Prime Video has just added a ‘rip-roaring’ 2025 Western thriller movie

It's from the same director as the Michael Fassbender-starring Western, Slow West.

Maclean's latest foray into the genre is set amidst the rugged landscape of 1790s Britain and centres around Tornado (played by singer-songwriter Kōki), a young and determined Japanese woman.

She 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 (Tim Roth, Pulp Fiction) and his ambitious son Little Sugar (Jack Lowden, Slow Horses).

"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," the plot synopsis adds.

Tornado also stars Takehiro Hira (Giri/Haji) as Tornado's father, with the Western's supporting cast including Alex Macqueen (Hijack), Joanne Whalley (Willow) and Rory McCann (Game of Thrones).

The film earned mostly positive reviews upon its release in cinemas last June, with Kōki and Roth's performances and Maclean's eclectic mix of genres being singled out for particular praise.

You can read a sample of some of these positive write-ups for Tornado below:

The Arts Desk: ["Tornado] is an even more stylised foray into the territory of Sergio Leone and Akira Kurosawa."

AV Club: "It’s not that the Western is new territory for Scottish or Japanese storytelling; see Ted Kotcheff’s Billy Two Hats, Hideo Gosha’s Three Outlaw Samurai, and, yes, a handful of unassailable Akira Kurosawa masterpieces. It’s more the specific combination of jidaigeki period piece, highland character study, and frontier justice that’s new, making Tornado a harrowing, blustery, violent amalgamation of an idiosyncratic spirit."

Empire: "Tornado’s occasional pacing issues are propelled by Jed Kurzel’s ferocious score, Robbie Ryan’s haunting cinematography, and standout performances from Kōki and Tim Roth."

Financial Times: "With enough nerve and talent, wonders can be conjured with just a handful of figures and a few simple props, in the midst of a strange old country."

Mark Kermode: "A terrifically entertaining film with a dark, strange, offbeat edge."

New York Times: "In the title role, the singer-songwriter Koki is both charming and indomitable."

The List: "A rip-roaring affair from John Maclean which is far more than a straight-down-the-line revenge tale... Tornado feels like the origin story of a samurai legend… the details are dank, persuasive and occasionally poetic…"

Where to watch Tornado

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Tornado is streaming in Ireland and the UK on Prime Video now.