The following article contains MASSIVE SPOILERS for the Twisters ending. Please exercise caution if you have yet to watch the new blockbuster.
Like a lot of people in our situation, my wife and I got a babysitter and made plans to watch Twisters on its massive opening weekend, expecting to have a good time at the theater. And while she wasn’t initially all too excited and didn’t know how the 2024 movie release could compare to the original Twister, her tune quickly changed as she got wrapped up in the terrifying tornado sequences, dazzling special effects and a romantic arc she compared to one of her favorite books and movies: Pride & Prejudice.
Wait, did he just say Pride & Prejudice, the Jane Austen novel about the headstrong Elizabeth Bennett and aristocratic Mr. Darcy? What does that have in common with the new Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar Jones movie? Don’t worry, I was initially just as confused, but it made total sense after talking about it on the way home. In fact, the comparison actually makes Twisters even better.
What Twisters And Pride & Prejudice Have In Common
Okay, Twisters is a movie set in modern times that follows rival storm chasers as they attempt to get close enough to tornadoes for different reasons. Pride & Prejudice is set in the Georgian period and centers on two strong-willed Brits from high society trying to make sense of love and life. There's not much in common, right? Well, about that…
For comparison’s sake, I’ll be focusing on the 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic starring Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet and Mattew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy. In both that movie and Twisters, we primarily follow two people who can’t stand one another at first, even though they have much in common and bring out the best in each other as their respective stories unfold.
Sure, Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) isn’t nearly as sophisticated as Mr. Darcy, but he’s just as debonair and constantly challenges Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones) to not only be a better storm chaser, but also a person in that he helps her overcome the trauma from the movie’s beginning. Kate and Elizabeth have even more in common as they both are strong, independent, and resourceful characters.
On top of that, both movies play with the audience’s emotions in scenes where you think the two leads are going to kiss only for the moment to pass, even if some are annoyed by the Twisters decision.
And just like Pride & Prejudice, which has an incredible rain-soaked scene, one of the moments in Twisters that’s getting the most love, especially from the group of ladies in my screening, when Glen Powell walks in a storm while wearing a white t-shirt.
Why The Pride & Prejudice Comparison Makes Twisters So Much Better
After talking about all of this with my wife, I firmly believe that comparing Twisters and Pride & Prejudice is not only a fun way to spend a drive home, but it also makes the new disaster film much better. This back-and-forth between Tyler and Kate, much like Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, adds so much to the story and helps set it apart from the original Twister and every other tornado movie that’s been released over the years.
I’m not sure if Joseph Kosinski, Mark L. Smith or Lee Isaac Chung had this comparison in mind when they were crafting Twisters, but it does add a nice dynamic to the overall story and makes the movie feel like something more than just a blockbuster with tornadoes.
As we pointed out in our Twisters review, the Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones movie is one hell of a good time, and hopefully this comparison to one of the greatest romance stories of all time makes it even more enjoyable for you.
