The 19 best movie car chases, ranked

With Fast X racing into theaters, let's put the pedal to the metal and see which big-screen car chase takes the checkered flag

By Ian Spelling  |  May 15, 2023 | 12:00pm
Film Features Thelma & Louise
The 19 best movie car chases, ranked
Clockwise from upper left: The French Connection (20th Century Fox), The Matrix Reloaded (Warner Bros.), Death Proof (Dimension Films), Thelma & Louise (MGM) Graphic: AVClub

With the Fast & Furious franchise taking its latest lap—Fast X arrives in theaters Friday—we’re reminded just how much we love a great car chase. Well maybe not the one with Tej (Ludacris) and Roman (Tyrese Gibson) in space in F9, we’re still trying to figure that one out. We mean chases with as little CGI as possible, the kind that pin us to our seat because we know there’s a real person in that car barreling down the freeway (props to the tank chase in Fast & Furious 6, among many other franchise favorites). We love old school car chases so much that only six of the 19 stunt sequences in our ranking were from films released since the turn of the century, when production and post-production technology made it easier to fool us into thinking we were seeing something 100 percent real. And one of those six features the amazing Zoë Bell, who said of her wild ride in Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof, “There’s no double, there’s no CGI, it’s all practical.” Music to our ears.

So buckle up and hang on tight as we rank the 19 best car chases in movies. Some of these films are not memorable but they contain a memorable chase scene, while others are great films made even better with a jaw-dropping, death-defying, rubber-burning, metal-crunching thrill ride down big city streets. And yes, we know there are many more great ones–we’re looking at you The Rhythm Section, John Wick, Wanted, and The Bourne Supremacy—but we’ve only got so much room in the trunk!

19. San Francisco chase (Freebie And The Bean, 1974) 
Car Chase Through San Francisco | Freebie and the Bean | Warner Archive

Many great movie chase scenes feel impromptu, and some actually were shot on the fly. Then there’s the action-comedy , which casts James Caan and Alan Arkin as mismatched cops, and features chase scene after chase scene that looks and feels entirely staged … which they were. It’s as if San Francisco vacated every street and locale and just let the production do its thing. That said, the streets of San Francisco were left with dozens of skid marks after Freebie’s wild ride. When he spots a perfectly placed wooden ramp and shoots his car through an empty train at exactly the right moment, it’s the chase’s fantastic capper. And Caan’s “tah dah!” after he nails the jump is the cherry on top.

18. The mountain chase (Duel , 1971)  
Hunting Down The Crazy Truck Driver (Final Scene) | Duel | Fear

It all started for Steven Spielberg with , his 1971 telemovie produced on a budget of less than $500,000. Dennis Weaver stars as David Mann, a salesman driving through the Mojave Desert in a red Plymouth Valiant. In what might amount to a dual (pardon the pun) case of road rage, Mann and a mystery guy in a beat-up tanker truck engage in a deadly game of cat and mouse, most of which involves Mann trying to stay ahead of the truck. Try not to shudder when a train approaches, or when the truck flattens a woman’s roadside business (leaving Mann with a tarantula on his leg). But we’re partial to the trucker waving Mann on, resulting in a frenzied open-road pursuit.

17. Before it all went CGI (The Fast And The Furious, 2001) 
The Fast and the Furious Final Scene

Since we’re celebrating the imminent release of Fast X, we’ve got to include a chase from the franchise, right? They’ve gotten ridiculously outlandish at times, with scenes featuring a submarine, and even going up in space. But let’s keep it simple and go back to the OG , to the scene at the end in which Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian (the late Paul Walker), in their juiced-up cars, drag race for a quarter-mile, beat a speeding train by a fraction of a second, and make their peace. It was simple, sweat-inducing, quite fitting, and it launched a gazillion-dollar enterprise.

16. Sunset Boulevard chase (Against All Odds, 1981)
Against All Odds - Car Chase

, Taylor Hackford’s very-very ’80s romantic thriller, leans deep into melodrama as a couple of big-ego guys–played by Jeff Bridges and James Woods—basically swing their manhood for two hours. At one point, though, we’re treated to a whiz-bang race along Sunset Boulevard that turns into an open-top car chase, then into a race again, and … you get the idea. Bridges goes vroom in a gorgeous red 1983 Porsche 911 SC Cabrio, while Woods speeds around in a black 1982 Ferrari 308 GTS. But here’s our question: How did the adorable white dog riding with Woods survive?

15. The suicide run (Thelma & Louise, 1991)
Thelma & Louise (11/11) Movie CLIP - Over the Cliff (1991) HD

Ridley Scott has directed some unlikely movies, chief among them. It remains a classic, with star turns by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, and a star-making performance from Brad Pitt. A 1966 Ford Thunderbird also plays a pivotal role, as it’s the car driven throughout by Thelma and Louise as they go on the run. At the end of the movie, a cool chase leads to a fateful decision, as the ladies drive the car off a cliff, presumably plunging it—and themselves—into the Grand Canyon and into movie history. That scene still startles, decades later.

