Tornado

I really enjoyed this movie! The cinematography, directing, and music were great. If you've ever watched an old Akira Kurosawa film where the pace is slower with shots of scenery amongst/in between scenes you'll truly appreciate this film. This movie has a very nostalgic old samurai western feel with modern day technology. However, I feel say the choreography and visual effects lack a bit. Not sure if it was the budget or just not the focus. It was a good build up for a very short, slightly unfulfilling climax. If there was a Tornado part 2, I'd go see it. The movie was worth the time and money!

On paper, Tornado has everything going for it-an intriguing concept, a strong cast (including Koki, Tim Roth, and Jack Lowden), and a visually striking trailer that promised a bold fusion of samurai and Western genres. But in execution, the film doesn't deliver on its potential.

As with some Wes Anderson films, Tornado feels more like a fable than a grounded story but without inviting the audience from the beginning to suspend disbelief and accept stylisation over realism and lacks the emotional depth or imaginative clarity to fully pull this off. Combined with a theatrical tone that echoes Quentin Tarantino-particularly in its monologues and character staging-the film hovers awkwardly between stylised myth and serious drama, without fully committing to either.

The result is disorienting: pacing feels both slow and rushed, the world-building is vague, and the narrative often leaps forward without enough context. Viewers are left grappling with plot holes and underdeveloped motivations, which breaks immersion.

Most surprisingly-given its dual heritage in samurai and Western genres-the film features almost no action. There's no dramatic showdown, no cathartic swordfight, no "duel at dawn" moment to anchor the stakes. The final act, while atmospheric, lacks the payoff many expect from stories built on vengeance.

Loved it. A simple story set in 1790 that could have easily been ser in the 20th century because the bulk of the film takes place in a forest or the area surrounding a small lake. Other than the "1790" indicator, only the costumes made the time clear. This struck me as universally applicable. Many scenes throughout were emotionally strong and superbly acted. "Tornado", the main character's name, was compelling and intriguing. I was surprised by the way she talked, as something about it felt too modern to me. The cinematography was beautiful and the soundtrack fit perfectly. A small budget film showing a period of transformation in Tornado's life. In order to move my 8 rating to a 9 or 10, I'd have wanted to know more about the characters lives before the events of the film started and to have had deeper, more specific emotions shared between some characters. I'd see it again.

Being a fan of Slow West, I was really looking forward to this movie. You can tell right away it is the same director as Slow West, John Maclean. His style is a very subtle, cool, relaxing form. Unfortunately, it means not really a good fit for a thriller.

The movie is almost same as Slow West in the element, a slow burn with a big finish. Unfortunately unlike Slow West, the ending was somewhat anti-climatic. This is very disappointing as the rest of the film, the story, was actually quite intriguing and keeps you engaged but the ending didn't quite satisfy.

Overall, I thought this is an average film, watch it once, you probably won't think about it again. The ending leaves many questions, but then you realize it is a western, it's not suppose to have a realistic ending.

5/10.

Tornado: Scotland, the 1790s. The feel of Folk Horror is here from the outset, a teen girl followed by a younger boy run across an upland heath, they are pursued by a band of rough looking men. Fleeing through the woods, the girl, Tornado (Koki), sees a remote mansion and hides there. The band of brigands led by Sugarman (Tim Roth) barges in and assaults the family. Tornado escapes but is separately chased after by :little sugar (Jack Lowden), Sugarman's son. There is more going on here than meets the eye. In a flashback we see Tornado reluctantly training in swordplay with her father, Fujin (Takehiro Hira)), a former samurai swordsman. Fujin now runs a puppet theatre with Tornado from his wagon. It is during a performance that they run afoul of Sugarman's gang, Tornado involves herself in robbing their loot. This results in a cascade of events starting with Fujin's death but also bringing death and destruction to others who aid Tornado. There is also a travelling circus involved, a strongman, players, a knife thrower, clowns. All on the same blasted heath. Life is cheap, Sugarman cuts the throat of a minion who has failed him, a man is stabbed for making noise. These were savage times, wagons burn, people flee for their lives into the woods. Tornado is a real Final Girl as she takes on the gang having more to avenge than just her father's death. Great displays of sword fights, archery, beheadings and arms lopped off. .All is not well within the gang either as they have their own turmoil. No magic, no monsters other than of the human variety but the differing skills of the gang members are a wonder to behold as is Tornado. There is an untold backstory as some of the characters have past knowledge of each other. Written and Directed by John Maclean. 8/10.