Reports in October 2024 described a strange failure at surviving Redbox kiosks: trying to check out the 1996 film Twister triggered an error, while other discs reportedly remained available. The reason was never confirmed. And despite the catchy “last DVD” framing, the reporting did not establish that Twister was literally the final DVD in Redbox’s inventory.
Why couldn’t people rent Twister?
In October 2024, Gizmodo summarized reports from people examining Redbox kiosks and online communities. When users tried to rent Twister, the kiosk reportedly displayed: “Sorry, there was a problem with the purchased items in your cart. Please remove these items from your cart in order to continue.” Other titles reportedly did not trigger the same error. Gizmodo’s account drew on reporting by 404 Media, which in turn cited Reddit discussions and Discord communities; it was not a controlled technical test. Gizmodo’s October 25, 2024 report does not identify a confirmed technical cause.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Twister (BD) | $9.64 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Twisters Double Feature - Blu-ray + Digital | $19.96 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Twisters - Collector's Edition 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital | $18.03 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Twister / Poseidon / The Perfect Storm (Triple Feature) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51-sMvyo+LL._SL160_.jpg)
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Twister / Poseidon / The Perfect Storm (Triple Feature) [Blu-ray] | $11.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Twisters - Collector's Edition Blu-ray + Digital | $8.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Two explanations were floated: Redbox’s license for the film may have expired, perhaps with a date in the kiosk software disabling checkout, or a software bug may have blocked the title. Both remain speculation. No official technical explanation or licensing document was reported, so it is not possible to say which—if either—caused the error.
Was Twister really Redbox’s last DVD?
That is not established. “The last DVD” is headline framing for a disc that users reportedly could not check out, not a verified inventory count. Gizmodo’s article described kiosks holding hundreds of discs and a single anomalous title; it did not prove that Twister was the only disc left across Redbox, or that any particular copy was the company’s final DVD.
#1 Best Overall
- Factory sealed DVD
The reports also do not establish what happened to a specific Twister disc afterward. There is no verified account here of one being recovered, sold, or disposed of.
Why were Redbox kiosks still part of the story after the shutdown?
Redbox’s parent company, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, moved from Chapter 11 restructuring to Chapter 7 liquidation in July 2024, and Redbox shut down. The kiosks that people later investigated were remnants of a closed rental operation, not evidence that Redbox had resumed service.
Rank #2
- Genre: Action / Adventure
- Number of Discs: 2
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Playback Duration: 236
- Rating: PG13
The scale of the collapse helps explain why the kiosk glitch attracted attention. The Los Angeles Times reported in July 2024 that Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment had acquired Redbox in 2022 in an all-stock deal valued at $375 million, when Redbox had 38,000 kiosks. At the time of the bankruptcy conversion, court filings put the remaining kiosk count at about 24,000, and the company planned 1,000 layoffs. Those are historical figures from 2024, not a current count of operating machines.
Redbox had begun in 2002 and built its business around low-cost DVD rentals from kiosks at locations such as McDonald’s, Walmart, and CVS, according to The Washington Post’s July 2024 coverage. After the shutdown, the machines’ leftover discs and software became a curiosity; the reports about Twister capture one unresolved quirk of that transition, not a functioning rental option.
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- Genre: Action / Adventure
- Number of Discs: 2
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Playback Duration: 123
- Rating: PG13
Can you rent or watch Twister through Redbox now?
No. Redbox shut down in 2024, so there is no Redbox rental service to use. The reporting about kiosks does not establish that any surviving machine still works today, and the status of individual kiosks is not a current survey. If you want to watch the film, check current streaming catalogs or a retailer’s physical-media listing separately; availability, edition, and stock can change.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Genre: Action / Adventure
- Number of Discs: 1
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Playback Duration: 123
- Rating: PG13
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