Review by C.J. Bunce
When we previewed the independent film Tornado last year, we saw a trailer that looked like it had the hallmarks of something great. Every new concept unveiled in the trailer for the Glasgow Film Festival 2025 entry just screamed authentic Western. A woman Samurai warrior revenge story with Tim Roth as the bad guy? With only a few glimpses at this movie’s cinematography, that pulsating musical score, the cold, bloody violence, and 21-year-old Japanese actress Mitsuki Kimura aka Kōki in the lead role, you’d swear Quentin Tarantino was the ghost creator on this project. No, that was writer-director John MacLean. His minimalist return to what made Akita Kurosawa and John Ford great arrives as one of the finest Westerns of this century. Tornado is now streaming on AMC+ via Prime Video.
The plot couldn’t be simpler, yet it’s a reflection on humanity and inhumanity that seems to unfortunately be timeless. That’s why Westerns, endure, right? A Japanese man takes his daughter through the hills of Scotland, earning money by showing a classic puppet theater made from marionettes from his homeland. A group of thieves who stole gold from a church wander upon the theater on the roadside and are momentarily distracted.
A young pickpocket working the crowd notices that they put the heavy bags of gold on the ground (so the men could rest and watch the show). The little boy takes the opportunity to steel the bags and hide them under the wagon carrying the puppet show theater. The gang, led by a bitter and angry man named Sugarman, played by Tim Roth at his absolute best, is quite put out when they notice the money is gone.
Ultimately there are only three suspects: the man, his daughter, or the little kid. The gang represents the classic highwaymen of history, on both sides of the Atlantic. Sugarman’s son is played by Jack Lowden, and he represents the weakest link of the group, the archetype that appeared in many a John Ford Western, and he and the young thief, played by Nathan Malone, are sort of an amalgam of the young punk in Unforgiven. Unlike Unforgiven, this movie is pristine. It hits all of its notes exactly right. Its brilliance is in its simple story, and its genius is its cinematography that will hit you like The Last of the Mohicans. This is from John MacLean, so it also brings a very Scotland viewpoint–you can see this in its infusion of Sir Walter Scott story elements and Robin Hood imagery.
Its in-your-face martial arts with a Western twist hints at the violence level of Bone Tomahawk. Tornado isn’t so violent and in fact is more of a classic Western than Bone Tomahawk’s more modern spin on the genre. In fact you’re likely to find camera angles inspired by The Searchers and the close-quarters simplicity of Stagecoach. MacLean may have hints here of Tarantino’s The Hateful 8, but Tornado has this slow-building, percolating power that feels more authentic. Maybe a black and white release would bring that home?
The inclusion of two Japanese expatriates point to something else, and that’s Akira Kurosawa. MacLean revisits the common, rural people of a desolate community, scattered across Scotland. And his story spans only a single day. This is that community in Seven Samurai that needs an outsider’s help to move ahead. Maybe they’re not farmers, but it’s all the same.
But this time those rogues we saw in that movie and John Ford’s remake The Magnificent Seven and Antoine Fuqua’s remake of The Magnificent Seven don’t defend the locals–they are the bad guys. A black man with no name even wears the same black hat of Denzel Washington’s hero in Antoine Fuqua’s remake of The Magnificent Seven. Only this time the black hat is more apt. The recruited team of players in that story each had their distinct weapon of choice and that happens here, too. Jamie Michie is the archer.
Dennis Okwera is the calmest and coolest of the bunch, the man in the black hat with a sword. Tornado of course brings her katana to the fight.
Joanne Whalley has a few brief appearances as a member of another wandering group of performers. Is it possible she and Tornado have a common backstory? Some of these questions don’t need answered, and give the viewer more to ponder. What is next for Tornado? Is her gold that same gold found recently by a group of 21st century archaeologists searching for lost treasures?
The story and experience of Tornado will stay with you long after the curtain draws closed. It’s a sure frontrunner for best film of the year with cinematography (Robbie Ryan) and a musical score (Jed Kurzel) to match. Don’t miss one of the year’s best genre films. Tornado is now streaming on AMC+ via Prime Video.
