TORNADO (2025)

Genre: Action
Director: John Maclean
Cast: Kōki, Tim Roth, Jack Lowden, Takehiro Hira, Nathan Malone, Rory McCann, Jamie Michie, Jack Morris, Alex Macqueen, Joanne Whalley
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins
Rating: NC16 (Violence)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 17 July 2025

Synopsis: Set in the rugged landscape of 1790's Britain, Tornado (Kōki,) finds herself caught in a perilous situation when she and her father's travelling puppet show crosses paths with a ruthless criminal gang led by Sugarman (Roth) and his ambitious son Little Sugar (Lowden). In an attempt to create a new life, Tornado seizes the opportunity to steal the gold from the gang's most recent heist; what follows is a thrilling tale of adrenaline-fueled action as Tornado fights to escape a violent demise..

Movie Review:

Tornado is a curious mashup of samurai and western genres, helmed by a Scottish filmmaker and starring a young Japanese starlet. On paper, this unique combination sounds intriguing. In execution, however, it leans more toward arthouse fare than something the average moviegoer might enjoy.

The plot is paper-thin: Tornado (played by Kōki) is pursued across the rainy Scottish Highlands by a gang of thieves led by the eccentric Sugarman (Tim Roth) after she steals a bag of their ill-gotten gold. It’s essentially a long, meandering chase stretched over 90 minutes, with little narrative depth to sustain interest. That said, the visuals are stunning, thanks to the ever-reliable cinematographer Robbie Ryan (Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness), who transforms the damp, desolate landscape into something strangely poetic.

You can’t fault director-writer John Maclean for a lack of ambition. He tries to infuse a generic revenge tale with stylistic flair and unconventional elements. Tornado’s father, Fujin (Takehiro Hira), a widowed former samurai, now earns a living performing an ultra-violent puppet show with his daughter. There are hints of emotional friction between father and daughter possibly due to adolescence or unspoken traumas but the film never explores their relationship with any real depth. We’re told Fujin gave up his samurai past but why remains unclear. Ironically, the puppet show ends up being more entertaining than the actual movie.

Sugarman’s gang is filled with oddly named henchmen—Kitten, Squid Lips, Lazy Legs and the obligatory mute Black character. Roth’s character also has a son, Little Sugar (Jack Lowden), who’s desperate to prove himself and earn his father’s respect, usually through physical beatings. The film clearly wants to explore themes of parental dysfunction but Maclean never commits to them fully, leaving the emotional beats feeling half-baked.

If you’re expecting a Quentin Tarantino-style bloodbath, you might be partially satisfied but not in the way you’d hope. The violence is there but the choreography is laughable, and one suspects the production couldn’t afford a proper action coordinator. Perhaps Maclean is paying homage to Akira Kurosawa or Masaki Kobayashi but if so, the tribute feels more like wishful thinking than meaningful reference.

Newcomer Kōki, daughter of Japanese superstar Takuya Kimura, delivers a decent performance though the script gives her little to work with. Her character is vague, her motivations underwritten and her emotional arc nearly non-existent. Roth and Lowden add some much-needed credibility to the proceedings but again, it’s the script not the cast that undermines the film.

In the end, Tornado is difficult to connect with. The production values are impressive, but the film is tonally divided between arthouse introspection and B-movie exploitation. It aspires to be a stylish period drama but lacks the substance to revive or reinvent the magic of classic cinema.

Movie Rating:

(Not the kind of Tornado you are expecting in terms of plot and tone)

Review by Linus Tee