Female Samurai Unleashes Bloody Revenge in Epic Western-Style Action Thriller ‘Tornado’

by

At the brink of honor… lurks revenge. In the first trailer for your next adored martial action movie, Tornado, the spirit of the Old West intertwines with the Samurai‘s blade-wielding skills. The story unfolds in 1790, where Tornado chronicles a young woman’s quest to outsmart ruthless bandits that pursue her relentlessly. A peek at the freshly unveiled footage hints at an enthralling and magnificently bloody saga of endurance and revenge. Take a look at the new trailer for Tornado below.

As a follower, I’m excited to share that I’m part of the team behind the action drama “Tornado,” directed by John Maclean, who brought us “Slow West.” The star-studded cast includes Jack Lowden from “The Hateful Eight” and “Slow Horses,” Takeiro Hira known for his roles in “Shōgun” and “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” and Kōki as our titular character. After its successful world premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival earlier this year, we’ve finally set a release date – theaters will screen “Tornado” starting June 13, 2025. You can find more details in the official synopsis below.

1790s Britain serves as the backdrop for the story of Kōki, a resilient Japanese woman, who along with her traveling puppet Samurai, encounters a band of ruthless outlaws led by Sugarman (Tim Roth) and his son Little Sugar (Jack Lowden). When their paths cross, tragedy strikes as Kōki’s father is killed by the gang. To secure a new life and avenge her father’s death, Kōki seizes an opportunity to steal the gold from their latest heist. With danger looming over her life, Kōki embarks on a thrilling journey filled with pulse-pounding action as she tries to evade a violent end. Equipped with her father’s samurai training, Kōki leaves destruction and vengeance in her path.

This version aims to maintain the original’s essence while presenting it in a more conversational tone and simplifying some complex sentence structures for easier reading.

‘Tornado’ Was Met With Rave Reviews Following Its Festival Debut

In various cinematic encounters, Eastern and Western cultures have clashed, such as in films like 1971’s Red Sun starring Charles Bronson, and 2010’s The Warrior’s Way with Jang Dong-gun, Geoffrey Rush, Kate Bosworth, and Danny Huston. Stories of the Samurai have also left a lasting impact on Western cinema, most notably John Sturges’ The Magnificent Seven, which adapted Akira Kurosawa’s legendary Seven Samurai for the Old West. Now, Tornado aspires to redefine this cultural crossover, merging the barren landscapes and immoral villains of the West with the resilience and mastery of a Samurai for an unprecedentedly intense saga of revenge. Needless to say, we’re thrilled!

Since its premiere in Glasgow earlier this year, numerous reviews for the film Tornado have surfaced, and they’ve been nothing short of radiant. Critics are raving about it! The action drama is not just a typical revenge tale; John Maclean’s work in Tornado transcends that label. It has an air of a samurai legend’s origin story, and the intricacies are gritty, convincing, and at times, poetically beautiful, as noted by Eddie Harrison from The List. Dallas King of Flick Feast goes one step further, describing Tornado as something entirely original and unique, boasting a streak of humor as sharp as a katana blade.

Nikki Baughan from Screen International guides us back home, stating that Maclean has been delving into research, writing, and preparation for “Tornado” over the past ten years. Although he openly displays his inspirations – Kurosawa, John Ford, Sergio Leone among others – on his sleeves, the final product is an authentic, culturally diverse period drama.

Read More

2025-04-09 18:32