Forget ‘The Last of Us,’ This 2-Part Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Is Still a Streaming Hit

2 weeks ago 13

Published May 29, 2026, 9:14 PM EDT

Dyah (pronounced Dee-yah) is a Senior Author at Collider, responsible for both writing and transcription duties. She joined the website in 2022 as a Resource Writer before stepping into her current role in April 2023. As a Senior Author, she writes Features and Lists covering TV, music, and movies, making her a true Jill of all trades. In addition to her writing, Dyah also serves as an interview transcriber, primarily for events such as San Diego Comic-Con, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Sundance Film Festival.

Dyah graduated from Satya Wacana Christian University in October 2019 with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature, concentrating on Creative Writing. She is currently completing her Master's degree in English Literature Studies, with a thesis on intersectionality in postcolonial-feminist studies in Asian literary works, and is expected to graduate in 2026.

Born and raised between Indonesia and Singapore, Dyah is no stranger to different cultures. She now resides in the small town of Kendal with her husband and four cats, where she spends her free time cooking or cycling.

Time to put the pedal to the metal. Based on the video game franchise of the same name, Peacock's Twisted Metal is a love letter to all things mods — especially when those mods alter cars into killing machines. When deliveryman John Doe (Anthony Mackie) has to travel between cities delivering packages across post-apocalyptic America, he needs the best gear possible in case criminals or corrupt law enforcement try to steal his cargo. Yet, despite living in a world where the rules no longer apply, John still finds joy in his job, mainly because he gets to do it in his sweet ride. From nearly being killed by a homicidal clown in Las Vegas to trying to steal weapons in Diesel City, John’s wild exploits are a huge part of why Twisted Metal has found renewed streaming success on the Apple TV Store.

Twisted Metal is a post-apocalyptic adaptation set in the aftermath of a United States devastated by a Y2K-like virus, sending technology into complete chaos. Between phones not working and TVs suddenly turning on by themselves, technological failure also causes military-grade weaponry to destroy the world on its own. In the aftermath, the States are frozen in an early-2000s time capsule, meaning smartphones don’t exist, maps are drawn on actual paper, and with minimal surveillance, crime levels are at an all-time high.

Approximately 20 years later, the U.S. has become the Divided States of America, split into sealed-off states, while criminals and outlaws are pushed out of major cities like New San Francisco and left to survive in the wastelands. At the center of Twisted Metal is John Doe (Mackie), a “milkman” — a.k.a. delivery man — who travels across the post-apocalyptic U.S. delivering packages between these cities. When John is offered a chance to live in New San Francisco, he takes the deal, but he has to complete a high-risk delivery to New Chicago with nothing but his car and limited resources. As if that weren’t enough, he only has 10 days to complete the mission.

'Twisted Metal' Is About the Journey, Not the Destination

They say the journey is better than the destination, and Twisted Metal is all about that road trip-like spirit — although the trip is far from idyllic or peaceful. The real appeal of the show lies in exploring this desolate, no-man’s-land version of America. Major cities, all shielded by massive walls and heavily guarded, are recreated to resemble their former selves, while the wastelands are nothing but wilderness and abandoned buildings. These crumbling locations often become makeshift shelters for John, though staying in them always comes with the risk of being ambushed by fellow outlaws.

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John also has to deal with a threat in the form of Agent Shepard Stone (Thomas Haden Church), the power-hungry leader of a highway patrol army called “The Lawmen.” Stone sees himself as the good guy and doesn’t hesitate to execute outlaws in brutal, merciless fashion. These Lawmen aren’t your everyday traffic cops. They’re violent people with guns, all blindly convinced that Stone is some dignified leader. In reality, he’s just an insecure, formerly disrespected police officer who sees the apocalypse as his opportunity to reinvent himself as a tyrannical figure.

Cars are a huge part of Twisted Metal, but instead of the flashy drifting and audacious stunts of Fast & Furious, the show gives off more Mad Max energy. Apart from driving through the wastelands, the two franchises share the same sense of scrappy DIY approach to automobile mods, much of which comes through John’s first love: his car, Evelyn, a heavily modified 2002 Subaru WRX outfitted with mounted machine guns, a crash-ready bumper, and custom wasteland wheels. The car is practically the reason John is still alive, and when the time comes for him to choose between saving himself and saving Evelyn, he’s forced to make some difficult decisions.

Cars also play a major role in some of Twisted Metal’s most brutal battles, but none more so than Season 2’s Twisted Metal tournament, a demolition derby featuring 25 contestants divided among 17 cars. The rules are simple: there are no rules. Each round forces competitors into deadly challenges, from escaping maze-like courses in the Warehouse District Warfare to beating each other down in bracket-style arena duels with their vehicles. Failing to survive either usually results in elimination — or, more likely, death. These chaotic battles pay homage to the eccentricity of the original video game franchise, and because of that legacy, they are part of the reason why Twisted Metal remains an undisputed streaming hit.