My quick rating – 5.5/10. In Tornado, director John Maclean attempts to blend samurai vengeance with the bleak grit of 1790s Britain, and the result is as unusual as it sounds. Kôki takes the lead as the titular Tornado, a fierce young Japanese woman left orphaned and hardened after her father’s traveling puppet samurai show is savagely ambushed by a gang of gold-hungry outlaws. With her father dead and her legacy stripped, Tornado sets off on a blood-soaked mission of revenge and reclamation.
On paper, Tornado sounds like a bold genre mash-up—samurai code meets survivalist Western in the British countryside. And in execution, it partially delivers. Kôki brings an intense physicality and stoic resolve to the role. She’s convincing in her quiet moments and genuinely vicious when the vengeance finally kicks in. Tim Roth chews his scenes as the villainous gang leader Sugarman, delivering the right amount of menace, while Jack Lowden adds sleaze and smarm as his aptly named son, Little Sugar.
The cinematography is one of the film’s strongest aspects. Sweeping shots of barren fields, skeletal forests, and craggy cliffs give the movie a lonely, weather-beaten aesthetic that matches Tornado’s internal desolation. If you’re into films where characters trudge stoically through vast, empty landscapes, this one scratches that itch. It’s atmospheric as hell.
But here’s where the wind dies down: Tornado moves at a glacial pace. While the movie markets itself as an “action survival thriller,” the thrills are more in theory than in execution. The action is sparse and often short-lived. Long stretches are filled with brooding stares, slow marches through grass, and quiet plotting that don’t always justify their runtime. The supporting cast, mostly a who’s who of nameless thug archetypes, never quite elevates the stakes beyond what’s predictable.
The film’s attempt at samurai lore feels more like a garnish than a core ingredient. Yes, Tornado uses some swordplay and tactical thinking, but don’t expect a flurry of katana clashes or philosophical ruminations on honor. This is more about strategy and survival than spectacle.
Still, there’s a brutal satisfaction to the film’s final act. When Tornado finally stops running and starts doling out punishment, it’s refreshingly raw and unapologetic. No fancy hero speeches or moral dilemmas, just sharp steel and cold vengeance.
In the end, Tornado is a movie with strong visuals, a solid lead, and a unique premise, but it never quite rises to the occasion. It simmers instead of boils, and its slow-burn approach may test the patience of those expecting non-stop action. Worth a look if you’re in the mood for something moody and offbeat, but don’t expect a storm. It’s more of a gust.
This one has been recently released on streamers, so choices are limited, but Amazon is one of them.