Young couple Mac and Kaylee were chasing the storm when they got caught directly under the tornado.
TV + Movies

This Tornado Documentary Is Actually The Scariest Thing On Netflix

On his way home from graduation, one 18-year-old was sucked up through the sunroof of his car by the tornado and killed.

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There are some great horror movies on Netflix that scare the audience with ghosts, demons, haunted houses and masked killers. But the streaming platform’s latest documentary is much more terrifying. Horror movies can be turned off and explained away as “just a movie” but a documentary based on real events is something that happened in real life and we walk away knowing it could happen again — to us.

The Twister: Caught in the Storm tells the story of a massive  EF5 tornado that hit the city of Joplin, Missouri in 2011. Survivors recount the events of that day and what it was like to encounter the storm in jaw-dropping detail. Stories include a person being sucked up through the sunroof of their vehicle, amateur storm chasers who were caught off-guard and ended up going through the eye of the tornado, a child weather prodigy who tried to warn those around him, and townspeople walking outside after the storm to see the mile-wide tornado has blown entire neighborhoods away.

Who are the survivors interviewed in The Twister: Caught in the Storm?

Kaylee Parker and Mac Wright

Mac and Kaylee had spent the previous night at a “Staying Alive” party, the theme was a reference to supposed prophecy that the world was going to end on May 21, 2011. The tornado hit on May 22.

Two amateur storm chasers who caught their entire encounter with the tornado on film. While filming, they realized a tornado would imminently hit and fled to a store, where they warned everyone to take cover. The tornado then passed directly over them.

Kaylee and Mac were dating at the time of the tornado. They are no longer together but remain friends.

Chad Crilley

Chad followed his meteorology dreams to Joplin, just in time for the devastating tornado.

Chad was a 13-year-old weather enthusiast who had been a kid and teen weather reporter for his local news station. He was in Joplin to shadow KOAM’s Doug Heady during storm season in tornado alley and gain hands on experience working in meteorology.

Cecil Cornish

Cecil became a hero during the storm, looking after customers in the frozen yogurt shop where he was a part-time employee.

Cecil was a high school junior who was bullied for being closeted in a community of conservative Christians. At first when the storm hit, he worried he’d been left behind during the rapture because he was gay. Cecil bravely helped customers at his frozen yogurt shop take cover and prayed with them until the storm passed.

Steven Weersing

Steven was 16 at the time of the tornado.

Steven was driving around with friends when the tornado sucked the car up. He was severely injured and survived but then contracted a flesh-eating fungus from the dirty storm water entering his wounds. With only a 5% chance of recovery, Steven beat the odds.

Will Norton

Will had previously recorded a video about nearly dying in a storm.

Will was an early influencer who had grown a following on YouTube with 21,000 subscribers and millions of views. He was a senior who had just graduated high school. On his way home from graduation he was sucked up through the sunroof of his car by the tornado and killed.

In total, the tornado killed 161 people. Director Alexandra Lacey talked to The Hollywood Reporter about why she made the documentary and what she hopes viewers take away from it:

I think it’s probably quite important just to mention that there’s been so many natural disasters over the past few years, and particularly the tornados that have just hit Missouri in the past couple days in the surrounding states. I think it just feels more important than ever that people understand the human impact of mother nature’s power. And that is something I want people to think about. I also really hope that, particularly in today’s world, that they will see the hope and adversity in this film as well. They will leave thinking community is important and we must come together.

Alexandra Lacey, The Hollywood Reporter

The Twister: Caught in the Storm is currently streaming on Netflix.