Twist is a modern reimagining of the classic Charles Dickens story, “Oliver Twist”. Oliver (Raff Law) grew up with his single mother, Molly (Sally Collett), and the two of them loved to paint together. Molly passed away when Oliver was young, leaving him an orphan, but instead of living with strangers, Oliver ran away, and for the past few years he has been living on the streets, often spending the night sleeping in the museum where he and his mother spent a lot of time in together. Oliver’s days usually consist of free-running across the rooftops of London, and making daring extreme graffiti displays on the sides of high-rises and alleyways.

One day, on his latest run from the police, Oliver meets two other street rats, Batesy (Franz Drameh) and Dodge (Rita Ora), who take Twist to their hideout, which is also home to several other orphaned teens. Fagin (Michael Caine), a former art dealer, has organized the young men and women into a ragtag “family” of thieves, who all live and “work” together. Fagin recognizes Twist’s parkour and artistic skills, and invites him to join the family, however Oliver doesn’t necessarily want to be a thief. But when he meets fellow free-runner Red (Sophie Simnett), there’s an instant attraction, and he decides to stick around for a while. It isn’t long before Twist gets his first assignment. Fagin is plotting a big art heist, stealing a valuable painting from a former associate, professional art dealer Dr. Crispin Losberne (David Walliams)—the man who ruined his life. In addition to his team of young thieves, Fagin also brings in another old partner, Sikes (Lena Headey), to help with the job. However, there’s something that seems a bit unhinged and off about Sikes, and there may be something more to this heist than Fagin is letting on.

I can’t say how closely Twist follows the original “Oliver Twist” story as I’ve only seen the musical, Oliver!, and a narration from Oliver at the opening of Twist assures viewers that there will be no singing in this tale. This film is more of an action-heist film with lost of twists and turns to the story, some exciting action sequences, tense moments, and even a bit of romance and humor. It’s like Baby Driver meets Oceans 11 but set in London, and with lots of parkour. Raff Law is delightful in his first major film role—he is the spitting image of his father, with the same eyes, charm and charisma, making it easy for the audience to really connect with and care about Oliver. Oliver starts off as this bit of a naïve young man, used to living on his own and not trusting anyone else, but he quickly learns to be a part of this new family. After an awkward first meeting with Red, the two ultimately hit it off, and he quickly learns the business thanks to Dodge and Batesy, becoming an integral part of the team. Michael Caine is always great, and here he sports a tough guy cockney accent (and sometimes a humorous Russian one) as he and his team of thieves go undercover to steal a work of art and get some revenge at the same time. Caine does a nice job of keeping his character a bit mysterious—is this a man who Twist should trust, or is he up to something? The film’s villains range from the comedically-bumbling, such as police officers D.S. Brownlow (Noel Clarke) & D.S. Bedwin (Jason Maza), who always seem to be a few steps behind Oliver and the others, or the dimwitted mark, Dr. Losberne, to the more conniving and deadly Sikes, who seems to have her own nefarious plans in the works. Sikes also doesn’t fully trust the newest member of the team, and constantly has Twist in her crosshairs.

Much of the film’s action involves fast foot chases across the rooftops or through the alleyways of London. These are both exciting and harrowing at times, and the filmmakers keep things fresh by shooting each sequence a bit differently. In one scene, the film feels more like Hardcore Henry as the viewer sees things from Oliver’s view as he leaps from building to building. The film also includes several other action sequences that don’t rely on free-running. Pplus there is the more thriller aspect of the heist itself, as events take unexpected turns, loyalties come into question, and the characters must adapt and think on their feet.

Lionsgate’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great. The video presentation has an excellent level of detail in close-up shots as well as during fast-paced action sequences. The picture remains clean, bright, and beautiful throughout, with a rich color palette. The audio track provides clear dialogue, and showcases the film’s wonderful soundtrack, which ranges from rock music to a tense heist score, helping elevate the excitement or tone of what’s happening on-screen. The Blu-ray disc comes packed in a standard HD keepcase, with a slipcover, along with an insert with redemption instructions for a digital copy of the film. The disc also includes a really entertaining 25-minute behind-the-scenes featurette with the cast and filmmakers.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:32:48)

Blu-ray:

• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish

Digital (Code subject to expiration, may not be valid after 9/28/2022):

• HD Digital Copy redeemable via Vudu or Google Play (not Movies Anywhere compatible)

Extras:

• The Artful Dodger: Twist’s Underworld (25:45)
  The cast and crew discuss taking the themes of “Oliver Twist” into a more modern setting, Oliver’s journey over the course of the film, casting the movie, making Sikes a woman, working with Michael Caine, filming in London, the parkour sequences, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producer Ben Grass, director Martin Owen, co-screenwriter Sally Collett (“Molly Twist”), producers Jason Maza (“D.S. Bedwin”) & Matt Williams, and stars Raff Law (“Twist”), Rita Ora (“Dodge”/executive producer), Lena Heady (“Sikes”), Sophie Simnett (“Red”), Franz Drameh (“Batesy”) & Michael Caine (“Fagin”).

Final Thoughts:

Twist is a fun and exciting new reimagining of the “Oliver Twist” story, taking viewers on an exciting heist/crime thriller, set in modern times, with some exciting parkour chases across the rooftops of London. The film features an excellent cast, led by newcomer Raff Law—who is destined to be a star/leading man like his father—along with Michael Caine, Lena Headey, Rita Ora and more. Lionsgate’s Blu-ray features a solid film presentation and includes an entertaining 25-minute behind-the-scenes featurette and a digital copy of the movie. I found this to be an enjoyable 90 minutes, and woth checking out. I’d definitely watch more films set in this universe.