'One Fast Move' star K.J. Apa: 'I love stories about redemption'

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- K.J. Apa said the motorcycle drama, One Fast Move, on Prime Video Thursday, appealed to him because of its theme of redemption.

Apa, 27, plays Wes Neal, an ex-convict who asks his estranged father, Dean Miller (Eric Dane), to train him as a professional motorcycle racer.

"I love stories about redemption," Apa told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "I want to feel hope when I'm watching a movie."

The pursuit of racing not only provides Wes with a potential new career, but also a chance to repair his family. Apa said he hopes Wes is an example of how people can "contribute their energy to something positive."

"I feel like we're in a culture right now that's almost addicted to these fear-based stories," Apa said. "I hope to be a part of movies that can inspire people to look inward."

Dane said Dean had made mistakes in his relationships. Without spoiling the film's resolution or Dean and Wes's relationship, he said the film suggests a bond beyond the closing credits.

"For my character, specifically, I think the most important thing is redemption," Dane said. "We ended it with the start of a really beautiful relationship between a father and son who missed out on all that."

Dane, 51, also has found himself in the mentor role behind the scenes. While starring in the HBO teen drama, Euphoria, he said the young cast would ask him questions in-between scenes.

"I made a realization that these guys are asking me these questions because I'm older and I've been doing this for a long time," Dane said. "I have a responsibility to be available to them."

Apa came to the set of One Fast Move before the final season of his CW Archie Comics adaptation, Riverdale. He said he loved shaving his hair, which the show required him to dye orange, for the film.

"I kept it for a long time too," Apa said of his buzz cut. "I loved it."

Abel (Edward James Olmos), a mechanic, mentors Wes and Dean. Olmos, 77, has been involved in many redemption stories, such as the film Stand and Deliver, based on the true story of teacher Jaime Escalante, who introduced Advanced Placement Calculus to an East Los Angeles high school in the '80s

Olmos said the characters in One Fast Move cope with anger, addiction and other issues, and he hopes they show audiences how people with different problems can develop a better understanding of themselves.

"It's about self-esteem, self-respect and self-worth," Olmos said. "[With] my character, I'm trying to instill a sense of understanding of oneself and help the men try to be the best part of themselves."

While Wes and Dean try to overcome their issues, they also try to win races. Apa and Dane rode motorcycles in some scenes captured in the film.

The actors sat on motorcycles affixed to trailers for high-speed racing scenes, and the cameras filmed closeups of them performing turns. Apa said filming those scenes was like a video game with a full-sized motorcycle, which some arcades have.

"We could actually go through the motions of each specific race and get reactions," he said.

"We could really lean and it looked like we were leaning into the turn," Dane added.

Dane and Olmos said they gave up riding motorcycles when their children were born. Olmos said he lost two friends in motorcycle accidents, noting it is important for riders to know how to push away from their vehicle should a collision occur.

"When you go down, you don't want to be around the bike," Olmos said. "It's the key to survival because if you get caught up inside that metal of the bike, it's very detrimental to your existence."