Tornado: Scotland, the 1790s. The feel of Folk Horror is here from the outset, a teen girl followed by a younger boy run across an upland heath, they are pursued by a band of rough looking men. Fleeing through the woods, the girl, Tornado (Koki), sees a remote mansion and hides there. The band of brigands led by Sugarman (Tim Roth) barges in and assaults the family. Tornado escapes but is separately chased after by :little sugar (Jack Lowden), Sugarman's son. There is more going on here than meets the eye. In a flashback we see Tornado reluctantly training in swordplay with her father, Fujin (Takehiro Hira)), a former samurai swordsman. Fujin now runs a puppet theatre with Tornado from his wagon. It is during a performance that they run afoul of Sugarman's gang, Tornado involves herself in robbing their loot. This results in a cascade of events starting with Fujin's death but also bringing death and destruction to others who aid Tornado. There is also a travelling circus involved, a strongman, players, a knife thrower, clowns. All on the same blasted heath. Life is cheap, Sugarman cuts the throat of a minion who has failed him, a man is stabbed for making noise. These were savage times, wagons burn, people flee for their lives into the woods. Tornado is a real Final Girl as she takes on the gang having more to avenge than just her father's death. Great displays of sword fights, archery, beheadings and arms lopped off. .All is not well within the gang either as they have their own turmoil. No magic, no monsters other than of the human variety but the differing skills of the gang members are a wonder to behold as is Tornado. There is an untold backstory as some of the characters have past knowledge of each other. Written and Directed by John Maclean. 8/10.
