Motorheads Finds Heart and Legacy In High-Speed Teen Drama
Motorheads introduces us to siblings Zac and Caitlyn Torres, who move from New York City to their mother’s Rust Belt hometown of Ironwood. They form an unlikely friendship with fellow high school outsiders as they bond over a love of cars and street racing — and work to uncover deep family secrets when it turns out their missing father is the town’s racing urban legend.
Love Victor’s Michael Cimino plays Zac, whose storyline feels tired as he finds a sudden interest in racing while trying to win over the richest guy in school’s girlfriend. Melissa Collazo from One Of Us Is Lying is the undeniable heartbeat of the show. She plays the unapologetically herself Caitlyn, who builds cars and carries the most emotional weight of the season around their father’s mystery and legacy.
Alongside them are Uriah Shelton as Curtis, who sidesteps the bad boy trope to deliver real layers as he’s torn between his sheriff father and criminal brother (Drake Rodger) and holds the keys to some big revelations, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’s Nicolas Cantu as Marcel, the awkward friend with a passion for car design who becomes the glue to this found family.
While Motorheads has already drawn comparisons to The Fast and the Furious and Friday Night Lights, the show’s central mystery around Christian Maddox reminded me of Outer Banks. The catalyst of Zac and Caitlyn’s father disappearing after being the getaway driver in an infamous crime in their town 17 years prior is a consistent drumbeat felt in everything the core four do.
Beyond this lore, Ironwood becomes a character of its own. The classic teenage milestones of festivals, races, and homecoming are grounded by the realities of classism, crime, and economic hardship in the town. The car sequences offer something for everyone, whether you find the racing, car-building, or design aspects more thrilling. A recurring theme is questioning what kind of person you are: one who hits the brakes, or the gas. These scenes aren’t just about cars anymore, but identity and the desire to prove yourself. Another highlight is the show’s soundtrack, which brings in a mixture of artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Benson Boone, and Brent Cobb that perfectly balance the nostalgia and youthfulness of the series.
Motorheads may not reinvent the wheel, but it’s full of heart, mystery, and legacy. Melissa Collazo’s stand out performance and the family secrets that permeate this small-town make it worth the ride.
Rev up your engines to watch Motorheads when it hits Prime Video on May 20.
