Film review: Into the Storm lacks emotion, but the storm scenes are spectacular
This is the latest in a rash of so-called "cli-fi" films in which the central theme revolves around climate-related disasters, and follows hot on the heels of Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer and Darren Aronofsky's Noah.
Starring: Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Matt Walsh
Director: Steven Quale
Category: IIA
This is the latest in a rash of so-called "cli-fi" films in which the central theme revolves around climate-related disasters, and follows hot on the heels of Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer and Darren Aronofsky's Noah.
Director Steven Quale works hard to tick all the right boxes, including a looming disaster of unprecedented proportions (the biggest tornado in the history of the universe), and a single mother (Sarah Wayne Callies) longing to get home to her five-year-old daughter — but not until she completes her job with regard to the tornado.
There is also a widowed father who could be closer to his teenage sons, a naive cameraman reluctantly going along with it all, and some daredevil goofballs who don't take the threat seriously.
Writer John Swetnam's story is not just about a tornado per se. Rather, it is told from the vantage point of a troupe of hardy storm chasers, people who tail hurricanes and tornados to film them from as close a vantage point as possible. It is life-threatening stuff, but compelling enough in real life, yielding reality shows and amateur videos on YouTube.