Forget The Last of Us—there's a new post-apocalyptic thrill ride burning rubber on streaming. Peacock's Twisted Metal, adapted from the iconic video game series, has found a surprising second life on the Apple TV Store, where it's revving up as a bona fide streaming hit. This two-part sci-fi saga is a love letter to modified cars, chaotic road trips, and a world gone completely off the rails.
What Is 'Twisted Metal' About?
Set in a United States shattered by a Y2K-like virus that sent technology into a tailspin, Twisted Metal imagines a future where phones are dead, TVs glitch out, and military weapons turned on humanity. The result? A frozen early-2000s time capsule where paper maps rule, crime runs rampant, and the country is now the Divided States of America. Sealed-off cities like New San Francisco are heavily guarded, while outlaws and criminals are left to fend for themselves in the lawless wastelands.
At the center of this chaos is John Doe (Anthony Mackie), a "milkman"—a delivery driver who risks his life hauling packages between these isolated urban fortresses. When he's offered a ticket to the safety of New San Francisco, John accepts a high-stakes mission: deliver a mysterious package to New Chicago in just 10 days, armed only with his wits and his heavily modified car.
The Journey Is the Real Star
As the saying goes, it's about the journey, not the destination—and Twisted Metal leans hard into that road-trip spirit, albeit a far from peaceful one. The show's real appeal lies in exploring this desolate, no-man's-land version of America. Major cities are walled-off fortresses, while the wastelands are a patchwork of abandoned buildings and wilderness, often serving as makeshift shelters for John—though every stop risks an ambush.
John's biggest threat comes in the form of Agent Shepard Stone (Thomas Haden Church), the power-hungry leader of a brutal highway patrol army called "The Lawmen." Stone sees himself as a righteous savior, but he's really an insecure ex-cop who uses the apocalypse to reinvent himself as a tyrant. His men are violent, gun-toting zealots who blindly follow his every order.
'Twisted Metal' Is TV's Counterpart to 'Mad Max'
Cars are the heart of Twisted Metal, but don't expect the flashy stunts of Fast & Furious. This show channels pure Mad Max energy, with a scrappy, DIY approach to vehicle mods. John's beloved car, Evelyn—a heavily modified 2002 Subaru WRX—is outfitted with mounted machine guns, a crash-ready bumper, and custom wasteland wheels. She's practically his co-pilot, and when John faces impossible choices between saving himself or his ride, the drama hits hard.
The vehicular mayhem peaks in Season 2's Twisted Metal tournament, a demolition derby with 25 contestants and 17 cars. The rules? None. Competitors face deadly challenges like maze-like Warehouse District Warfare and bracket-style arena duels. Failure means elimination—or, more often, death. These chaotic battles pay homage to the eccentricity of the original video game franchise, and they're a big reason why Twisted Metal remains an undisputed streaming hit.
If you're craving more post-apocalyptic action, check out One Battle After Another: The Decade's Best Suspense Thriller Now on Prime Video for another adrenaline-fueled ride. And for a different kind of survival story, Why 'Beacon 23' on Prime Video Deserves a Second Look Despite Mixed Reviews offers a sci-fi twist. Finally, if you're in the mood for more video game adaptations, Tomb Raider 2018 Surges on HBO Max as Prime Video's Sophie Turner Reboot Heats Up is worth a stream.
