“We called ourselves the Class of the Apocalypse. Most people thought that was ridiculous.”

Story: A documentarian looks at the devastating mile-wide EF-5 tornado that touched down in Joplin, Missouri on May 22nd, 2011, focusing on several stories, including the graduating class of Joplin High School, a group of storm-chasers, and a young man who came to Joplin to learn about storms. Everyone got much more than they bargained for.


Genre I’d put it in: Disaster Documentaries
Release Date: 2025
Where I Watched: Netflix

Gist: I love disaster movies. All the make-believe feels over-the-top and crazy, the devastation something that could only happen via CGI and excellent cinematography. Ah, the privileged life of a gal born and raised on the East Coast, whose experience with tornadoes begins and ends with an EF-2 back when I was a kid. We hopped into the car to see the (very) few houses that had had parts of their roofs torn off. But here in Storm, the devastation that happened to Joplin was on a level that I could have never imagined, or comprehend.

Director Alexandra Lacey does an amazing job with this documentary, fashioning a film that pulls you in without making a spectacle of the tragedy. Her use of her interviewees personal videos, calls, social media reels, and brief moments of visual FX are cut together seamlessly with a wider look at the storm, and moments with the survivors. The way Lacey edited the videos from stranded storm-chasers Mac, Kaylee and Eric paints a picture of a trio who go from excited to check out a storm to knowing they’re in way over their heads, to simply trying to stay alive. Similarly, moments with yoghurt shop worker (and at that time high school junior) Cecil highlights the selfless bravery that so many folks in Joplin had to show during that time.

Storm lets the survivors openly discuss their feelings, both during the event and years later when they’re sitting down with Lacey. There are tears, thankfulness, and a touching faith that made my “I consider myself spiritual” heart grow three sizes this day. No, the “butthole of the Bible belt” (as Cecil describes it) isn’t turned into an ad for Christianity. Leaving brief moments of how these folks turned to faith serve as a way to really drive home exactly how serious their situations are. Couple that with the use of day-of footage, and it paints a harrowing picture. What really got to me was the sound of the storm as it bore down on the town. Cecil describes it, and then we hear it via his recorded footage. It gave me chills.

I’d recommend this one to anyone who’s up for a documentary that you’re gonna want to focus on, and/or who’s willing feel like you’re going through this even with the folks in the film. This doc may be too intense for some people, and that’s okay. Know your threshold. Check out the trailer if you’re on the emotional rollercoaster fence. But if you can deal with real-life disasters? I urge you to seek this one out. This is a documentary that will pull you in with it’s close-up look at individual survivors, and then hit you with the violence that only Mother Nature could create. If, like me, watching this film left you feeling helpless? Consider donating to the Red Cross, so they can help folks out whenever and wherever the next devastating natural disaster hits.

Come for: A look at a devastating natural disaster that you might not have heard about, or remember.
Stay for: A look at the amazingly brave people affected by the storm, how they coped, and how the town ultimately survived.