‘Motorheads’ series review: A flashy ride with unfinished roads

In Ironwood, there are two types of people: those who hit the brakes, and those who hit the gas. That’s the ethos at the heart of John A Norris’ Motorheads on Prime Video. A teen drama set against the backdrop of a dying town and illegal street racing scene, it sounds like something we have seen before, and to some extent, it is. But there are moments, visually and thematically, where the show edges towards new territories.

Norris, best known for his work on All American (2018), swaps football fields for back-alley racetracks, but his usual focus on teenage identity and legacy is still prevalent. The cast, made up of lesser-known faces, does a commendable job with their respective characters. Ryan and Deacon Phillippe bring an earnestness that helps ground the sometimes chaotic narrative.

Set in a crumbling suburban town in Pennsylvania, the series follows twins Caitlyn (Melissa Collazo) and Zac Torres (Michael Cimino) who move to Ironwood – a town their parents grew up in. While Caitlyn starts restoring their father’s old Dodge Charger, Zac gets roped into the street racing scene that once defined his father’s legacy. Just like their father and uncle, the twins seem to carry different pieces of the past: Caitlyn with a sharp instinct for building and mechanics, like her uncle, and Zac stepping into his father’s shoes behind the wheel. The subplot of rebuilding the Dodge Charger works well as a metaphor. It mirrors their desire to rebuild a life in a new town, a fractured family and a connection to the past that lingers on in Ironwoods’ streets. 

The show leans into visual duality: parallels between generations, choices made then and now, and between two siblings charting different courses through the same inherited world. In this sense, the cinematic structure is one of the biggest strengths. The sequences and flashbacks are vividly cut and some of the racing visuals – especially the bank heist car rollout – are striking and well-paced.

A still from ‘Motorheads’
| Photo Credit:
Prime Video

Where Motorheads falters though is in its lack of depth. For all the talk of a “dying town”, there is minimal narrative weight given to its decline or even a comparison factor to emphasise on the fact that it was dying. The town is treated more like a dramatic canvas than a lived-in world. The street racing culture, while glamorised, isn’t explored very deeply. There is thrill, yes, but very little sense of community, danger or real subcultural grit. 

Caitlyn’s almost magical ability to outperform seasoned mechanics feels like a narrative shortcut more than a believable character arc. The most jarring plotline may be the sheriff’s: an ex-con posing as a lawman “attempting” to turn his life around while enabling his son’s criminal activities. The presence of corruption isn’t as jarring, but the lack of interrogation around it is, creating a vague ethical tension.

With motorsport slowly revving back into public attention in India due to racing ventures being explored and popular actors like Ajith Kumar returning to racing, shows like Motorheads may find a growing audience. It’s not groundbreaking television, but it offers just enough momentum to keep viewers buckled in for the ride.

Motorheads is streaming on Prime Video