Tornado, 2025.
Written and Directed by John Maclean.
Starring Kōki, Tim Roth, Jack Lowden, Takehiro Hira, Rory McCann, Ian Hanmore, Jamie Michie, Jack Morris, Sammy Hayman, Nathan Malone, Dennis Okwera, Raphaël Thiéry, Joanne Whalley, Alex Macqueen, Douglas Russell, and Bryan Michael Mills.
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.
Considering the lengthy intervals between his few projects, one would be forgiven for not knowing director John Maclean by name. However, all felt right after finishing Tornado and realizing it is from the filmmaker behind the darkly funny Western actioner Slow West.
Working with Kate Leys on the story here, John Maclean proudly wears his directorial influences on his sleeve, this time ditching Tarantino-esque pulp for Akira Kurosawa flourishes, adopting a title font that feels lovingly ripped from one of his works, moral questions, nonlinear storytelling, sweeping backdrops (courtesy of frequent Yorgos Lanthimos collaborator Robbie Ryan), and some sword battles respectfully paying homage to shot framing while also operating on its own pleasantly gruesome wavelength. Given that stolen money (in the form of gold here) is at the center of the violence, the film also carries a dash of Coen Brothers.
Starting in the middle of the chaos and during the late 18th century, Kôki’s eponymous Tornado is seen fleeing bandits she seems to have meddled with, following them coming into some gold. Running across an open field and eventually hiding out in a building, a young boy (Nathan Malone, credited as The Boy) with an unclear relation to Tornado is introduced. What is obvious is that his life is also endangered as these criminals, led by Tim Roth’s Sugarman, are determined to get their gold back even if it means threats and bloodshed. An early amusing moment involving a piano sets up the off-kilter tone John Maclean (somewhat reminiscent of the salt jar moment in Slow West) deploys.
Following the conclusion of that set piece and arriving at a time for Tornado to explain to another character the deadly situation she is wrapped up in, the subtle editing from Selina Macarthur and Ryan Morrison jump back to the beginning of this tale, gradually depicting how and why everyone got involved wanting this gold. There is also a juxtaposition in parental relationships: Tornado aspires for a more purposeful, fulfilling life away from the traveling public shows she puts on with her strict, no-nonsense father Fujin (Takehiro Hira) who pushes her to give it her all no matter the unpleasant conditions, such as windy weather that, as you would rightfully assume, is a foreboding sign that this coming-of-age story will end in the cyclone of fury and blood.
Then there is Sugarman and his son Little Sugar (Jack Lowden), which is the abusive flipside of that tough love dynamic. Nevertheless, Little keeps at a distance from the rest of the gang (all of whom have fittingly absurd names such as Lazy Legs and Squid Lips) while tasked with recovering the gold. This isn’t a movie where Tornado and Little eventually bond over their fathers; these nuances are in the storytelling to pick up on. This story is about greed and vengeance, as Tornado isn’t noble either. She is quick to steal the money from The Boy (presumably an orphan), who had stolen the money from the gang first, cruelly leaving him behind with a couple of coins. Keeping her actions hidden also quickly plays a part in the gang catching up to her and her father.
The nonlinear structure isn’t about building back up to that opening scene (it takes place in the middle, and the sharp editing never returns to it, seamlessly moving onto the next leg of the narrative), but more about subverting expectations through those perspectives. However, it ascends to a low-key burst of violence that, even with Ananda Chatterjee’s orchestral score matching that escalating tension, is oddly serene even when limbs are severed.
Before that flurry of violence arrives, Tornado asserts to her enemies that they will remember her name. After some satisfyingly inventive kills (one involving a sword firmly planted inside a tree), we will, too, even if there’s no denying much of this film is slight and more about craft than original or surprising storytelling. The upside to that is that casting Tim Roth as your villain already practically guarantees a watchable film, and Kôki shines in both the action and emotional beats. It’s a stretch to say that viewers will get swept up in Tornado, but it’s beautifully shot, understands what it’s paying homage to, and ends on a gruesome high note.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd
