Disaster Movie Sequel Becomes a Top 10 Global Netflix Success, 2 Years After $372M Box Office Hit

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For the week of February 8th-15th, Twisters was the eighth-most-watched on Netflix globally. During that time, it accumulated 3.1 million views and was streamed for a total of 6.4 million hours. Twisters was narrowly behind Russell Crowe’s biblical epic Noah on the top 10 chart, but it beat out Homefront and Norbit. This was Twisters‘ first week ranking in Netflix’s top 10.

Why Twisters Is a Streaming Hit on Netflix

Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures

As streaming services have become more prevalent, it’s common for films that earned a mixed or negative reception to finally find an audience at home. It’s easier for viewers to take a chance on something when all they have to do is push play in the living room. However, Twisters doesn’t fall into that category. In addition to being a notable box office hit ($372.3 million worldwide against a $155 million production budget), it also earned positive reviews. Twisters is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 75% critics score based on nearly 400 reviews. The audience score is even higher, coming in at 90%.

That word of mouth has likely drawn viewers to Twisters on streaming, and it’s easy to see why. The film harkens back to classic blockbusters of yesteryear, maintaining the spirit of the original Twister while updating the production values with modern special effects. Twisters makes for a fun watch; not only are the tornado sequences visually stunning, the dynamic that forms between Edgar-Jones and Powell’s rival storm chasers gives audiences an entertaining emotional core to become invested in. The two actors have terrific chemistry with each other, crafting a pair of likable characters who fit nicely into traditional blockbuster archetypes.

It also helps that Twisters works as a standalone feature despite its status as a legacy sequel. While it features plenty of nods to the original Twister, the story it tells is self-contained and it follows a group of new characters. Many legacy sequels are guilty of leaning too heavily on nostalgic elements, which can potentially alienate newcomers who aren’t as familiar with the earlier films. Twisters is perhaps one of the most accessible legacy sequels in recent memory since it doesn’t require the audience to do homework to understand what’s going on. Netflix subscribers can just cue it up and enjoy a throwback disaster movie featuring some of the industry’s rising stars.

For people just scrolling through Netflix looking for something to watch, Powell is likely the main attraction here. Ever since appearing in hits Top Gun: Maverick and Anyone But You, he keeps racking up acting credits and has become an even more visible star. Not every one of his films is a box office success on the level of Twisters or Anyone But You, but commercial flop The Running Man was an instant hit on streaming, proving he can be a draw. Powell is also headlining the new dark comedy How to Make a Killing, so audiences are probably on the lookout for other films starring the actor, bringing them to Twisters.

As of this writing, Twisters is only available on Netflix in international territories. In the United States, it can currently be streamed on Peacock and is available to rent or purchase on PVOD platforms like Apple and Amazon.

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