Tornado ★★

Released: 13 June 2025

Director: John Maclean

Starring: Koki, Takehiro Hira, Jack Lowden

Marking John Maclean’s first film since his 2015 directorial debut Slow West, Tornado is a British revenge tale set in 1790. A travelling puppet show, led by samurai Fujin (Takehiro Hira) and daughter Tornado (Kōki), are targeted by a criminal gang headed up by the ruthless Sugarman (Tim Roth). When the thugs’ mercilessness goes too far, Tornado plots her own quest for revenge.

At first glance, there is intrigue guiding Tornado. A thriller that blends East and West with a compelling hero – in this case, heroine as its centre, who goes against an impulsive criminal looking for hidden treasure. In addition, promoting an action-packed narrative that not only compounds the bad guy’s evilness but reinforces the hero’s mad combat skills. However, Tornado downplays these elements and seemingly forces their cohesion to shape a slow-burning revenge film.

Tornado creates a tedium through various foot chases, which – set across a barren wilderness – result in gaps of lulling inactivity. Whether it is Sugarman’s gang hunting the eponymous character or criminals trekking across the barren landscape before stumbling, the onslaught of chases causes the narrative’s urgency to dwindle to accommodate the film’s unnecessarily numerous supporting characters – some of whom have nothing to say and little to do. As a result, this monotony accentuates the overly simplistic premise that doesn’t make full use of its elements.

Audiences may have been spoiled by recent bloody revenge films such as the John Wick franchise, Monkey Man, and 2022 Netflix film Fistful of Vengeance with unrestrained action and lots of technical stunts. But in Maclean’s feature, it is more similar to Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale, where the damage is more psychological than physical. The sparse screenplay plays on the characters’ crumbling emotions, especially through fractured parent-child relationships. This ranges between Tornado and Fujin with conflicting cultures to Sugarman’s degradation of son Little Sugar (Jack Lowden), whose brewing resentment of his father leads to his predictable mutiny within his father’s gang. The older characters command a sense of loyalty from their charges due to their respective authoritative presence, but the harsh dialogue quickly reaffirms that this assumed loyalty doesn’t equate to respect. Resulting in a myriad of fleeting tensions, the simple fact that the land is a dog-eat-dog world so being cutthroat (literally) is the only way to survive.

It is a shame that this angle isn’t explored further in the screenplay as this would have brought depth to the otherwise one-dimensional characters, whether it be as a cold-hearted killer, stubborn father or resentful child. This is not the fault of the cast, including veteran Roth and rising star Lowden, as they deliver Maclean’s harsh barbs with underlying venom. However, the filmmaker offers promise in Tornado’s protagonist, played with determination by Japanese star Kōki, who exudes a need for independence and a child-like naivety as to Sugarman’s lack of compassion. However, Tornado doesn’t allow her to flourish into a memorable protagonist until the third act – by then, it is too late, as what should be a cathartic and blood-soaked release feels like a rushed and forced flourish due to a lack of emotional investment to drive the heroine’s ambition.

Tornado comes across as a violent thriller with a promising, audience-friendly premise and star as its centre, but the imbalance of its elements creates underwhelming results.