14. Roller coaster chase (Smokey And The Bandit II, 1980)
Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) - Roller Coaster Chase Scene (6/10) | Movieclips

Stuntman-turned-director Hal Needham returned to direct , the sequel that once again pitted uber-charming Burt Reynolds against Jackie Gleason. Reynolds stars as the Bandit, a bootlegger hunted by Gleason’s blustery Sheriff Buford T. Justice (and his inept son). Amidst the laughs (thanks, Jerry Reed) and the romance (the sparks were still flying then between Reynolds and Sally Field), Needham stages numerous chase sequences. In one of them, Bandit tries to outrun Sheriff Justice, zigzagging through the base of a wooden coaster. Right after they both exit the structure, it collapses. Yes, they toppled a real coaster, which Needham captures up close and in a wild wide shot. Silly movie, great scene.

13. Ferrari vs. Hummer (The Rock, 1996)
The Rock (1996) Chase Scene (2/3) HD

Picture, if you will, Michael Bay watching Bullitt and thinking to himself, “Hell, yeah, I can do that bigger and better.” In he gives it his best shot, letting Nic Cage (in a bright yellow Ferrari F355) chase Sean Connery (in a Hummer) all over San Francisco for five minutes. In typical Bay fashion, we get exactly what you’d expect: the loudest, most bombastic, and fastest-edited sequence you can possibly imagine, with cars utterly wrecked and stuff flying everywhere. It’s a pure adrenaline rush that pauses for a brief second to allow Connery to quip, “I hope you’re insured!”

12. Minis on the Metro (The Italian Job, 2003)
Into the Subway - The Italian Job (5/8) Movie CLIP (2003) HD

Director F. Gary Gray drove moviegoers into theaters in, well, droves with his surprise hit remake of the 1969 action-heist flick, . It stars Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Jason Statham, Mos Def, and a trio of Mini Coopers. As part of one extended, bravura sequence set in Los Angeles, Theron, Wahlberg, and Statham each steer a Mini down the steps to the Metro subway, outrace a train, and hurtle onto the train tracks to lose the surveillance of Norton, who looms above the city in a helicopter. The Minis make for maximum entertainment.

11. Bank heist getaway (Baby Driver, 2017)
Baby Driver Opening Scene (2017) | Movieclips Coming Soon

Edgar Wright kicks off this awesome, jaunty action-heist movie with an unforgettable six-minute opening sequence that introduces all the key players and establishes the production’s wit and playfulness. Getaway guy  (Ansel Elgort), in his unassuming red Subaru, drops off Jon Bernthal, Eiza Gonzalez, and Jon Hamm at the bank they’re about to rob, cranks up some music in his earbuds, and, after the heist perfectly, wordlessly, and without breaking a sweat evades a fleet of Atlanta police cars as he whisks the robbers to their rendezvous point. Somehow, the rest of the movie is equally slick, witty, and engaging.

10. The freeway chase (The Matrix Reloaded, 2003)
The Matrix Reloaded - Highway Chase [HD]

Raise your hand if disappointed the hell out of you. Yeah, us too. Still, it was worth the price of admission for the stellar imagery and several memorable scenes, notably the centerpiece freeway sequence. The Reloaded team—led by stunt coordinator R.A. Rondell—erected 1.25 miles of road in Alameda, California, mapped out every iota of practical stunt action (motorcycles, cars, explosions, fights, etc.) and visual effects, and deployed all manner of cameras to capture everything. Twenty years later, the sequence remains a marvel.

9. The Corkscrew jump (The Man With The Golden Gun, 1974)
Insane Car Jump Ruined in “MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN” (James Bond, 1974)

We can argue all day about the greatest car chase in the James Bond franchise. As much as sucks (and it really sucks), the ice chase remains an offbeat, inventive winner. However, we’re going with the moment in in which 007 (Roger Moore), while chasing Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) and Nick Nack (Herve Villechaize) around Bangkok, zooms his AMC Hornet two-door hatchback across a rickety wooden bridge, corkscrewing in midair and sticking the landing. All hail stunt driver Loren “Bumps” Willert, who nailed the stunt in a single take.

8. Jake and Elwood’s wild ride (The Blues Brothers, 1981)
The Blues Brothers: The car chase Scene (HD CLIP)

John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd brought their Saturday Night Live characters Jake and Elwood Blues to the big screen in John Landis’ raucous comedy, . The movie is an unwieldy and ridiculously fun hot mess bolstered by great music, amusing cameos, and a chase for the ages. In it, every cop car in Chicago and a Pinto driven by two determined Nazis chase Jake and Elwood (who drive a 1974 Dodge Monaco). Landis piles on the wreckage as cars careen, crash, and spin out. Best of all? A tie between the magical car flip on an in-construction bridge and the Pinto flying off the bridge. For the latter, Landis dropped a Pinto 1,200 feet from a helicopter!

