Twist is a modern take on the classic Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist which has had many different stage shows and film adaptations, however, instead of singing and dancing, this version involves a lot of running on rooftops and an art heist.
Set in London, young orphan Twist (Rafferty Law) meets Dodge (Rita Ora) and Batsey (Franz Dramah) while on the run from the police. Suspecting that Twist is a troubled orphan just like them, they invite him to meet Fagin (Michael Caine) who is the leader of a group of young orphans that are con artist that spend their time committing robberies.
Twist joins the group to assist Fagin with pulling off a heist to steal some expensive artwork, but also, Twist falls in love with Red (Sophie Simnett), another orphan that has been taken in by Fagin. The one thing that is standing in the way of Twist and Red is Red’s abusive girlfriend Sikes (Lena Headey), who is invested in the art heist for her cut, but is a loose cannon and will do anything to make sure that everything goes to plan.
I must admit, that I was little bit sceptical when I found out that this film was a modern retelling of Oliver Twist, as I believed that another retelling of Oliver Twist was unnecessary. But as the film progressed, I found that it had very little to do with the original story, so at times I almost forgot that this was a retelling, and to be honest, I found it to be very enjoyable to watch.
There is a lot to like with this film. The rooftop chase sequences are a lot of fun and they kept me on the edge of my seat. Admittedly, it did feel like there were lot of chase scenes to the point that that you do start to get a little sick of them. But without giving too much away, one of the chase scenes does include a hilarious use of a stampede of Deliveroo cyclist.
I was also very impressed by the performance of Rafferty Law as Twist. I spent a good portion of the film thinking that he looked familiar, so when I found out that he is Jude Law’s son, I wasn’t surprised. He is a talented actor and I do look forward to seeing what kind of roles he will play in future. I especially enjoyed his scenes with Sophie Simnett as there was a real sense of chemistry between the two. Lena Headey has already proved that she can play a villain in the past in her previous roles, but in Twist, she shows that she can play a crazy villain as well, who is capable of anything. The film is unapologetically British which I thoroughly enjoyed. The characters all talk in in thick British accents which suits Michael Caine effortlessly with his cockney accent.
Twist displays a lot of impressive street art, which enhance the films tone as a gritty crime film. I felt the choice of songs included in the film were perfectly suited to the film’s overall mood. Songs such as ‘Ever Fallen in Love’ by the Buzzcocks and ‘Chelsea Dagger’ by The Fratellis suited Twist perfectly and helped to make the film fun and memorable.
Twist is a film that probably isn’t for everyone, however, if you enjoy British heist movies, I think that you will have a lot of fun watching this film.
Twist will open in Australian Cinemas from the 29th of April 2021.