Speed Racer

The Wachowskis & the Cinema of Fluidity, Part V

After reinventing action cinema with THE MATRIX trilogy and stepping back to produce V FOR VENDETTA, Lana and Lilly Wachowski returned to the director’s chair with a project nobody saw coming: a family-friendly, live-action adaptation of the 1960s anime SPEED RACER.

Released in 2008, the film was a financial flop and critically panned at the time, dismissed as sensory overload or a misfire for younger audiences. But over time, SPEED RACER has undergone a full-blown reevaluation—now seen by many as one of the Wachowskis’ most personal, inventive, and visually daring films.

In this episode, we break down how SPEED RACER made its long journey from cartoon to big screen, how the Wachowskis developed its kaleidoscopic digital style, and why this “failure” might actually be their most radical film yet.

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Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.

This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.