Reviews
The Twits
There was always going to be a degree of Americanisation when Netflix acquired the rights to the Roald Dahl Story Company. However, with their latest adaptation, The Twits, they have taken that tendency to an extreme, turning a beloved childhood classic into a not-so-subtle political commentary on the current American administration that is bound to leave a sour taste in the mouths of many viewers.
As adaptations go, The Twits was always going to be a challenge. The original novel runs just 95 pages, giving director Phil Johnston, best known for co-writing Wreck-It Ralph and co-directing Ralph Breaks the Internet, along with co-writer Meg Favreau, plenty of freedom to expand the story. Unfortunately, a series of baffling creative decisions make this version feel more like a disservice to the source material than a celebration of it.
From the first act onwards, the movie leans heavily into political messaging, ensuring that the Twits are compared to the current American administration. While there are clear similarities, taking an iconic tale from one of the world’s most famous authors and reshaping it into a modern political satire doesn’t feel right, nor does it seem a fair way to bring the story to life.
The film relocates the action to the fictional city of Triperot, where Mrs. Twit (Margo Martindale), inexplicably reimagined as a Texan complete with denim cowboy boots, and her husband Mr. Twit (Johnny Vegas), who retains his broad Lancashire accent, run a makeshift amusement park called Twitlandia. The park is powered by the tears of magical Muggle-Wump monkeys voiced by Natalie Portman and Timothy Simons. When the authorities shut Twitlandia down on health and safety grounds, the couple declares war on the city, setting the chaotic story in motion.
If that setup were not strange enough, the park’s closure attracts the attention of two orphans, Beesha (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and Busby (Ryan Anderson Lopez), who discover the imprisoned monkeys and their energy-producing tears. They free the creatures, prompting a frantic chase as the Twits seek revenge.
Traditionally, the Twits are loathed by everyone in their town, a sentiment they eagerly return. Here, however, the filmmakers make the odd choice of having the pair run for mayor after being bailed out of prison by local citizens. The Twits make a series of outlandish promises to win votes at a local rally, which once again could be read as a pointed nod to the current administration. Predictably, the townsfolk rally behind them and turn on the orphans to reclaim the Muggle-Wumps, despite the Twits’ long record of vile and illegal deeds.
Perhaps even more unfortunate, the rest of the movie following that politically charged first half devolves into something far more predictable, focusing on the orphans as they attempt to take down their grotesque adversaries. The pacing slows considerably, and what begins as a sharp, if heavy-handed, political jab drifts into a by-the-numbers adventure. The film crawls toward an ending that feels inevitable from the very beginning.
Topical storytelling undoubtedly has its place, and addressing political themes through fiction can be powerful when done well. Censorship and the reduction of free speech throughout the United States are legitimate issues that deserve exploration across different forms of media. However, using a Roald Dahl classic as a vehicle for those views feels misguided, particularly given the cultural legacy and timelessness of his stories.
The Twits adaptation is bound to draw attention as audiences discover it in Netflix’s new releases. The discourse surrounding its messaging will likely prove more interesting than the movie itself. But for fans of the original Dahl novel, this version feels so far removed from its source that there is little joy to be found here at all.
