Twister

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Twister

PG-13,

1996,

1h 54m,

Action/

Adventure

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Watchlist

68%

143 Reviews

Tomatometer

55%

250,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

68%

Tomatometer

143 Reviews

55%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

During the approach of the most powerful storm in decades, university professor Dr. Jo Harding (Helen Hunt) and an underfunded team of students prepares the prototype for Dorothy, a ground-breaking tornado data-gathering device conceived by her estranged husband, Bill (Bill Paxton). When Harding tells Bill that Dorothy is ready for testing -- and that their privately funded rival Dr. Jonas Miller (Cary Elwes) has stolen the idea and built his own -- Bill rejoins the team for one last mission.

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Critics Consensus

A high-concept blockbuster that emphasizes special effects over three-dimensional characters, Twister's visceral thrills are often offset by the film's generic plot.

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Eleanor Ringel Cater

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Jul 16, 2024

3.5/4

A wondrous reminder that, sometimes, it's nice to fool with Mother Nature. From the safety of your theater seat, that is.

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Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

Jul 16, 2024

5/5

It's fast, it's ferocious and it's also very funny. Even as it takes your breath away, this film makes you laugh your head off.

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Jami Bernard

New York Daily News

Jul 16, 2024

3.5/4

Twister swirls in as the first of the big summer movies, a beautifully shot action picture with heart-stopping effects. It's by and for adrenaline junkies.

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Romey Norton

InSession Film

May 12, 2026

A

Twister is a film with heart, humor, and a genuine sense of adventure. The performances are strong, the pacing is relentless, and the set pieces still deliver a rush that few modern blockbusters manage to replicate.

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Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Sep 11, 2025

4/5

Labeling something a "B-movie" can oftentimes be derogatory, but with a cast like this giving it their all and the special effects still holding up, Twister should wear such a label with pride.

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Chance Solem-Pfeifer

Willamette Week

Jan 22, 2025

Nearly 30 years later, Twister has aged into a pleasant memory of when middlebrow action fare for adults ruled the box office.

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John J

@dannyLeboi

Oct 28, 2025

A disaster of a movie, Could have been something I could have watched on the Syfy network at home. Test Review

Apr 27, 2019

Rest In Peace Bill Paxton Twister Still To This Day One The Best Movies Ever Made How Can Anyone Bash This Movie

George L

Apr 6, 2019

Classic!! Love this movie, it grows on you. I love watching it before I go to bed. Thunderstorms and rain while cuddling up with the fam?.. yes please :)

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Poe P

Feb 23, 2019

Probably one of the better disaster movies. The plot is rather standard, but regardless of that it does give viewers a fun ride as the storm chasers involved go face to face with mother nature in an attempt to accomplish their mission.

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Feb 19, 2019

Still the best Tornado movie ever made!

Jan 3, 2019

The people who give this 1/2 a star as a disaster film are the same people that will have unironic Sharknado movie marathons...This is a great disaster flick that actually has a plot that makes some sense for the time in which it was made and has effects that aren't that bad. It is also more subdued with the injection of the storms allowing for characters to interact and saving it from becoming a disaster porno like most contemporary iterations of man vs. nature. Bill Paxton is also woefully underrated as a leading man and deserved more shots in his prime. In this instance, I am simply ranking it against others in its genre, but it is one of the best movies regarding natural disasters in my opinion. If you liked it you might also like, Dantes Peak, Earthquake, Armageddon and Deep Impact. For movies that are too reliant on CGI and iffy plots stay away from The Day After Tomorrow, San Andreas, and Geostorm...Well, maybe give the first a shot, but not the other two.

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Jan de Bont

Director

Helen Hunt

Dr. JoAnne 'Jo' Thornton-Harding

Bill Paxton

William Harding

Cary Elwes

Dr. Jonas Miller

Jami Gertz

Dr. Melissa Reeves

Lois Smith

Meg Greene

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Synopsis

During the approach of the most powerful storm in decades, university professor Dr. Jo Harding (Helen Hunt) and an underfunded team of students prepares the prototype for Dorothy, a ground-breaking tornado data-gathering device conceived by her estranged husband, Bill (Bill Paxton). When Harding tells Bill that Dorothy is ready for testing -- and that their privately funded rival Dr. Jonas Miller (Cary Elwes) has stolen the idea and built his own -- Bill rejoins the team for one last mission.

Director: Jan de Bont
Producer: Kathleen Kennedy, Michael Crichton, Ian Bryce
Screenwriter: Michael Crichton, Anne-Marie Martin
Distributor: Warner Home Vídeo, MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Warner Bros.
Production Co: Constant c Productions, Warner Brothers, Amblin Entertainment, Universal Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 10, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $241.7M
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Surround

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