Despite its focus on devastating weather events, the newly released film "Twisters" has drawn criticism for avoiding any direct mention of climate change, sparking a debate about the role of artists in addressing environmental issues.
The recently released summer film "Twisters," a standalone sequel to the 1996 box office hit "Twister," has sparked controversy for its omission of any direct reference to climate change. Despite its focus on storm chasers navigating multiple converging storms in central Oklahoma, the movie has faced criticism from critics for its avoidance of a politically charged topic.
While climate change remains a subject of intense debate across the country, director Lee Isaac Chung defended his decision to steer clear of political messaging. In an interview with CNN, Chung stated, "I just don’t feel like films are meant to be message-oriented."
Twisters Sequel Misses Chance to Tackle Climate Change, Critics Argue
However, Margaret Renkl, an opinion contributor for the New York Times, fiercely disagreed with Chung's stance. In a guest essay, Renkl offered her theory for the avoidance of political messaging in the film: the desire to escape the "cross hairs of political polarity."
Renkl argues that messaging about climate change can have severe box office consequences, but maintains that it is no excuse. "With movie attendance still far below prepandemic levels, who could blame the makers of ‘Twisters’ for wanting to protect their film from the right-wing vigilantes targeting wokeness?" she wrote. "I do. I can’t help it, I blame them."
Twisters Sequel Misses Chance to Tackle Climate Change, Critics Argue
Renkl emphasized the key role artists can play in addressing environmental issues, particularly in an era where "MAGA politicians at every level" deny the existence of climate change. "With the Supreme Court determined to quash all executive-branch efforts to address the changing climate, too, we seem to be at the mercy of artists to save us," she argued.
Renkl concluded her essay with a lament over the missed opportunity: "In a missed opportunity the size of an F5 tornado’s debris field, we got no help from the makers of 'Twisters.'"
Twisters Sequel Misses Chance to Tackle Climate Change, Critics Argue
Other writers have also expressed dissatisfaction with the film's lack of direct engagement with climate change. Charles Pulliam-Moore of The Verge wrote, "When you consider how scientists have found that the conditions that create tornado-producing storms are more likely in a warming world, ‘Twisters’’ avoidance of the phrase ‘climate change’ feels like shying away and then some."
Despite the criticism, Chung maintains that the film does include a subtle nod to climate change through a scene where a farmer expresses concern about increasingly frequent storms and floods driving up wheat prices. However, the indirect approach has failed to satisfy critics who believe a more direct message was necessary.
Twisters Sequel Misses Chance to Tackle Climate Change, Critics Argue
The debate over "Twisters" highlights the ongoing tension between commercial considerations, creative expression, and the responsibility of artists to address important societal issues. As the effects of climate change become increasingly undeniable, it remains to be seen whether future films will be more forthright in their exploration of this pressing topic.
