Warning: This post contains slight spoilers for Twisters' ending.
Summary
Twistersdirector Lee Isaac Chung explains why there was no kiss at the end of the movie, although one was filmed. The standalone sequel to the 1996 filmTwisterfollows Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a meteorologist who heads to Oklahoma to test a groundbreaking new tornado tracking system. Along the way, she meets storm chaserTyler (Glen Powell), and the two form a bond as the trip turns into a fight for survival. Although the movie seems to be teasing a romance between Kate and Tyler, the pair never kiss onscreen.
In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, Chung explained whyTwisters' ending didn’t include the expected final kiss between Kate and Tyler. The director confirmed that he had filmed a kissing scene and tried using it as the ending, butChung found that he liked the no-kiss version of the movie better. Meanwhile, when choosing whether to include the kiss, he took into consideration audiences' shifting perspectives on PDA in films and TV shows. Check out Chung’s statement below:
I feel like audiences are in a different place now in terms of wanting a kiss or not wanting a kiss. I actually tried the kiss, and it was very polarizing — and it’s not because of their performance of the kiss.
This [no-kiss shot] was the other option that I had filmed on the day, and I got to say, I like it better. I think it’s a better ending. And I think that people who want a kiss within it, they can probably assume that these guys will kiss someday. And maybe we can give them privacy for that. In a way, this ending is a means to ensure that we really wrap things up with it in a celebratory, good way.
If it ends on the kiss, then it makes it seem as though that’s what Kate’s journey was all about, to end up with a kiss. But instead, it’s better that it ends with her being able to continue doing what she’s doing with a smile on her face.
I thought the airport would be a great location where Daisy and Glen and [Anthony Ramos]' characters could all come together in some way, and we see that their relationships have been changed. I looked at Kate, in some ways, as a tornado. We don’t know where she’s going to go and what’s going to happen to her. And I thought that Tyler should have to chase her — because he’s a storm chaser. That idea is what ended up leading to this idea of the airport, and also the joke with the truck, the augers, and all that stuff.
Lee Isaac Chang Is Right - Twisters Is Better Without The Kiss
Twisters Leaves The Door Open For More, And Keeps Its Priorities Straight
Chung isn’t the only creative behindTwisterswho believes the no-kiss version is better. Edgar-Jones echoed his sentiment thatthe movie ultimately isn’t about Kate and Tyler’s relationship,but about Kate regaining her love of storm chasing. Powell also had a unique perspective on the no-kiss scene, tellingEWthat the final ending was still intimate despite the absence of physical displays of affection. To him,Kate and Tyler’s love language isn’t physical displays of love but storm chasing. The most intimate moment they could have is deciding to do what they’re passionate about together.
Furthermore,Twister’s lack of a kiss leaves viewers guessing, which is a strong way to set up future films. Audiences will walk away finding it pretty believable that Kate and Tyler end up in a relationship down the road and share a kiss. However, since the movie stops just short of confirming this, there’s interest in where the pair’s story goes from here. Not only would there be intrigue in seeing where Kate, Tyler, and Javi (Anthony Ramos) end up in their careers, butthe nonexistent kiss also leaves the question of Kate and Tyler’s romance open for answers.
ATwisterssequel is not yet in the works, though Ramos recently expressed interest in another movie.
Meanwhile, there’s also the chance that audiences wouldn’t have cared for the kiss inTwisters. As Chung mentioned, perspectives are changing, with studies finding many younger audiences want less sex and romances onscreen. Given that almost every film featuring a woman in a lead role ends in romance,it’s refreshing thatTwistersfocused squarely on Kate’s career and passion for storm chasinginstead of making it all about her relationship with Tyler. Ultimately,Twisters' endingadds a nice hint of ambiguity while emphasizing the true purpose of Kate’s story.
Twisters
Cast
A follow-up to the 1996 original film Twister, Twisters is a sequel set years after the original, said to be fast-tracked by Steven Spielberg and Mark L. Smith, with Frank Marshal as producer. Little details exist about the film, but Helen Hunt is expected to reprise her role as Jo, with the film likely to pay homage to the late Bill Paxton.
