'Duster' review: J.J. Abrams' '70s crime thriller is so fun it should be illegal
In 2025, HBO streaming service Max has found success by looking to the past. The Pitt channeled medical procedurals like ER, the real-time formula of 24, and the power of weekly episode drops — a godsend in the binge release era — to become a hot-button show. Now, the '70s-set Duster roars into action to deliver more classic TV vibes, including a Lost team-up between star Josh Holloway and series co-creator J.J. Abrams.
Duster creators Abrams and LaToya Morgan shaped the entire series around Holloway, and it's obvious to see why. He's crackling with enough charisma to jumpstart a car, boasting the kind of magnetic screen presence that a lesser show would just coast on. Thankfully, Duster isn't content to drift by on the (considerable) power of Holloway alone. Instead, it builds out a gritty, groovy, odd-couple crime caper that's already looking to stake its claim as the most fun show of the summer.
What's Duster about?
Holloway may have been the focal point for Duster's creation, but he's not the first character we meet. That honor falls to new FBI agent Nina Hayes (Rachel Hilson), the first Black woman to work for the bureau. Tenacious, bright, yet undermined at every opportunity by her white male coworkers, Nina has fought tooth and nail to get where she is. She's fought even harder to be assigned to a particular case: taking down the Phoenix-based crime syndicate run by Ezra "Sax" Saxton (Keith David). It's among the toughest cases the FBI has ever faced, to the point that the Arizona office has branded it cursed. But Nina has two things that no one else who's worked the case before has had: a personal vendetta against Sax and a man on the inside.
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That man is none other than Jim Ellis (Holloway), Sax's trusted driver. He may deal in beatdowns and the occasional organ trafficking, but he's got a heart of gold. Look no further than his tender relationship with his "niece" — who's really his daughter — Luna (Adriana Aluna Martinez). Due to the nature of his work, Jim keeps up the "uncle" guise for both Luna and her mother Izzy's (Camille Guaty) sakes, but there's no denying the love he has for either of them.
For Jim, Sax is also as good as family, so he doesn't turn on him lightly. However, Nina has evidence that points to Sax harming Jim's family in the same way he harmed Nina's. That evidence leads to an uneasy alliance between the two, and the pair set out to take down the most notorious man in Arizona.
Duster is a rip-roaring '70s thrill ride.
Of course, the investigation never goes quite as planned. From undercover operations to run-ins with a crooked cop (Donal Logue), Jim and Nina often find themselves in hot water. Watching them improvise their way out of danger is a blast, which Abrams and Morgan accentuate with loving '70s references and aesthetics.
Bell bottoms and retro musical stings abound in Duster, as do uber-stylish car chases and fisticuffs. There's a sense of playfulness to each of Duster's action set pieces. The series relishes the squeal of tires on the road and the cartoonish thwack of a landed punch. Sometimes even real cartoons come into play, like an inspired Looney Tunes spoof. Elsewhere, the credits sequence is a Hot Wheels-flavored joyride. Throw in characters with nicknames like "Sunglasses" and "Enrique the Blade," and you're looking at nostalgic fun, pure and simple.
But even amid all this fun, Duster finds time to get serious. The series examines the discrimination and microaggressions Nina faces at the FBI. She finds an ally in her half-Navajo partner Awan (Asivak Koostachin), who is similarly othered and dismissed by coworkers. The two bond over the mistreatment they face, as well as the pressure they feel as representatives of their communities in the FBI. On the flip side, they also discuss the disapproval they face from family about joining an organization rooted in racism.
While this more serious subject matter occasionally clashes with the rest of Duster's freewheeling fun, it's impossible to make a show about a Black woman working in the FBI without it. These character beats are essential to fleshing out both Nina and Awan, and with Awan's family disagreements in particular, it feels like Duster is already playing the long game and thinking about stories for future seasons.
Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson are a killer TV duo.
Duster boasts an exceptional ensemble cast, from David's perfectly sinister turn as Sax to Koostachin's sweetly nerdy Awan. Anchoring it all is the dynamite duo that is Holloway and Hilson.
Despite their dueling backgrounds as an FBI agent and a criminal, Nina and Jim share some fascinating parallels, like deceased family members with connections to Sax, or a tendency to break the rules in order to get the answers they need. Similarly, Holloway and Hilson's performances complement each other to a tee. He's more of a charmer, all megawatt smiles and easygoing cool — even in the middle of a fight! She's more of a go-getter, unshakeable and unwilling to take no for an answer. Together, they're electric.
Nina and Jim's burgeoning friendship is just one of Duster's many delights, along with its unwavering stylishness and twisty conspiracy. Even with the occasional bump in the road, Duster is nothing less than an absolute joyride.
Duster premieres May at 9 p.m. ET on Max, with new episodes streaming weekly.
Belen Edwards is an Entertainment Reporter at Mashable. She covers movies and TV with a focus on fantasy and science fiction, adaptations, animation, and more nerdy goodness. She is a member of the Critics Choice Association and the Television Critics Association, as well as a Tomatometer-approved critic.
