Netflix’s ‘The Twister’ Gave Me A New, Unexpected Fear

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You might already know this, but Netflix has recently released a chilling documentary titled “The Twister: Caught in the Storm“. This film offers an intense and terrifying account of the 2011 Joplin Tornado that devastated a town and claimed the lives of 158 people. I expected this Netflix original to exacerbate my anxiety and fear of storms, but there’s a twist at the end that tapped into an unexplored terror I wasn’t aware of before.

If you’ve managed to catch “The Twister” on Netflix up until now, chances are you’re familiar with the topic at hand. However, for those who haven’t had the chance, let me guide you through an analysis of this documentary and a specific segment that stirred up a fresh wave of apprehension within me.

The Twister: Caught In The Storm Is An Intense And Terrifying Experience From Start To Finish

As a seasoned movie reviewer, let me tell you that The Twister: Caught in the Storm shares an uncanny resemblance to the gripping portrayal of tornado chaos in Twisters. However, unlike the 2024 blockbuster, which offered a thrilling fictional account, this Netflix documentary is a chilling depiction of raw reality – real people, real stories, and all-too-real emotional turmoil caused by these colossal, unpredictable tempests.

Throughout its entire 90-minute duration, this documentary titled “The Twister” is both gripping and alarming as it narrates the happenings of May 22, 2011 – a day etched in memory for those who bore witness to Mother Nature’s ferocity on what appeared to be an ordinary night. The documentary showcases interviews with survivors of the EF5 tornado, which carved a path almost 22 miles long. “The Twister” provides numerous eyewitness accounts of people confronting the storm and even death itself. Among these stories, one account in particular has left an indelible impression on me.

The Guy Contracting Some Rare Flesh-Eating Fungus In The Storm Is Straight-Up Out Of A Nightmare

In the documentary The Twister: Caught in the Storm, Steven Weersing, affectionately known as “Miracle Boy,” shares an extraordinary, perilous, and bizarre tale. Remarkably surviving being torn from his car by a tornado and floating within the storm, he later developed Apophysomyces trapeziformis, a fungus that feeds on flesh and affected numerous others, as stated by the National Library of Medicine.

In the film, Weersing explains that a unique fungus, carried by the storm as it swept up contaminated soil and decaying matter, led to him undergoing surgeries to remove parts of his skin, ribs, lungs, and even heart to survive. This was entirely new information to me, but now it’s become one of my deepest fears, truly terrifying. It feels like a plot straight out of a horror film, yet this is all too real.

I’ve Had Some Close Calls With Tornados, But Now I’m Even More Terrified

Over the course of my life, my childhood town has experienced numerous tornadoes. During college, I was behind the wheel when a twister tore off the church steeple and flattened a car in downtown. As a result, any approaching storm fills me with apprehension. Regrettably, this fear has grown stronger over time due to additional close calls and fortunate escapes. Intriguingly, just days prior to watching what could be one of the most captivating Netflix documentaries I’ve seen, there were tornadoes everywhere.

As a movie lover, I’d say this: Now that I’ve learned tornadoes can potentially spread exotic fungi, each time my county is under a tornado warning, I’ll feel an extra knot of anxiety. It’s not just about safeguarding my family and home – there’s an additional concern about these airborne spores spreading harmful organisms.

Ideally, I’d prefer to avoid finding myself amidst a storm, particularly one accompanied by an enigmatic sickness spreading through its chaos. Just the thought of such a situation makes me uneasy.

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2025-03-21 23:08