At the end of the world, we will all have to be part of the high-stakes, white-knuckle world of aggressive corporate towing. Yes, it’s Driving Force, a bizarre sci-fi action hybrid directed by A.J. Prowse. Billed vaguely as a futuristic endeavor—though the future mostly consists of slightly accessorized wrecker trucks and nothing else—this Philippine-shot, Aussie-produced, American-starred oddity is the kind of well, why I watch movies.
Our hero is Steve (played with effortless charm and square-jawed charisma by Flash Gordon himself, Sam J. Jones, but he was also The Highwayman, so he knows the roads of the end of the world). He’s a down-on-his-luck single father just trying to survive, sharing a genuinely sweet bond with his seven-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Becky (Stephanie Mason). To make ends meet, Steve finds honest work as a wrecker driver for No Risk Repair—whose delightful corporate motto is, “A wreck a day or you’re outta the way.”
Unfortunately, honest towing doesn’t pay the bills quite like manufacturing your own accidents. Enter the sinister-sounding Black Knight Towing, a cabal of ruthless, illegal-hauling maniacs led by the diabolically scummy Nelson ( Don Swayze). Backed by heavies like guyliner fan Surf (Robert Marius), he starts a war to be the only tow-truck driver on the road. And if rival tow-truck turf wars aren’t enough, Steve also has to juggle custody battles with his deceased wife’s parents. Thankfully, he has backup: the capable and cool Harry (Catherine Bach) and his trusty buddy Pete (Ancel Cook).
When the rubber meets the road, what is Steve’s Driving Force? Usually, it’s just trying not to get crushed by a Peterbilt.
Shooting in Manila during a period of political unrest proved intensely dicey; lead actress Catherine Bach was so concerned for her safety that she hired none other than young Billy Blanks as her personal bodyguard. The producers were so impressed by Blanks’ imposing presence that they wrote the character of Pool specifically for him. Keep an eye out for Blanks here—his voice is strangely pitched about an octave lower than usual, and while he isn’t front-and-center, it’s an essential stop for any Tae Bo completionist. And hey, Grant Page was the stunt coordinator and second unit director.
I love that the future is all hicksploitation moments like tow trucks, custody fights, dead moms, vehicular violence and denim-wearing ne’er-do-wells. Also: This movie will absolutely put a kid in danger, including launching her — while in a trailer — into a doom ditch.
You can watch this on Tubi.
