25 best racing movies ever

Driven (2001)

Sly Stallone plays Joe Tanto, a former racing star brought in to coach Kip Pardue’s Jimmy Bly, a talented but hot-headed rookie whose season is starting to fall apart. But Bly’s problems don’t just lie on the track, and Tanto needs to help him overcome the trauma of a horrific accident to get him back to his winning ways. Driven is an oft overlooked movie with a bad rep – but as unchallenging lazy Sunday fare it’s just about perfect.

Thunderbolt (1995)

Jackie Chan as a street racer? This slick Hong Kong action-fest features all the trademarks of a Chan movie – elaborate fight scenes, gravity-defying stunts, unbelievably psychotic baddies, women in peril – with some superb racing scenes tossed into the mix. Also: an amazing “rock” theme song sung by Chan himself!

Michel Vaillant (2003)

Based on the long-running French comic book series and counting Luc Besson among its writers, Michel Vaillant is an under-the-radar lurker. Its laissez-faire attitude to the source material may upset Francophile literary purists, but the racing scenes, of which there are many, are visually stunning.

Initial D (2005)

Another comic book adaptation (and another one that has drawn ire from fans of the original material), Initial D delves into the world of Japanese drift racing: youths in souped-up street cars power-sliding around meandering mountain roads. Despite being set in Japan, it’s a Hong Kong-made movie in Cantonese – and stars Taiwanese pop idol Jay Chou as the protagonist.

Hot Rod Girl (1956)

Lori Nelson, who plays the title role, is actually little more than a supporting player in this tale of “out of control” youths, local cops and street hoods. As you might expect from a film with its vintage, Hot Rot Girl isn’t replete with The Fast and the Furious-style racing scenes: its drag strip scenes are a little less high octane, but there’s an undeniable charm in its nostalgic portrayal of 50s America.

You might also like
25 best movie car chases
25 best prison movies ever
25 best biopics ever