HBO's Cancelled-Too-Soon 8-Part Crime Thriller Gets a Second Life

2 weeks ago 8
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Published Mar 13, 2026, 4:18 PM EDT

Chris is a Senior News Writer for Collider. He can be found in an IMAX screen, with his eyes watering and his ears bleeding for his own pleasure. He joined the news team in 2022 and accidentally fell upwards into a senior position despite his best efforts.

For reasons unknown, he enjoys analyzing box office receipts, giant sharks, and has become known as the go-to man for all things BoschMission: Impossible and Christopher Nolan in Collider's news division. Recently, he found himself yeehawing along to the Dutton saga on the Yellowstone Ranch. 

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Some shows disappear into the algorithm almost as soon as they arrive. Others hang around because they are just too fun, too stylish, or too weirdly specific to forget. Duster falls squarely into that second category. Even after HBO Max abruptly pulled the plug on it, the series has stuck around as the kind of underseen thriller people keep rediscovering and immediately recommending to someone else. That makes sense, because on paper, Duster should have been a much bigger deal. The 1970s-set crime series reunited J.J. Abrams with Lost breakout Josh Holloway, paired them with Rachel Hilson in a star-making role, and delivered an eight-episode run that critics clearly embraced. Season 1 currently holds a 92% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is the kind of number most streamers would kill to be bragging about.

Created by J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, the show centers on a gutsy young FBI agent and a fast-talking getaway driver in the Southwest in 1972. Holloway plays Jim Ellis, a wheelman whose life gets a lot more complicated when Hilson’s Nina Hayes recruits him into a dangerous mission aimed at bringing down powerful crime boss Ezra Saxton, played by Keith David. Now, the series is racing back up the streaming charts as audiences turn the series into a perfect weekend binge. The cast also includes Asivak Koostachin as Awan Bitsui, Sydney Elisabeth as Genesis Saxton, Benjamin Charles Watson as Royce Saxton, Camille Guaty as Izzy Reyna, Adriana Aluna Martinez as Luna Reyna, and Greg Grunberg as Nathan Abbott. The wider ensemble also includes Corbin Bernsen, Gail O’Grady, Donal Logue, and Kevin Chamberlin.

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Is 'Duster' Worth Watching?

Collider’s review stated that Duster is an energetic, character-driven crime thriller that perfectly matches its lead actor with the role he seems destined to play. Carly Lane wrote that while the series delivers plenty of action, humor, and high-stakes drama, its real strength lies in the dynamic between Holloway’s morally flexible getaway driver and Hilson’s determined FBI agent. You can read a section from her review here:

"Not only is it impossible to envision anyone but Holloway leading this series, but Hilson also gives an undeniably star-making performance that deserves to earn her wider recognition, and the relationship between their polar opposites serves as the beating heart of the story. The central investigation takes some wild turns, ending up in a place that feels both unexpected and natural for these characters while setting up a Season 2 that's even bigger in scope, drama, and action. That said, the best part of watching Duster, by far, is simply letting it take you along for the ride."

Duster streams on HBO Max. Stay tuned at Collider for more streaming news.

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Release Date 2025 - 2025-00-00

Network Max

Directors Steph Green

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