Tornado

I was low-key looking forward to this movie when I first saw the trailer. An original samurai drama in European lands? Hell yeah! But in reality, this movie feels skeletal. The story is simple and promising, and it has its moments. But it lacks compelling characterization and the storytelling is kind of just boring. Certain plot beats just don't feel developed enough to be interesting, and things kind of just happen without much build up or clarity. It doesn't help that some scenes feel a bit illogical, making the characters seem either stupid or nonsensical.

Visually, this movie is fine. I love Tornado's costume design and the cinematography is decent. But I feel like the coloration is a bit dull and not all that interesting. The soundtrack overall is fine, but the more mellow songs are really good.

Tornado is such a missed opportunity, man. An original action-flick with an interesting backdrop and premise, let down by a story that feels unfinished and uninspired.

One Rewatch Later:

Despite being very disappointed on my first watch, I was kind of looking forward to a rewatch. I realized that this movie takes more of a minimalist approach to all of its storytelling, while I was expecting a simple plot with slightly complex characters or even deeper themes. I like a simple story, granted there's something that can interest me for the duration of the journey.

But after a rewatch and going into this with a minimalist lens, I've come to the conclusion that this story is either not clicking with me or there really isn't anything to gain from this. I knew the illogical script and dumb characters were still going to be a problem, but I was hoping that I could get more from Tornado's arc than I originally did. I was even hoping to like Little's arc a bit more, too. But rewatching this made me realize that this movie is nothing more than a cat & mouse chase around an interesting rural setting. There's so much running up and down that pads out an already short and boring story.

The thing is, I don't really find the characters interesting in the slightest. The story starts off fairly interesting, but then throws in a non-linear structure that doesn't do much to enhance the story. All of this is even more frustrating when I find the ending and Tornado's send off to be quite beautiful. But then I reflect and remember how much of a slog the journey actually was. It's like there was a deeper story that got cut for whatever reason.

Again, it's unfortunate because I like the premise. I've even warmed up to the overall art direction and visual style of the movie, and I am starting to appreciate Jed Kurzel's soundtrack a bit more (though it still doesn't hold a candle to his Assassin's Creed and Macbeth soundtrack).

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.

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.