Tornado, 2025.
Written and Directed by John Maclean.
Starring Kōki, Tim Roth, Jack Lowden, Takehiro Hira, and Joanne Whalley.
SYNOPSIS:
A Japanese puppeteer’s daughter gets caught up with criminals when their show crosses paths with a crime gang, led by Sugarman and his son Little Sugar.
Director John Maclean burst onto the scene with 2015’s Slow West, a fresh take on the Western that earned him plenty of plaudits. After a decade away, he returns with his much-anticipated sophomore feature, Tornado. Set in Maclean’s native Scotland in the 1700s, we follow our titular heroine on the run from a vicious gang run by the ruthless Sugarman (Tim Roth).
A breathless opening few minutes set the tone with the wind of the moor and the sounds of nature our main focus as the gang hunts Tornado for reasons that will become clear. Robbie Ryan who worked on Slow West and is a regular collaborator with Yorgos Lanthimos, is on cinematography duties, delivering a harsh hellscape. The Scottish landscapes help to give this western/samurai hybrid a unique palette.
Tornado is a travelling performer with her father Fujin(Takehiro Hira), she aspires to be a samurai and after stumbling on a hoard of Sugarman’s by accident sets out to get her revenge on his crew. Kōki is our main focal point and the character audiences can relate to most, we feel her determination and adaptability and she uses her surroundings to her advantage.
With the focus being quite slight timeframe wise, there is little room to give any of Sugarman’s crew the development needed to make us care for them. Its’ a shame because Roth certainly captures the necessary menace but others like Jack Lowden’s Little Sugar or Rory McCann’s Kitten are a waste of actors of their talent.
The action is impressive but oddly comes late on in the film, perhaps a missed opportunity to add more thrills throughout and keep the audience engaged.
Tornado is a visually impressive, atmospheric Scottish samurai thriller from John Maclean that reinforces his distinct voice. It falls down in some areas due to its short runtime and the lack of development for some of its characters. However the haunting atmosphere and use of locations keep it on track and Kōki’s committed lead performance marks her as one to watch. If perhaps not as compelling as Maclean’s work on Slow West, Tornado still offers plenty to admire.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Chris Connor
