One Fast Move Parent Guide

After a brief stint in military prison for street racing, followed by a dishonorable discharge, Wes (KJ Apa), has no money and nowhere to go. His only option is to seek out his estranged father, Dean (Eric Dane), a professional motorcycle racer and mechanic. Although they haven’t seen each other in years, Dean agrees to take Wes in and teach him out to race. As Wes starts to bond with his father and build a life for himself, the two men grapple with their relationship and unhealed wounds.

I think it’s reasonable to ask that a movie about motorcycling be exciting. Or at the very least mildly entertaining. I understand that the writers wanted to focus on the interpersonal relationships with racing as a backdrop, but they forgot to make any of it interesting. There are a handful of scenes that manage to stir up some emotions, but the majority of this film spends its time aimlessly meandering around two toxic men and the people unfortunate enough to be stuck in their orbit. Even worse, the only woman in the film, Mais Reficco’s Camila, is treated poorly by the writers, who leave her devoid of either personality or intelligence.

I’ll give the cinematographers their due: One Fast Move is a pretty film. There are lots of beautifully composed shots of motorcycles in various shades of twilight as well as surprisingly well shot racing sequences. Unfortunately, that’s the only real praise I can give this production. Aside from looking good, this flick offers nothing that will hold viewers’ attention, regardless of the quality of KJ Apa’s and Eric Dane’s performances. Watching men slowly figure out basic emotional intelligence is not my idea of a fun Friday night. If I wanted to do that, I’d get back on the dating apps.

Parents should know that the Restricted rating is well deserved. With over 30 F-bombs, a sex scene (without explicit nudity), and a whole lot of drinking, One Fast Move is not exactly family entertainment. Not that it matters, though, since no child wants to watch men talk around their problems for 90 minutes. I don’t even want to watch that, and I get paid for it. To be fair, I can’t say this is a horrible movie; it’s just plodding and takes itself far too seriously. The writers picked an unfortunate title for this film, as it’s neither fast nor does it move.