Gigantic storms are definitely some of nature’s most cinematic events. It makes sense, then, that there’s been a lot of storm-related movies over the years, from bizarre surrealist films like “Sharknado” to hyper-realistic documentaries about the destructiveness of natural disasters, like “Where Was God?”
When it comes to specific types of storms, tornados are arguably unmatched in terms of their singular dramatic effect. The sight of a tall column of swirling wind tearing through small towns and lifting cars and cows up into the air is hard to look away from, and it’s inspired many movies, including 1996’s “Twister” – which is getting a reboot starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell as of 2023. While not too much is known for sure about the plot, Edgar-Jones will reportedly star as a former storm chaser who gets drawn back to the business to track down one last storm, only to find herself fighting to survive.
The original “Twister” starred Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton as storm chasers studying tornadoes. In 1996, it made waves for its impressive visual and sound effects, which were designed to make the viewer feel like they’re right in the heart of a storm themselves. Today, there’s even a tornado museum in Wakita, OK, where “Twister” is set.
As we wait for the “Twister” reboot to blow onto our screens sometime in 2024, here are some tornado movies to watch in the meantime.
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Tornado Movies: "The Wizard of Oz" (1939)
“The Wizard of Oz” is probably the most infamous tornado movie of all time. Dorothy’s whole journey through Oz is kick-started by a twister that somehow catapults her into a colorful alternate universe, and without that twister, Judy Garland’s Dorothy might have remained stuck in Kansas forever without ever learning that there’s no place like home.
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Tornado Movies: "Supercell" (2023)
This movie features a young boy who tries to follow in his dad’s footsteps by becoming a storm chaser. It stars Alec Baldwin and Skeet Ulrich and was one of the last movies Anne Heche appeared in before she died.
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Tornado Movies: "Twister" (1996)
When it comes to visual effects and portrayals of actual tornados, “Twister” was one of the most impressive pictures of its time. It follows university professor Jo Harding and her students as they try to chase an incredibly powerful tornado using a tracking device called the Dorothy, which was created by Jo’s estranged husband, Bill.
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Tornado Movies: "Into the Storm" (2014)
“Into the Storm” uses the found-footage technique to tell the story of a group of high-school students and tornado chasers who find themselves facing a cataclysmic storm. As the weather grows more terrifying, the group have to figure out how to survive – all while a few members insist on moving closer to the storm to capture more of it on film.
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Tornado Movies: "Sharknado" (2013)
While not technically a tornado movie, “Sharknado” still makes this list because it does depict a twister of sorts, albeit a very nontraditional one. The comedic thriller, which has since been turned into a series, tells the story of a hurricane that sweeps Los Angeles with ocean water that happens to be full of vicious sharks. The characters then have to survive a bunch of bloodthirsty great whites in addition to fending off a storm. The bizarre movie wound up garnering a cult following, and a total of six Sharknado movies were made, with the last one premiering in 2018.
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Tornado Movies: "Where Was God?" (2014)
While tornados can make for exciting onscreen attractions, in the real world, they wreak havoc on real people’s lives. “Where Was God?” is a documentary about a tornado that hit Moore, OK, on May 20, 2013. It chronicles the storm and the way it tore apart families and livelihoods while also showcasing their resilience after the disaster.
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Tornado Movies: "Take Shelter" (2011)
This award-winning movie stars Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain as a husband-and-wife duo living in Ohio. When Shannon’s character, Curtis, starts having terrifying dreams about an impending tornado, he soon starts building a storm shelter and becomes convinced he’s predicting a coming apocalypse, forcing Chastain’s character to question whether her husband is living in reality.
