Peacock’s Twisted Metal is trying really, really hard
It’s pretty safe to say that 2023 has been a breakout year for video game adaptations in film and TV. From the weekly drama of The Last of Us on HBO to the family-friendly blockbuster success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, these adaptations are no longer the maligned flops they once were, which is what makes Twisted Metal on Peacock so curious. It’s based on a popular PlayStation series but one that hasn’t had a new entry in over a decade. And for much of the first season’s runtime, it also barely has anything to do with the vehicular combat games that it’s pulling from.
At a time when game adaptations are striving more than ever to be faithful to their sources while also trying to thrust them into a new medium, Twisted Metal stands...