This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being covered here wouldn’t exist.
We are living in a world where one of the highest grossing and most watched films and critically acclaimed IPs have been video game adaptations. Of course, we are talking about The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Last of Us. Both prove that the stigma against video game adaptations is unfounded, despite not having a great track record in terms of translating the medium to the big or small screen. Now we have Peacock’s Twisted Metal, based on the iconic game series from 1995.
Despite what you might think, the game, for all its chaos and mindlessly fun mayhem, has a rich story behind it. Twisted Metal drops us into a post-apocalyptic wasteland after a series of cyber-attacks. Major cities devastated by these attacks survive thanks to a trading system. The delivery people are known as milkmen. One such milkman is John Doe (Anthony Mackie). He is offered a job to make a delivery for a mysterious woman named Raven (Neve Campbell) in exchange for the opportunity to live in a beautifully restored city that is closed off to most people. But of course, Raven isn’t all that she seems. What ensues is a wild ride of blood, bullets, and yes, twisted metal.
Straight away, Twisted Metal wastes zero time in establishing its tone. Pulling a lot from its source material, the show is a nice mixture of crude, rude, and brutal, but ultimately, is playful as hell. This combo shouldn’t work, but somehow it does. The show even manages to bring a lot of real emotional stakes and character development into the mix. Now add weighty thematic elements like police brutality, class divisions, and racism, and you have something truly interesting.
The show can be over-the-top silly and even gory, but that doesn’t mean it can’t have something vital to say. It gets this across in a way that never feels preachy, and always organic to the narrative. It’s nice to see how the writers do a skillful job at pleasing longtime, hardcore fans of the game series without ever completely alienating newcomers. It’s extremely exciting to see a ton of easter eggs and characters that were pulled from all the games. Hell, there is a literal way station that is filled with obscure racers across the series. For those of us who have been dreaming of seeing them in live action, it’s a truly thrilling moment.
The casting for this series is also excellent. Anthony Mackie easily sways from a lovable himbo to painfully relatable protagonist and someone who we are firmly on this wild ride with. Stephanie Beatriz, best known for her roles in hits like Encanto and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, makes the perfect counter to Mackie’s endearing bravado. Beatriz brings a lot of depth and life to a character that is new to the franchise. Together the two really have off the charts chemistry, and they have a fun will-they-or-won’t-they tension to them. Trope-y to be sure, but it works within the strange world this show has constructed. The big stand out character is, of course, the video game’s mascot, the demented clown, Sweet Tooth. Wrestler Joe Seanona embodies the insane clown and does a damn good job with the physical aspect of it, while the voice is provided by Will Arnett. This might seem like a strange mix, but it works fantastically.
The production design is top tier and, is not getting mentioned nearly enough in the reviews. The hollowed out and overgrown landscapes and destroyed iconic American landmarks make for an equal part eerie and beautiful visual. Interiors such as the casino where we first meet Sweet Tooth has this grounded yet slightly unsettling quality that does a lot to pull you into the story.
The show isn’t perfect, and while most of the jokes do land, some feel forced. The overall pacing could have been tightened up as well. Though, being a first season, one can forgive needing to get everyone into figurative and literal starting positions. Acting like the red-headed, tattooed stepchild of The Last of Us, Twisted Metal won’t likely win any Emmys, but it will sure get fans excited. Fueled by humor, action, and social commentary, this series burns hot and kicks a lot of ass.
Twisted Metal is now available to stream exclusively on Peacock.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QNZ44zKzjo]
Acting like the red-headed, tattooed stepchild of The Last of Us, Twisted Metal won’t likely win any Emmys, but it will sure get fans excited. Fueled by humor, action, and social commentary, this series burns hot and kicks a lot of ass.
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Big film nerd and TCM Obsessed. Author of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from Schiffer Publishing. Resume includes: AMC’s The Bite, Scream Magazine etc. Love all kinds of movies and television and have interviewed a wide range of actors, writers, producers and directors. I currently am a regular co-host on the podcast The Humanoids from the Deep Dive and have a second book in the works from Bear Manor.
