What happens when a Japanese woman and her father’s traveling samurai puppet show run afoul of a ruthless gang of criminals in 18th-century Britain? You get Tornado, a new action flick from director John Maclean starring Academy Award nominee Tim Roth, Rory McCann, Jack Lowden, Takehiro Hira, and model/songwriter Kōki in the titular role.
Here’s the official synopsis: Set in the rugged landscape of 1790s Britain, Tornado is a young and determined Japanese woman who finds herself caught in a perilous situation when she and her father’s travelling puppet Samurai show crosses paths with a gang of ruthless criminals led by Sugarman, and his ambitious son Little Sugar. In an attempt to create a new life for herself, Tornado seizes the opportunity to take matters into her own hands and steal the gold from their most recent heist. With her father murdered by the gang and her life in grave danger, Tornado races against time to escape a violent demise and avenge her father’s death.
This is Maclean’s first movie since he made a splash in 2015 with the Western drama, Slow West. He wrote and directed Tornado based on a story he developed with Kate Leys.
Roth is well known for his Oscar nominated performance in Rob Roy, as well as his many Quentin Tarantino flicks Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, and The Hateful Eight. McCann is a Game of Thrones veteran recognized for playing The Hound in the HBO series. Hira stars in the hit Emmy winning series, Shōgun.
Tornado opens in theaters on May 30th from IFC Films.
