Directed by Ken Cole, the documentary revolves around Reed Timmer as he and fellow storm chasers seek to capture the power and fury of tornadoes.
The archival news footage that opens Never Stop Chasing is fascinating until it steps up to become altogether something else.
It’s a pattern that the balance of the film follows, as calm mornings spent with friends talking and driving through lovely landscapes steadily increase in tension as the skies darken, rain begins falling, thunder rumbles, and lightning strikes the earth.
The opening scenes, which end in tragic events, are a reminder that chasing storms is not for the faint of heart, nor is it only about thrill seeking. As the chasers themselves note, the sight of cloud formations and thunderstorms coalescing into a mighty storm that produces a tornado or two or three is inherently fascinating, even for those who have been tracking and recording such storms for many years.
Yet, mighty tornadoes, which often form over landscapes that appear to be empty for miles and miles and miles, can also quickly form and touch down close to populated areas, where the damage to people and property can quickly mount, wreaking many lives, sometimes even killing people randomly.
The idea of storm chasing itself may sound reckless and dangerous, and even some of the professors who have taught in related fields question some of the actions of the storm chasers, including meteorologist Reed Timmer, who is, in effect, the star of Never Stop Chasing.
Well, the tornadoes are the true leading players of the documentary. But among the human participants, Timmer stands out for his outsized personality, rough and ready charm, and intense excitability. (Even Timmer admits he gets too excited sometimes.) It’s no wonder that he was chosen to star in a reality television series on the Discovery Channel, Storm Chasers, which led to a degree of fame and recognition that has only grown over the years.
Might his fame have precipitated a greater degree of skepticism and ‘raised eyebrows of disapproval’ from his former college professors and fellow academics? Perhaps. What is undeniable, though, from the perspective of Never Stop Chasing, is that Reed Timmer becomes authentically excited about chasing storms, especially when they develop into tornadoes. He is fascinated with tracking and learning more about the storms, as well as the tornadoes themselves; even some of his staunchest critics readily admit that, sometimes, his relentless recording of tornado activity proves to be quite helpful.
Watching Timmer and his colleagues as they chase tornados is fascinating in itself. As captured by director Ken Cole and his team, Timmer and friends travel in a two-vehicle convoy. Timmer drives the lead vehicle, a truck that has been specially outfitted with protective material so that it looks like a stout, modified tank, able to withstand high, buffeting winds, and protect against flying debris. (More than one joke is made about ‘flying cows,’ a reference to Twister, the 1996 dramatic fictional thriller that made everyone aware about storm chasing.)
As Timmer drives, often at high speeds, down two-lane highways and country roads, he is also filming with his phone and talking excitedly with the other occupants, who are also filming on a variety of handheld devices. The other occupants are also fulfilling their navigational duties, helping Timmer keep motoring at a breakneck pace — and, of course, keep filming.
Seeing Twister in 1996 — and then moving to Fort Worth the following year — made me a lifelong avid tornado devotee, especially after I was a personal witness to a destructive tornado that swept through downtown Fort Worth in March 2000. Director Ken Cole constructs a marvelous documentary that is structured around individual “chases” after tornadoes, with extensive interviews and archival news footage that swings back and forth through recent history.
Vividly realized, Never Stop Chasing is a mesmerizing yet terrifying film.
The film, shot in Dolby Vision and mixed in Dolby Atmos for a first-of-its-kind immersive theater experience, opens nationwide on August 21 via ABRAMORAMA. In the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the film will have a week-long engagement from Aug. 21-27 at AMC Stonebriar 24 in Frisco, AMC Grapevine Mills 24 in Grapevine and AMC Mesquite 30 in Mesquite. Visit the official site for more information.
Dallas Film Now. 