REVIEW: ‘Campus Drivers’ Season 1 Rides High On Its Sizzling Chemistry

The “poor student in a rich school” trope is a tried-and-true one in YA fiction, and lends itself well to Prime Video’s latest series, Campus Drivers. Adapted from the bestselling novels by C.S. Quill, published by Hugo Publishing, and created by showrunner Thomas Boullé, this series mostly glosses over the disparity the female protagonist faces after its initial episodes. However, the chemistry between the two leads and the direction taken help forgive that flaw. That is, until the final moments of the final episode, with much left up in the air.

Campus Drivers follows Lois (Carmen Kassovitz), a scholarship student who has followed the seeming love of her life, Max (Enzo Lorente), to the exclusive, prestigious Belrose University that practically screams vacation getaway vibes. From the start, Lois is incredibly overwhelmed, swept up in the hard-partying atmosphere of the university and very much sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s no wonder she clings to Max a bit more, something he eventually grows tired of. 

How he chooses to handle his frustrations with her clinginess is a recipe for being thrown into bad-boyfriend territory, kicking her out of his apartment and leaving her homeless. Yeah, you read that right. As luck would have it, Lane (Baptiste Masseline), the campus hottie (there are a lot of hot people on this campus, but he is the designated main guy hottie here) and creator of the helpful app Campus Drivers, discovers her. He lets her crash at his place, with neither of them knowing that the decision will change their lives forever.

Campus Drivers plays within the familiar bounds of its genre, uplifted by its charm and chemistry.

The titular Campus Drivers are exalted on campus, as shown in a rather cringy opening segment where clubs and groups gather at the start of the semester. Aside from Lane, the group includes basketball player Donovan (Madior Fall), who is afraid that he can’t live up to the potential his basketball coach projects onto him, the sexually fluid Lewis (Esteban Vial), who may desire something more serious than a simple hookup, and the largely unexplored fourth member, Adam (Félix Nebel). If there is another sentence, hopefully it explores Adam more.

Regardless, the group accepts Lois quickly into the fold, and it’s a pretty pleasant surprise. In fact, much of the student dynamics is reasonable and undramatic, which is a bit of a departure for the genre. It’s a nice change of pace, and it better conveys how Lois is steadily finding her own identity and friends beyond her ex’s reach. It also further develops the idea of what kind of students come to Belrose University. Sure, the parties are a big part of the lure, but there’s actual camaraderie rather than cutthroat competition, which, again, is refreshing.

This doesn’t mean that things don’t get messy in Campus Drivers. For Lois and Lane, the chemistry is undeniable, and both Carmen Kassovitz and Baptiste Masseline play off each other’s natural energy in their scenes. It makes the question of will they/won’t they even stronger. When they finally give in to their impulses, the promise of release, but also the inevitable chaotic aftermath, is well worth the wait. 

The chemistry between Carmen Kassovitz and Baptiste Masseline is undeniable.

Sadly, some storylines in Campus Drivers don’t offer the same kind of release. Instead, they drag on, with inevitable reveals that feel both predictable and strangely underdeveloped. In this instance, it’s Lane’s beef with Aaron (Paolo Luka-Noé), a finance student who has only recently returned to Belrose after being on a year-long sabbatical. While likely intentional, there’s never enough development of Aaron to paint him as the villain early on in Lane’s story, with one dangerous joyride doing a lot of the heavy lifting before bigger reveals.

This isn’t to say Lane’s overarching trauma doesn’t have sufficient payoff. A breakthrough comes in the final episode of Campus Drivers that lives up to the arc established. But everything surrounding Aaron and Lane’s mother proves more vexing than not, with both coming across as rather one-dimensional on paper and leaving little room for the actors to explore them properly. With the cliffhanger tied to Lane’s future, it ends on a frustrating note in a world where such creative decisions can no longer guarantee a satisfying conclusion.

At just six episodes, Campus Drivers is a quick watch that gives a taste of drama, romance, and a huge dab of hard partying to really craft a feeling of genuine escape in this high-society world. With the focus on Lois and Lane, some characters get put on the back burner, waiting for their time in the sun. However, if you’re looking for an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers kind of romance, Campus Drivers delivers, even if the ending leaves things hanging on a precipice.

Campus Drivers is now streaming exclusively on Prime Video.