Reviewed By: Flickman
While I am a big fan of disaster movies, Into the Storm is definitely not climbing anywhere near the top of my list. I remember seeing it when it first came out, but apparently my brain decided to delete most of it, so I figured it deserved a rewatch. Guess what? It did not. And before I break down the long list of issues this movie carries like storm debris, let me just say that if you want a solid tornado movie, just stick with Twister. Trust me.
Now, I will say that the tornado scenes and action shots were pretty solid. But everything else? A complete crap shoot. Half the movie is filmed like found footage, which I personally cannot stand. They use it in a few scenes where it makes sense, but then they keep forcing it everywhere for some unknown reason.
And the acting… wow. Most of the cast delivered performances that made me wonder if they were reading their lines off a cue card held just off camera. It is especially disappointing because some of them are actors I normally enjoy.
There were also tons of moments that made absolutely zero sense. For example, if you see a tornado touch down a hundred yards away, why on earth would you just stand there staring at it like it is a cute animal at the zoo? There is a building ten feet away, a perfectly solid option for shelter, and the storm chasers have a truck literally built for this purpose. But no, let us all stand outside and admire the swirling vortex of doom until it is practically breathing on us, and then maybe decide to run. Brilliant strategy.
Speaking of questionable choices, let us talk about the poor kid who gets sucked into the fire tornado. He clearly did not want to be there in the first place, he was terrified, yet somehow he still decides, let me get right up close and film this thing that is spinning fire like a demonic blender. And then Allison, played by Sarah Wayne Callies, has the nerve to blame Pete, the head storm chaser, for the kids death. No one told the kid to stroll up to a literal tornado and get the shot of the century. Pete encouraged him to get footage while inside the Titus, which is basically an armored tank. I do not think he meant, hey, stand in the open while everyone else runs for their lives.
Then we have the vice principal father and his two teenage sons. The father wants to film a time capsule for the school, great idea. That explains all the found footage at the start. But I am pretty sure the plan was not let us keep filming every random thing while the town is being shredded by tornadoes. Yet the kid keeps recording instead of, oh, I dont know, running to safety or helping someone who is injured. And somehow all their cameras survive storms that rip buildings apart. Not even a scratch. Meanwhile, in reality, iPhones in 2014 could barely survive a drizzle, but here they are apparently waterproof, windproof, tornado proof, and plot hole proof. The only thing they cannot do is get a signal, and the characters act confused about it. Did they miss the part where the tornado destroyed all the power lines?
And do not even get me started on the outdoor graduation ceremony. A storm is coming, everyone knows it, everyone shows up with umbrellas, and they still choose to hold it outside. Does the school not have a gym? Or a cafeteria? Or literally any indoor space? And they do not even bother saving the sound equipment, cameras, microphones, nothing. But I guess since the phones magically survive the rain, everything else must too. Sure. Makes perfect sense.
Finally, we have the Titus, the tank like vehicle that supposedly can withstand 170 mile per hour winds. It has anchors that go into the ground, or at least they say they do. In reality, they look about as deep as a tent peg. Near the end of the movie, entire semis and buildings and jumbo jets are getting tossed across the sky like confetti, yet somehow the Titus does not move an inch, even when it is not anchored. Very believable.
I will stop ranting before I turn this into a novel, but trust me, this movie is basically one long chain of questionable decisions held together by some admittedly fun tornado scenes. If all the ridiculous flaws do not bother you and you just want pure disaster chaos, it is not the worst thing you can watch. Just do not think too hard or you will start getting annoyed like I did.
Overall, it is watchable, but nowhere near cinematic greatness. I would call this one a hung jury. It has enough entertainment value to keep things moving, but as for everything else, not so much.
Overall Verdict: The action sequences are fun, but the rest is a mess. If you want to enjoy it, don't think about everything that is wrong while you're watching.
Releasing: January 2, 2026
Releasing: January 9, 2026
Releasing: January 16, 2026