---
title: "Twister: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/twister/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/twister"
critics_score: 61
critics_reviews: 8
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Twister (1996): what the critics said

Critics' score 61 from 8 reviews: 3 positive, 4 mixed, 1 negative.

Most critics land in the middle, and the agreement is almost total about where the film succeeds: the tornado sequences. Nearly every review credits the effects work as the reason to watch, with several finding the storm set pieces thrilling enough to carry the whole thing, and De Bont’s handling of the action is praised more than once. A later reassessment from Slant adds that the 4K release’s Atmos sound mix makes the storms land harder still.

The reservations are just as uniform. The plot connecting the storms is called plodding, tedious or laboured, the dialogue awkward, the characters thin, and the romantic subplot finds few defenders; Radio Times notes the leads lack chemistry. The spread is narrow, with most scores clustered in the sixties and seventies, and only one outlier: Time Out dismisses the film as predictable and clichéd, conceding only the effects. Even the admirers, then, are admiring the same thing the dissenter does.

## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson

Rating 4/5. 3 July 2024. 

Henderson finds the film’s connective plot and romantic complications clumsy, but praises its kinetic tornado sequences. He singles out the 4K release’s flawless Dolby Atmos mix as especially effective.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/twister-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review-jan-de-bont/)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 1996. 

Turan finds the film an exhilarating success despite its tedious exposition and awkward dialogue. He singles out the exceptional tornado effects and De Bont’s skillful action direction for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-05-10-ca-2687-story.html)

## The New York Times — Janet Maslin

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 1996. 

Maslin gives the film a broadly positive verdict, finding its tornado spectacle thrilling. The review singles out the effects-driven action, while the page text available here does not reveal further details.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/10/movies/film-review-dorothy-and-toto-had-it-easier.html)

## Empire — Ian Nathan

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Nathan finds the film an exhilarating, must-see thrill ride but criticizes its plodding story and lack of emotional depth. He especially praises the tornado effects, whose scale and believability drive the spectacle.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/twister-review/)

## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert

Rating 2.5/4. 10 May 1996. 

Ebert finds the film entertaining chiefly as a special-effects spectacle, while judging its story and characters weak. He singles out the tornado effects as the main source of excitement.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/twister-1996)

## Radio Times — John Ferguson

Rating 3/5. 

Ferguson calls the film daft but breathtaking, while finding its storyline laboured and its leads lacking chemistry. He praises the wondrous special effects, which make the destruction spectacular.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-bntvv3/twister/)

## Variety — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 1996. 

McCarthy finds the film emotionally hollow but effective as a high-energy spectacle. He singles out its groundbreaking tornado effects, while criticizing the thin characters and lack of quiet moments.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/twister-2-1200445875/)

## Time Out — GA

Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review is strongly negative, calling the film predictable, clichéd, and poorly executed. It singles out the effects as the exception, while finding little genuine shock or suspense.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/twister)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/twister.md