Go Behind The Wheel With These Great Films
Vroom vroom! Check out this list of car films that will be sure to please even non-gearheads with their thrilling action sequences and charming stars.
Ford V Ferrari
Hollywood insiders worried audiences were turning away from more adult-oriented fare, but this Academy Award-winning 2019 racing drama drove up high box office receipts with its compelling performances and thrilling auto sequences.
Chernin Entertainment, Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Cars
Spawning one of Pixar’s most enduring franchises, this 2006 animated feature captured the imagination of countless children through its concept of living, breathing vehicles voiced by the likes of Owen Wilson and Larry The Cable Guy.
The Fast And The Furious
The one that started it all was the 2001 film, which seems like a quaint, charming cops and robbers potboiler compared to the blockbuster excess of later franchise entries.
Universal, The Fast and the Furious (2001)
Senna
The 2010 documentary about famed F1 driver Ayrton Senna wowed even those who don’t watch non-fiction films with its stunning race footage captured within the driver’s cockpit.
Days Of Thunder
Pitched as essentially Top Gun in a racecar, this early 90s Tom Cruise picture delivers on that promise with much enthusiasm. Veteran actor Robert Duvall steals the show as Cruise’s mentor figure.
Paramount, Days of Thunder (1990)
Gone In 60 Seconds
The title is most likely associated with the 2000 Nicolas Cage movie, but check out the 1974 original, which features the longest ever car chase in film history at 40 minutes.
Touchstone, Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)
Le Mans
Steve McQueen returned to behind the wheel with this 1971 racing drama, praised most commonly for its beautiful cinematography and innovative editing.
Cinema Center Films, Le Mans (1971)
Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby
Will Ferrell cemented himself as a comedy superstar with this 2006 spoof of NASCAR culture, which doesn’t skimp on the racing scenes even while taking a shot at America’s red states.
Columbia, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Drive
While not necessarily a huge hit when pulling up to theaters in the fall of 2011, the Ryan Gosling-starrer made a considerable impression on the culture with countless films incorporating its style or stealing its fashion. Don’t forget the killer soundtrack.
Christine
John Carpenter’s Stephen King adaptation remains one of his most effective films, with many terrifying images of the evil car barrelling down the highway at night still haunting our nightmares. Thankfully, it’s never been tarnished by a crummy remake.
The Car
There was a time when evil car movies were all the rage! Take a look at this 1977 title for a combination of action and horror.
Death Proof
Quentin Tarantino’s deliberate throwback to 70s drive-in movies received some flak for having too much dialogue, but nobody complained by the time the stunning car chase climax kicked in. It also helped bring attention back to star Kurt Russell.
Dimension Films, Death Proof (2007)
Rush
Ron Howard’s racing drama from 2013 saw the reliable director flexing new cinematic muscles with its stunningly shot and edited race sequences.
Cross Creek Pictures, Rush (2013)
Speed Racer
Initially a box-office bust in 2008, the Wachowski sisters’ adaptation of the classic anime has gained a large cult following due to its innovative film form. The film remains a stunning example of what’s possible through digital cinema.
Warner Bros., Speed Racer (2008)
Smokey And The Bandit
No film serves as better evidence of why Burt Reynolds was one of the biggest movie stars of the 1970s than this charming car-chase film, which still has a strong mix of impressive stunts and populist politics. Two sequels followed.
Universal, Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Cannonball Run
One of multiple Burt Reynolds films on this list, this 1981 action-comedy didn’t please critics but charmed audiences with its goofy tone, all-star cast, and impressive car sequences. One when you’re not looking for anything serious to watch.
Twentieth Century, The Cannonball Run (1981)
Stroker Ace
Burt Reynolds spoke directly to his red state audience with this NASCAR comedy, which was one of many films that saw him behind the wheel.
The Love Bug
One of the quintessential live-action Disney titles was this film about a living car, which was the second biggest movie of its year. The intellectual property has remained largely dormant in the past decades.
Walt Disney, The Love Bug (1969)
Mad Max: Fury Road
This 2015 sequel stunned audiences worldwide by proving there were still inventive things to be done action-wise with the car chase. Six Academy Awards were awarded to it for the achievement.
Warner Bros., Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
The Italian Job
This 1969 Michael Caine heist film was one of the biggest hits of that year, speaking to both North American and international audiences hungry for vehicular mayhem. It was remade in 2003 with Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron.
