Diksha Sundriyal
Prime Video’s ‘One Fast Move’ follows the story of Wes Neal, who is fresh out of military prison and finds himself at a complete loss of purpose. He is dishonorably discharged and has not a penny to his name. He knows that his history in prison will cause problems in getting any good jobs. His tricky situation leaves him with only one option: he must seek out his estranged father, Dean Miller, and, under his tutelage, become a motorcycle racer. It is easier said than done, and Wes discovers all the challenges of being with Dean while trying to process his own complex situation. The film presents a very realistic portrait of their relationship and personal challenges, enough to give the audience food for thought about the origins of the characters. SPOILERS AHEAD
Wes and Dean are Fictional Creations of Kelly Blatz
‘One Fast Move’ is written and directed by Kelly Blatz and is an entirely fictional movie with fictional characters at its core. There is no specific real-life motorcycle racer on which Blatz bases the characters. He developed a passion for motorcycles in his 20s and was interested in making a film about motorcycle racing because he hadn’t seen the sport centrally portrayed in Hollywood. However, like any good sports movie, he knew that the core of the story would be the characters, and they needed to have real conflicts that would drive their story.
The story majorly focuses on the personal struggle of Wes Neal, and to build his character, Blatz didn’t have to look very far. A little introspection made him question things like the importance of making the right choices and what it means to have the life that you want in the modern world. Drawing from his own experiences and relationships, he wanted to highlight the conflict within a person for chasing their dreams or sacrificing them in favor of a connection with another person. This choice becomes a major driving factor for Dean, and he even tries to push his own philosophy on Wes, who is trying to explore things his own way.
When the time came to bring the characters from paper to the screen, Blatz collaborated with the actors to bring more finesse to Wes and Dean. Eric Dane, who plays Dean, revealed that the director was very clear about the things he did and didn’t want for the characters. This clarity allowed him to give the actors (Dane and KJ Apa) the space to do their own thing while also considering the ideas and suggestions they brought on board.
Apa, who was the first to come on board the film, had almost a year to refine Wes’ backstory and character. He had long conversations with Blatz about Wes and his inner struggles. They also developed a whole story about his background and discussed how the things he didn’t have growing up reflected in his actions and choices in the movie, especially in his relationship with Camilla. Together, they worked on the changes that Wes goes through, influenced by his newfound relationship with his father and the other, more positive people around him.
Blatz welcomed such discussions and ideas and was highly collaborative with the actors to make any changes, if necessary, during the filming to give the characters more depth. Calling the film “a lover letter to motorcycles and personal relationships,” the writer-director was keen on presenting a good story to the audience through the characters that they could connect to. Hope and redemption became the key themes for Wes and Dean’s arc, and the filmmakers wished for the audience to have the realism of life and its struggles reflected in the characters.
Read More: Prime Video’s One Fast Move: Exploring All Filming Locations
