One Fast Move Review: Gritty but Clichéd Father-Son Sports Drama

Redemption and sports. Or is it redemption in sports? Some of the most uplifting underdog tales revolve around athletics, even in the extreme. For most mainstream moviegoers out there, there’s an unspoken universal love for the underdog tale — a rising athlete shooting his shot with his one God-given skill set because, well, what else does he have in this cruel world? Classic flicks like Rocky, Invincible, and even I, Tonya come to mind. And Prime Video’s new direct-to-streaming feature One Fast Move proves the list will go on in the year 2024…

No, this isn’t The Bikeriders with Tom Hardy and Austin Butler. Yes, two separate motorcycle dramas have now been released this year — what are the chances? (About the same as two horror nun movies, Immaculate and The First Omen, being released within a week of each other this year). They’re wildly different tales, mind you, and One Fast Move find its groove in different ways — smaller and family-oriented, it will surprise you thanks to its talented ensemble. Without green screens or CGI or anything, the impressive visuals remarkably capture such a daring, extreme sport in an immersive way that should impress hobbyists and professionals alike. Yes, this is polished stuff with an equally polished cast, despite the predictable narrative tropes you might see coming along the way.

KJ Apa Crosses the River(dale) to Become a Movie Star

You might not believe that “Archie” himself from The CW’s infamous Riverdale series has been grit-ified for a new extreme sports flick, looking miles away from his formerly iconic TV role. In One Fast Move, New Zealand’s dashing lad KJ Apa looks like he could fit right into The Bikeriders gang (sorry, wrong movie).

Once again pulling off a flawless American accent, KJ Apa appears before us with a cut physique, shaved head, and fierce eyes that portray a man hardened by a tough upbringing. And the worst is yet to come, as the gripping opening sequence reveals. Yes, listen up, all you Riverdale haters out there: The talented Apa is here with a means-business candor in a professional-grade film, just like his fine supporting turn in the acclaimed film The Hate U Give (2018).

From director Kelly Blatz (who has also acted in a number of projects over the years), One Fast Move is filmed with sleek grit and grace, often interchangeably. The sleekness is nonstop, and the raw roughness comes more often than not, especially in the aforementioned opening that sees the daring Wes (Apa) getting caught up in an illegal street race that lands him in the slammer.

Eric Dane & KJ Apa: Like Father, Like Son?

Months later, Wes is out and finds himself in a small town that’s not exactly his ol’ stomping ground. Or is it? The motorbike racer at heart inevitably finds himself at the local track, keeping a close eye on one racer in particular: the veteran Dean (Eric Dane), who happens to be Wes’ long-estranged father. They say talent can run in the family, and the two share a knack for racing bikes at lightning speeds around those terrifying tracks, even if Dean’s body has been broken down and put back together with metal rods from past race-related injuries. The kicker to all this is that ex-con Wes is flat broke, and Dean now spends his days partying hard and chasing women when he’s not failing to win the top prize at professional racing events in the area.

Wes doesn’t appreciate Dean’s party-hard, can’t-do attitude, and they butt heads at first, but what develops is the kind of heartfelt, grounded family stuff moviegoers will simply eat up, even if motorcycles scare the daylights out of some of us. Apa and Dane’s chemistry is often dryly comical and laced with expletives, as they dish tough love at each other once it’s decided maybe Dean can take his long-lost son under his wing as his mentor — and maybe even skyrocket Wes to mild bikeriding stardom.

A Great Supporting Cast Pushes Past Tired Clichés

Dean even gets Wes a job at a local bike shop that’s owned by what seems like the granddaddy of bikers: a seasoned and withered soul named Abel, played to perfection by Battlestar Gallactica alum Edward James Olmos. The unofficial lineage-like dynamic from Olmos down to Dane and then Apa helps bolster a film that leans hard on a plethora of scenes that don’t even showcase the skills of these extreme sports pros. There’s also Maia Reficco as the instantly appealing local waitress who takes a liking to Wes’ modest, new-in-town nature. The young stars’ chemistry is another strength, despite the predictable romantic beats that unfold.

On that note, the ending also falls too neatly into clichéd redemption tropes to button up Wes’ journey, but the road up to that point is certainly worth your time. As Eric Dane proclaimed in our recent interview about the film, “We want to watch broken people heal themselves.” Amen, brother. What will happen with our lead protagonist is obvious, but the little side journeys in One Fast Move involving the mostly likable supporting players will also keep you afloat and maybe prevent you from eye-rolling at the convenient way in which things seem to work themselves out as the third act winds down.

Themes of daring to dream, young parenting, goal-pursuing past your prime, and more will resonate with those struggling to keep up with this inflated American economy of ours. And Apa proves he will simply keep rockin’ in Hollywood. One Fast Move began streaming on Prime Video on August 8, and you can watch it through the link below:

Watch One Fast Move