On paper, Tornado has everything going for it-an intriguing concept, a strong cast (including Koki, Tim Roth, and Jack Lowden), and a visually striking trailer that promised a bold fusion of samurai and Western genres. But in execution, the film doesn't deliver on its potential.
As with some Wes Anderson films, Tornado feels more like a fable than a grounded story but without inviting the audience from the beginning to suspend disbelief and accept stylisation over realism and lacks the emotional depth or imaginative clarity to fully pull this off. Combined with a theatrical tone that echoes Quentin Tarantino-particularly in its monologues and character staging-the film hovers awkwardly between stylised myth and serious drama, without fully committing to either.
The result is disorienting: pacing feels both slow and rushed, the world-building is vague, and the narrative often leaps forward without enough context. Viewers are left grappling with plot holes and underdeveloped motivations, which breaks immersion.
Most surprisingly-given its dual heritage in samurai and Western genres-the film features almost no action. There's no dramatic showdown, no cathartic swordfight, no "duel at dawn" moment to anchor the stakes. The final act, while atmospheric, lacks the payoff many expect from stories built on vengeance.