Paramount, The Italian Job (1969)
Death Race
This Jason Statham-starring remake of the Roger Corman 70s film remains a top-tier guilty pleasure, with enough unpretentious vehicular mayhem to entertain even the biggest cynic.
Baby Driver
This surprise hit from the summer of 2017 wowed audiences with its pulsating soundtracking and thrilling car chases. Too late for a sequel?
Fast Company
Probably the most forgotten film in the David Cronenberg oeuvre is this Canadian grindhouse racing film, which he made to explore his passion for cars. Putting aside whatever expectations you may have of a Cronenberg film, it’s a lot of fun.
Canadian Film Development Corporation, Fast Company (1979)
Redline
This 2009 anime proved that the car film genre still had gas left in the tank, it was just time to turn to a new format altogether. A great companion piece to Speed Racer.
Motorway
Films from Hong Kong have long reinvented the action genre, and look no further than this 2012 title which blew any Fast & The Furious movie out of the water for why that was the case.
Media Asia Films, Motorway (2012)
Duel
Steven Spielberg’s first film instantly wowed critics and audiences, with the faceless truck ranking up there with all the sharks and dinosaurs as his scariest antagonist.
Joy Ride
This charming 2001 B-movie took Spielberg’s Duel as the model for an efficient, unpretentious thriller that maintains audience interest past a number of plot twists.
New Regency Productions, Joy Ride (2001)
Driven
A forgotten Stallone film is this 2001 F1 drama, which mixes delirious racing sequences with a good dose of new millennium cheese.
Franchise Pictures, Driven (2001)
Hit And Run
Before he starred in non-stop Oscar bait, Bradley Cooper made time for a comedic villain turn in this 2012 romp starring real-life couple Dax Shepherd and Kristen Bell.
Panay Films, Hit and Run (2012)
Grand Prix
Taking inspiration from the 1932 film Grand Hotel, this classy racing drama from director John Frankenheimer featured an all-star cast and some truly innovatively edited F1 sequences.
Gran Turismo
Rather than lean into the digital texture too much, this adaptation of the popular video game franchise took the familiar form of an inspirational sports film instead when landing on screens in 2023.
The Transporter
Jason Statham’s first starring role showcased his impressive martial arts skills but also made time for a number of stunning car stunts, impressing audiences enough to lead to two more sequels and a reboot.
EuropaCorp, The Transporter (2002)
Ronin
This Robert De Niro heist picture from 1998 became instantly famous for a stunning car chase sequence orchestrated by veteran action director John Frankenheimer.
Crash
Shocking people ever since its notorious Cannes Film Festival premiere in 1996, David Cronenberg’s adaptation of the JG Ballard novel takes the idea of auto-fetishism to its natural, disturbing conclusion.
Grand Theft Auto
Academy Award winner Ron Howard got his directing start with this Roger Corman-produced B-movie, which remains a charming, lighthearted auto romp.
New World Pictures, Grand Theft Auto (1977)
Tucker: The Man And His Dream
Not a racing film but rather a true-story drama about car manufacturing, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1988 film is one of his most accomplished technical achievements.
Zoetrope Studios, Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988)
Vanishing Point
This relatively low-budget studio film from the 70s has gained a considerable cult following, with directors like Quentin Tarantino citing it as a key influence on their own work.
Cupid Productions, Vanishing Point (1971)
The French Connection
William Friedkin’s muscular cop drama won the Best Picture Oscar for a number of reasons, including the stunning car chase sequence in the middle.
Twentieth Century, The French Connection (1971)
Taxi
This Luc-Besson produced action-comedy wowed French audiences enough for American studios to take a chance on an English-language remake starring Jimmy Fallon and Queen Latifah. Our advice? Stick with the original.
Twentieth Century, Taxi (2004)
Bullitt
This Steve McQueen procedural is largely considered to have the best car chase ever put on film, so much so that Steven Spielberg likely abandoned his planned remake because he knew there was no way to top it. After all, who could top the "King of Cool"?
Fun fact: McQueen kept his cool even when put through a disturbing test during preparation for his role in the movie. Producers brought in some grizzled old officers to show McQueen the ropes, and since there's a morgue scene in the film, the officers figured they'd give McQueen a good scare by taking him to a real morgue. They thought the Hollywood hunk would get spooked—instead, McQueen casually walked into the morgue munching on an apple like it was just any other day. From that moment on, he'd gained the officers' respect.
