Our take
Based on a PlayStation game of the same name, Twisted Metal has a lot of the bullet-heavy, high-speed action of the original but with a lot more characters and backstory thrown in the mix. It certainly scratches a nostalgic itch for those who played the game growing up, especially once big names like Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, and Will Arnet (or his voice at least) bring familiar characters to life. But beyond all the furtive action and winks and nods made to the video game, there is little about Twisted Metal that’s likable, much less watchable. Sure, it’s fun to see guns go boom and cars go vroom, but the core of the series never feels substantial enough to justify its existence. You might enjoy watching it, but you likely won’t remember much of it.
The story
A motor-mouthed outsider with no memory of his past is offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With the help of a badass axe-wielding car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.
In a post-apocalyptic world where resources are scarce and cities are heavily bordered, weapons and motor expert John Doe (Anthony Mackie) races across the US to deliver a top-secret package in the hopes of finally being a part of a community.
There is a moment in the pilot episode where an actual PlayStation copy of the Twisted Metal game falls from the shelf and onto John’s speeding car. It’s supposed to be a lighthearted meta moment, with John even pausing to consider what just happened, but it also feels like an inside joke that immediately excludes anyone who isn’t familiar with the franchise. It sets the tone for the entire show, which seems less interested in building a bigger world and inviting newcomers into it than in playing around with big guns, fast cars, and old tropes.
Unfortunately, Twisted Metal can’t L1+R1 God Mode its way into being as great as the game it’s adapted from.
The details
Streaming arrival
Who picked it
Renee Cuisia is the lead curator at A Good Movie to Watch. In her spare time, she likes to watch K-dramas and analyze them to death. She's also seen You've Got Mail one too many times but is still convinced it's one of the greatest films out there.
