How to watch

Few disaster movies are as rewatchable as Twister. Jan de Bont's 1996 hit sent Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton barreling across Oklahoma in pursuit of record-breaking tornadoes, with flying cows, a drive-in theater torn apart, and a homemade sensor package named Dorothy. In 2024, director Lee Isaac Chung delivered Twisters, a new chapter starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell that brings the same white-knuckle spectacle to a new generation of storm chasers. The franchise is small, but newcomers often wonder whether the second film is a direct sequel and whether they need the original first.

🕐 Release Order

Watching in release order lets you see how storm-chasing movies evolved, from practical effects and early CGI in the nineties to the immersive sound design and digital storms of today.

1. Twister (1996)
2. Twisters (2024)

Because the two films are separated by 28 years and feature entirely new casts, it's worth understanding how they connect before you press play.

📖 Story Chronology

Twisters is a standalone sequel set in the same world as the original. It follows new characters, a reluctant former chaser named Kate and a social-media storm wrangler named Tyler, rather than continuing Jo and Bill's story, so the story chronology lines up with release order.

1. Twister (1996)
2. Twisters (2024)

Which Order Should You Choose?

Start with Twister. It's a lean, fun, endlessly quotable nineties popcorn movie, and its tone and big set pieces set the stage for everything Twisters is trying to recapture. That said, Twisters is fully accessible on its own, so if you just want modern spectacle on a big screen or a good sound system, jumping straight in won't leave you confused. For a perfect double feature, watch them back to back and compare how each film builds tension before the funnel touches down.

🔗 Related Guides

• Jurassic Park Watch OrderGuide
• Independence Day Watch OrderGuide
• Jaws Watch OrderGuide

Did we miss anything? Let us know and we'll keep this guide up to date!