It doesn't take a genius to figure out what "Twisters" is about, and the posters and merchandise (including the film score album) confirm it. In summary, a group of tornado chasers are in the middle of a particularly violent storm season, and they are battling their own demons as well as the storms themselves. There was a movie back in 1996 called "Twister" written by Michael Crichton. "Twisters" plural in 2024 is a standalone sequel using some of the same characters, based on a story by Joseph Kosinski with a screenplay by Mark L. Smith, and directed by Lee Isaac Chung. As with any big disaster movie the key thing is the central concept, and the characters and their own back stories are woven into that concept to add meaning to the plot and create emotional investment in the audience.
Also important to that emotional investment and the story as a whole is the film's music score, and Chung has called upon the composer Benjamin Wallfisch to provide it. Wallfisch has been associated with some big movies, with "Alien: Romulus" also on general release at the same time as "Twisters". Wallfisch co-composed "Blade Runner 2049" with Hans Zimmer, and has also scored "Shazam!", "The Flash", "The Invisible Man", "Hidden Figures", "A Cure for Wellness", and two "It" movies featuring the clown Pennywise.
The Twisters score kicks off with "Nature's masterpiece" with some busy music largely featuring piano and strings. It progresses through several chords with tinkling piano runs, and already you can hear the wind getting up. "Team Kate" builds upon this soundscape, bringing in an ostinato beat and introducing a guitar. "Javi" maintains certain beat elements on guitars and adds some folk-like fiddles for a touch of the Irish. "This Car's Gonna Fly" has some dark brooding suspense which gives way to some limited percussive action which subsides to a simmering tension before returning in full force. Although I've not seen the movie, it's clear that this is a first encounter with a Twister. "Aftermath" says it all, bringing some calm after the storm and a sense of relief.
"She Told Us East" is a folk shindig full of Americana including dancing fiddles and banjo, almost like a modern day Western. This is a good metaphor for the film and after the action of "Shifting Path", "The Race" brings more blue-grass hoedown emphasising that those States in Tornado Alley are also associated with a certain style of country music. Then there's a track called "Rodeo" which makes the connection explicit. "Complete the Triangle" is all out action in a traditional film score which wouldn't be out of place in a Star Wars movie. "After the Storm" has a similar mood to "Aftermath" with a cello taking a solo turn, strings and harp calming things down.
The final tracks build up the adrenalin levels towards a tremendous climax with each one more ominous and seeming to Up the Ante by a further notch. There are some more subdued moments such as "Kate's Theme" which is a reflective piano track accompanied by strings, and some returning features such as the piano runs and arpeggios introduced earlier. The main climax itself is the eponymous track "Twisters" which delivers six and a half minutes of escalating action. "You Did It, Kate" seems to confirm the end of the superstorm and the movie's outcome with subdued strings and a brief return of piano. And in the final "If You Feel It, Chase It", a folksy guitar brings a welcome sense of relief.
There is no doubt that Twisters has a cracking score. Benjamin Wallfisch has delivered quality goods with a rousing action score that is constantly evolving and never seems repetitive. It includes some meaningful character moments with melodic piano gestures and the central Kate's theme. The middle tracks with their Americana/Country feel help to add the final dash of colour to a rich tapestry of mood, pace, character, location and above all action. There is a songtrack album full of country music from the movie if that's what you want, but the score album is best located on streaming and download services, such as these links on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. A Vinyl album has also been announced (see the image below), so it's worth looking out for this.
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