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What makes for a good motorcycle movie? Is it the acting or the action scenes? Is it the directing or the sound effects?
Those are the questions I weighed while watching the trailer for “Idols: The Last Lap” — a feature film not just set in the world of MotoGP but also backed by MotoGP.
The elevator pitch
“Idols” tells the story of Edu “The Rocket” Serra, a “reckless young motorcycle racer” who crashes away his chance at a “junior class” championship. The punishment, you ask? An offer from the CFMOTO-sponsored Aspar Moto2 Team, of course. There’s fine print in the contract, too. Serra can only secure the seat if he trains with Antonio Belardi, a disgraced racer and Serra’s estranged father.
You know the sitch. For the protagonist to achieve his goals, he’ll first need to get over his daddy issues. (Prepare yourself for lines like “That man is dead to me” and “You’re not my dad, Tony.”) His ambitions aren’t modest either, with a MotoGP wildcard ride in the balance. If you’re experiencing a fit of déjà vu, that’s probably because “One Fast Move” explored the same themes just last year. But, unlike the direct-to-Amazon film, “Idols” will roll into theaters in early 2026. That begs the question: can "Idols" draw a crowd?
Bridging the gap
Car movies ran so motorcycle movies could crawl. Just look at titles like “Biker Boyz” and “Torque,” which rode the coattails of “The Fast and the Furious” (or tried to, at least). “Idols” doesn’t share the same (how do I say this?) tone as those films, but it certainly aims to capitalize on the recent trend of motorsport blockbusters and hit television series. First, there was “Ford v Ferrari.” Then, "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" exploded in popularity. The latest phenomenon is “F1: The Movie,” which grossed more than $630 million worldwide.
No wonder Warner Bros. is striking while the iron is still hot. It may not be titled “MotoGP: The Movie,” but the parallels are undeniable. Both films worked directly with race organizers. Both balance the racing drama with human drama. Even with those ties, “Idols” faces its own set of headwinds. Chief among them is the fact that it centers on motorcycles.
Motorcyclists are a niche audience among moviegoers. Fans of motorcycle racing are a niche audience within that niche audience. In other words, mass appeal isn’t on the side of “Idols.” The lead actor isn’t Brad Pitt, it’s Óscar Casas. The director didn’t make “Top Gun: Maverick.” He made documentaries about Coldplay and Oasis. “Idols” won’t set the box office alight. That doesn’t mean it can’t be a good motorcycle movie.
Good movies don’t need to be a commercial success. They don’t have to win Golden Globes or Oscars. What good movies do is connect with viewer on a human level. Good motorcycle movies do the same thing. They connect with us as humans, but they also connect with us as motorcyclists. (Maybe that’s why good motorcycle movies are hard to come by.) Hopefully, “Idols: The Last Lap” does just that when it arrives in theaters next year.
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