Back when The CW was the go-to destination for YA storytelling, a coming-of-age show like Motorheads, premiering tomorrow on Prime Video, would have been the jewel in its weekly crown.
This rite of passage drama, led by Ryan Phillippe, and featuring a talented young ensemble cast including Michael Cimino, Melissa Collazo, Nicholas Cantu, and Uriah Shelton blends the adrenaline of car racing with the messy, heartfelt struggles of teens navigating love, loss, and legacy in a fading rust-belt town. Think Fast & Furious meets The O.C. with a dash of Friday Night Lights grit. Yes, I know, it’s a combination that sounds ridiculous but it actually works here, and makes for some addictive summer fun, roaring onto the scene as it does with the reckless energy of a street race and the emotional depth of, well … a CW show.
Set in Ironwood, a once-thriving industrial town now sadly gasping for air, Motorheads follows siblings Caitlyn (Melissa Collazo), and Zac (Michael Cimino), who along with their mother Samantha (Nathalie Kelley), all return to town many years after a shocking event in which their father, local racing legend Christian Maddox, disappeared in the aftermath of a high speed car chase.
Rumors circulate — a heist, and 12 million bucks in the trunk — but for Cait and Zac, who grew up without him, their father is a complete mystery, and one their mother refuses to elaborate further on. The trio are welcomed by their uncle Logan, a warm and solid presence in the form of Ryan Phillippe who encourages the pair to help around his ailing garage. Strapped for cash, Logan is happy to take the eager and capable Cait on as an apprentice, but Zac is reluctant to become part of the world to which his father once belonged, and spends most of the show’s first hour as a sulking fish out of water as he tries to figure out where he belongs and who he wants to be.
The pair are not left hanging for long though, soon finding themselves befriended by the socially anxious but well-meaning Marcel (Nicholas Cantu), and motorcycle-riding burnout Curtis (Uriah Shelton). However, when Zac falls for local rich girl Alicia (Mia Healey), he soon finds himself on the wrong side of her boyfriend Harris (Josh Macqueen), whose family practically own the entire town. And when Harris discovers that Zac and Cait are Maddoxes, a door to the past is abruptly kicked open.
Slowly, a bigger picture begins to unfold. What begins as a group of high school outsiders united by their passion for cars and street racing soon expands to encompass family secrets, a criminal underworld with ties to Logan and Curtis’ older brother Ray (Drake Rodger), ancient rivalries reborn, and questions on identity, love and legacy.
Motorheads, while not perfect, is a thoroughly sleek ride. Production design nails the rust-belt aesthetic perfectly (think crumbling factories and neon-lit backroads) while the once-thriving town of Ironwood is realized beautifully also. It’s a world that feels lived in, even if its inhabitants are somehow all a little too gorgeous to be quite real. The soundtrack, packed with anthemic rock and hip-hop, also helps to keeps the vibe humming, while director Neil Burger throws the kitchen sink at the show’s racing scenes, shooting each with a kinetic flair and pulsing energy that perfectly captures both the allure and danger of street racing.
The show crafts a world where the screech of tires and the thump of hearts are equally loud, delivering a love letter to the thrill of youth, first love, and the weight of growing up.
On the surface Motorheads may seem like a show about fast cars. But it’s actually about the messy, beautiful race to find yourself.
Prime Video’s Motorheads premieres Tuesday May 20, with all 10 episodes dropping at once.
Motorheads is written and executive produced by John A. Norris, who serves as showrunner. Neil Burger directed the pilot and serves as an executive producer. The series is also executive produced by Jason Seagraves, as well as Ruben Fleischer, Keegan Rosenberger, and Dana Brunetti.
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