. Then we watched the original Twister and I was...underwhelmed. The tornado is scary and the effect is neat...and then there are 90 more minutes. I was worried that Twisters would do the same. It is a little repetitive, tornado after tornado after tornado, but I'm glad they didn't do something stupid like "Oh no, here comes the mecha-nado!" It was as realistic as a movie like this can be. Especially the opening scene!
Taylor: There is a certain suspension of disbelief that has to go into movies like this, but I appreciate Twisters made some effort to explain things. When we watched the original recently, I just kept thinking, "How is it possible for there to be this many tornadoes? Why does anyone live here?" and Twisters answered those questions! Their answers weren't elaborate or scientifically backed the whole time, but they didn't need to be for me. The state is experiencing an unprecedented tornado surge. Got it! Thanks! People live here, but dirty deals are going on to get them out. Okie dokie! It's something very small and simple, but it made all the difference for me!
Patrick: I appreciated that the movie examined what it would be like for victims of a tragedy like this, one that happens too often in the Midwest. Director Lee Isaac Chung is fresh off his indie Minari, which is also about real people in America's Heartland, a group often underrepresented in media because of their "flyover state" status. It's pretty common now for directors to make one or two indies and then be lifted to blockbuster duty because they're cheap to hire and full of ideas. This time around, however, it actually feels like a natural extension and next step for the conversations he was already having in his work.
Taylor: It absolutely does. The beginning of this movie packs a punch, and while I don't want to give it all away, it has to do with an F5 tornado. It's easy with disaster movies to see the disasters as hyperbolic, but something so successful about this film is the fact that F5s not only happen but are legitimately catastrophic. If even one house is hit by a tornado of any size, it can have life-altering effects for those impacted. That's terrifying! And it's a terror handled with care by Chung.
Patrick: And then Glen comes on screen, throws on a cowboy hat, and yells IF YOU CAN FEEL IT...
Taylor: And I felt it. I felt it big time.
Patrick: Every outlet on the planet is pretending like they're telling me something when they talk about Glen Powell. The Washington Post actually just ran a piece called "Everyone knows Glen Powell is the next big movie star. Right?" Why are they treating me like an idiot? I have eyes. He's the total package. I saw Top Gun: Maverick. I've seen him as Good Looking Frat Guy in Stuck in Love.
Taylor: And how could we forget Anyone But You, which is really what sold me on him. He's just that guy. He is not at all my usual physical type (I do see him as a capybara more than a human), but he's just so damn charismatic. Everything about his energy is confident and sexy.
Patrick: He's here for the audience. In the press notes for Twisters, Glen is quoted saying, "This is the kind of movie I got in the business to make, the kind of movie I actually want to go and see.” His next three movies are an A24 thriller with Margaret Qualley, Edgar Wright's adaptation of Stephen King's The Running Man, and a courtroom drama with Laura Dern. That's a guy who knows what we want. Which one are you most excited about? (How do you pick?)
Taylor: It's tough to say because they all sound great, but I'm SAT for anything with my girl Margaret Qualley. I'm excited to see his pivot from action and tension to thriller.
Patrick: See you then, folks. (Well, hopefully before then too.)
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