Director Lee Isaac Chung sheds light on his rationale for not incorporating the topic of global warming into his meteorological disaster movie, 'Twisters'. The storm-chasing sequel is garnering rave reviews (boasting an impressive 84% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes) and has become a summer sensation for Glen Powell's loyal fans. The film depicts an unprecedented swarm of devastating storms ravaging the American heartland, with characters immersed in a flurry of meteorological jargon.
However, there's one conspicuous omission: a nod to climate change. This is quite unexpected, considering the complex interplay between climate change and tornadoes, which scientists are still unraveling. Though the exact number of tornadoes may remain stable, there's a growing consensus that tornado patterns are evolving, with more frequent occurrences on the same days and outside of the traditional Tornado Alley. Additionally, the American Red Cross recently revealed to ABC News that the climate crisis has nearly doubled the number of large disasters they've had to respond to compared to a decade ago.
So, when crafting a 2024 film centered around an unprecedented tornado outbreak, incorporating a reference to climate change would seem like a logical and timely narrative thread. Imagine Daisy Edgar-Jones frantically scanning a Doppler radar, uttering a stark statistic: "According to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, global warming is projected to increase the frequency of supercell thunderstorms nationwide by 6.6% by the end of the century. But this... this is unprecedented!" Suddenly, this summer blockbuster tornado thriller would be grounded in a sobering yet realistic "this could actually happen" narrative.
Yet, according to Director Lee Isaac Chung, even such a fleeting mention would be akin to bashing red state moviegoers with a DVD copy of 'An Inconvenient Truth.' He clarified to CNN, "My intention with this film was to ensure it didn't feel like it was preaching a message. I don't believe that's the purpose of cinema. Films should be a mirror, reflecting the world as it is."
Or perhaps, it's a reflection of Hollywood's cautious approach in today's polarized era, where summer blockbusters strive to appeal to a broad audience while navigating the sensitive topic of climate change.
