Set within the mythical Mexican-American car culture of East L.A., “Lowriders” is richly, culturally specific, yet its themes of regret and reconciliation, ambition and competition, love and loss are so universal, it’s easy to imagine the film having well-deserved crossover appeal. And like the ethnically diverse juggernaut that is the “Fast & Furious” franchise, “Lowriders” is all about #family.
Demian Bichir is the Alvarez patriarch, Miguel, who runs a Boyle Heights auto body shop by day. But in his free time, he fixes up old cars, cruises the streets and competes with his lowrider crew of fellow old-timers, the Coasters. It’s more than a way of life—it’s practically spiritual, and it’s how Miguel met his wife, Gloria (a solid, convincingly de-glammed Eva Longoria), after the devastating death of his longtime spouse.
Miguel’s younger son, Danny (a handsome and likable Gabriel Chavarria), has his own form of expression as a graffiti artist, a pursuit dad doesn’t think is worthwhile. Miguel also worries, understandably, about the dangerous and often illegal lengths to which Danny will go to share his art with the world. This is especially true because his older son, Francisco (a charismatic Theo Rossi), aka “Ghost,” just got out of prison after several years for stealing car parts to build his own lowrider, which he drives with his own crew.
Clearly, they’ll all have to meet up at the big showdown at Elysian Park, the hilly section above downtown that’s home to Dodger Stadium, for the annual lowrider competition. But in the meantime, we get a glimpse into the rhythms of these characters’ lives. Danny’s stepsister, Isabel (Montse Hernandez), worries about what dress she’ll wear for her quinceañera. His best friend, Chuy (Tony Revolori of “The Grand Budapest Hotel”), tags along and tries to fit in with Ghost and his tough, older friends.
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