High School Hierarchies and Horsepower

TV SERIES REVIEW
Motorheads
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Genre: Drama
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 10 x 45m episodes
Creator(s): John A. Norris
Director(s): Neil Burger, Ryan Zaragoza, Rebecca Rodriguez, Tara Nicole Weyr, Glen Winter
Cast: Ryan Phillippe, Nathalie Kelley, Michael Cimino, Melissa Collazo, Uriah Shelton, Nicolas Cantu, Drake Rodger, Josh Macqueen, Mia Healey, Matt Lanter,  Audrey Gerthoffer, Johnna Dias-Watson
Where to Watch: Season One premieres on May 20, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: When a show gets its hooks in you fast and doesn’t let up, it’s usually because it understands what it's trying to say. MOTORHEADS may not rewrite the rules of coming-of-age storytelling, but it knows exactly what gear it wants to drive in. With a youthful centric cast, raw emotion, and a backdrop of clashing steel, oil, and growing pains, it moves intentionally, even when it hits a few familiar bumps in the road. Once it gets going, it’s hard not to get swept up in its emotion.

Set in Ironwood, Pennsylvania, a town that time forgot, MOTORHEADS uses its blue-collar environment to build a world where frustration simmers beneath the surface. There’s a tangible sense of restlessness in every frame, and that restlessness is channeled through the series' obsession with street racing. The cars aren’t just a gimmick—they’re freedom, rebellion, distraction, and community. They serve as a throughline between the characters’ past and the uncertain future they’re barreling toward.

At the center are Zac and Caitlyn Torres, siblings who arrive in Ironwood following the mysterious disappearance of their father. Michael Cimino plays Zac, and Melissa Collazo portrays Caitlyn. Their relocation sets the tone for a story steeped in identity—who they were, who they want to be, and who others expect them to become. Zac’s growing involvement in the racing world mirrors his emotional need to connect with a father figure he no longer understands. Meanwhile, Caitlyn, with her gift for mechanics, digs into the literal pieces of their family history, hoping that if she fixes what’s broken under the hood, maybe she can do the same for everything else. It’s less about solving a mystery than restoring something intangible—trust, stability, purpose.

Their uncle Logan, a man weighed down by his regrets, steps into a mentor role, guiding them through the local hierarchy and underground world that seems to offer as many traps as it does opportunities. Ryan Phillippe plays Logan. His character, portrayed with restraint, anchors the show’s adult perspective, which helps balance the teenage energy. MOTORHEADS tries to show that guidance doesn’t always come from someone who has it all figured out—it often comes from someone still searching.

The supporting cast widens the lens without overloading it. Curtis, a talented mechanic trying to dodge the shadow of his brother’s criminal reputation, is played by Uriah Shelton. Kiara, the mayor’s daughter, is portrayed by Johnna Dias-Watson. She represents a different kind of internal tug-of-war, torn between image and instinct. The show doesn’t pretend that these teens aren’t aware of their situations—they’re just trying to push through them with what little power they have. Each character brings their struggles and tools for carrying them, and the racing world becomes the unlikely space where their paths collide.

There are moments when MOTORHEADS shifts into the more expected territory. The structure occasionally leans on the familiar, such as the outsider climbing the ranks or rivalries boiling over at exactly the moment you’d expect. These moments don’t derail the series but dilute some of its more grounded emotion.

Behind the camera, MOTORHEADS benefits from a creative team that clearly understands its tone. The direction feels cohesive, the editing keeps things dynamic, and the sound design during the race sequences is a standout element that amplifies tension without overwhelming the rest of the scene. There’s a clear focus on making the audience feel what’s at stake emotionally, even during the more spectacle-driven sequences.

MOTORHEADS ultimately offers a character-focused drama dressed in motor oil and exhaust fumes. It’s not trying to dazzle with complexity, but rather win you over with sincerity. The show understands that for many young people, the first time you truly feel free is when you’re behind the wheel—when the world disappears, and it’s just you, the road, and the noise. That energy pulses through the heart of the series.

It takes its time letting relationships form and rivalries simmer and allowing its characters to make mistakes without punishing them just for being young. If it plays it safe in some areas, it makes up for it with genuine heart and an understanding of what makes stories about youth and rebellion so enduring.

Whether the horsepower or the emotional arcs draw you in, MOTORHEADS has enough fuel to keep viewers engaged. It may not reinvent the genre, but it doesn’t need to—it just needs to keep driving forward, and for the most part, it does.

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