7. Fire up the band! (Mad Max: Fury Road, 2015)
Immortal Joe chasing Furiosa - Mad Max: Fury Road

Mad Max fans harbored massive expectations for George Miller’s return to his post-apocolyptic universe and with he didn’t disappoint. The film is an action masterpiece with feminist and environmental messages. Huge chunks of it involve heavily armored cars and trucks driving across desolate wastelands. But nothing beats this: Max (Tom Hardy) strapped to the front of a car driven at high speed by Nux (Nicholas Hoult), with Miller’s camera floating back to provide context that includes drummers banging away on a truck, a guitarist hitting a fiery note, and Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) catching Nux’s eye. It’s all practical, and practically brilliant.

6. The Brooklyn subway chase (The French Connection, 1971)
French Connection full car chase scene

William Friedkin helmed two chases on our list, the more famous of which occurs in his Best Picture Oscar winner, . Shouting “Police emergency. I need your car,” Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) commandeers a man’s Pontiac LeMans to pursue baddie Alain Charnier (Fernando Rey) across much of Brooklyn. Did we mention that Charnier is on a train? On an elevated track? So Friedkin cuts back and forth between Doyle frantically driving and the chaotic action aboard the train. It’s a thrilling, bravura sequence with a great payoff (check out the movie’s poster), much of which Friedkin filmed last-minute and without obtaining any permits from the city of New York.

5. Wrong way on the freeway (To Live And Die In L.A., 1985) 
To Live and Die in L.A. Car Chase (1985) HD

Some folks consider William Friedkin’s most overlooked film (we’d go with Sorcerer, The Brink’s Job, or Bug). It’s okay, if a little overwrought, heavy-handed, and too lush for its own good. Still, the film benefits from one batshit-crazy car chase around the City of Angels. More than five minutes into the chase, William Petersen eyeballs a sign that warns: Do Not Enter. Wrong Way. And off he goes, kicking an already high-octane sequence to the next gear and leaving a mess of wrecked cars and trucks—not to mention a couple of pissed-off pursuers—in his wake. Try not to laugh when a traffic reporter refers to the situation (which took six weeks to film) as “a minor tie-up.”

4. San Francisco chase (Bullitt, 1968)
[HD] Greatest Hollywood Car Chase of All Time - Bullitt (1968)

Steve McQueen, in his green 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback GT, subtly follows his prey (assassins in a Dodge Charger 440 R/T) around the streets of San Francisco. Almost-playful music complements this portion of the scene. Then, boom, wheels screech and it’s off to the races, with McQueen zipping along at more than 100 miles per hour. The sequence ends, nearly 11 minutes later, in a fiery explosion. It’s old-school action, shot by director Peter Yates over the course of three weeks. That scene made McQueen (who did his own driving) and the Mustang (two were used) super-cool icons.

3. Two cars on a one-lane bridge (Vanishing Point, 1971)
Vanishing Point (1971) - Dodge Challenger vs. Jaguar

There’s not much of a movie here. Basically, Kowalski (Barry Newman) drives … a lot, for the love of it, for the freedom of doing so. But the chase scenes not only rock, they also influenced Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Edgar Wright, and other directors who clearly took major cues from director Richard C. Sarafian’s cult favorite. The most memorable chase pits Kowalski’s Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum against a random driver’s Jaguar E-Type. The cars zip along a winding, dusty road until they approach a narrow metal bridge–and only one car can fit. Fun fact: to make the cars look like they were driving fast, Sarafian and DP John Alonzo slowed the film rate to half-speed.

2. Death-defying Dodge chase (Death Proof, 2007)
Death Proof (8/10) Movie CLIP - Ship’s Mast (2007) HD

Murderous, misogynistic Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) embarks on a killing spree using his “death proof” car. But he meets his match in Abbie (Rosario Dawson), Kim (Tracie Thoms), and Zoë Bell (the iconic stuntwoman, playing herself). Say what you will about the film as a whole, but director Quentin Tarantino stages a chase for the ages. In it, Bell (in a bit called “ship’s mast”) rides the hood of a 1970 Dodge Challenger (QT’s tribute to The Vanishing) as Kim puts the pedal to the metal, only for Stuntman Mike to follow in hot pursuit. It’s an unrelenting, loud, and memorable.

1. Paris street chase (Ronin, 1998)
Ultimate Car Chase Scenes | Ronin (1998)

John Frankenheimer directed , an entertaining but imperfect action-drama about dangerous men (Robert De Niro, Stellan Skarsgard, Sean Bean, Jean Reno) hired by an Irish operative (Natascha McElhone) to steal a briefcase. Ronin delivers great car chases, the most famous one unfolding across seven remarkable minutes, as a nervous De Niro (joined by Reno in a Peugeot 406) chases an icy-cool McElhone (accompanied by Jonathan Pryce in a BMW E34 5-series) through Paris in broad daylight. Frankenheimer immerses you in the action, covering it from every conceivable angle. It’s simply enthralling. Listen closely, too: for more than half the sequence, Frankenheimer eschews any music, letting screeching tires and revving engines complement the action.

 
Join the discussion...