Cars and movies have been inseparable since both industries began in the early 20th century. A heart-pounding chase scene, an iconic vehicle, or just the freedom cars represent can make a movie a memorable experience.
To compile a list of the best movies about cars, drivers, motorsports, road trips, and related matters, 24/7 Tempo created an index based on ratings from IMDb, an online movie and TV database owned by Amazon, and Tomatometer and Audience scores from Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator,.
Chase scenes involving cars have been a staple of films since the industry moved to Hollywood, where outdoor filming became possible year-round, in the early 20th century. Some of them are of the adrenalin-rush variety as in “The French Connection” and “Baby Driver.” Others are on the zany side, like “What’s Up, Doc?”
Cars have been symbols of rebellion, such as in the movies “Rebel Without a Cause.” They’ve also been the subject of riveting car-racing documentaries such as “Senna” and dramatic racing stories like “Rush” and “Ford v Ferrari.”
Click here to see the best car movies of all time
Certain actors have become associated with cars. Steve McQueen, who raced cars himself, was chased by hitmen on the streets of San Francisco in “Bullitt.” (These are the 50 best action movies of all time.)
On the subject of Steve McQueen, in “Bullitt,” he drove a Ford Mustang GT, which itself became an icon. (These are the world’s greatest classic cars.)
28. Rush (2013)
> IMDb audience rating: 8.1/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89%
> Starring: Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde
> Director: Ron Howard
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27. Mad Max (1979)
> IMDb audience rating: 6.9/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90%
> Starring: Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne
> Director: George Miller
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26. Locke (2013)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.1/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91%
> Starring: Tom Hardy, Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson
> Director: Steven Knight
25. To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.3/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91%
> Starring: William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, John Pankow
> Director: William Friedkin
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24. What’s Up, Doc? (1972)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.7/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91%
> Starring: Barbra Streisand, Ryan O’Neal, Madeline Kahn
> Director: Peter Bogdanovich
23. Family Plot (1976)
> IMDb audience rating: 6.8/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 62%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92%
> Starring: Karen Black, Bruce Dern, Barbara Harris
> Director: Alfred Hitchcock
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22. Holy Motors (2012)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.1/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92%
> Starring: Denis Lavant, Edith Scob, Eva Mendes
> Director: Leos Carax
21. Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.2/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92%
> Starring: James Taylor, Warren Oates, Laurie Bird
> Director: Monte Hellman
20. Baby Driver (2017)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.6/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92%
> Starring: Ansel Elgort, Jon Bernthal, Jon Hamm
> Director: Edgar Wright
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19. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.6/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92%
> Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins
> Director: John Hughes
18. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.7/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92%
> Starring: James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo
> Director: Nicholas Ray
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17. Drive (2011)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.8/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92%
> Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston
> Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
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16. Ford v Ferrari (2019)
> IMDb audience rating: 8.1/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 98%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92%
> Starring: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal
> Director: James Mangold
15. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.4/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93%
> Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Imogene Coca
> Director: Harold Ramis
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14. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.6/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93%
> Starring: Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Michael Preston
> Director: George Miller
13. Senna (2010)
> IMDb audience rating: 8.5/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93%
> Starring: Reginaldo Leme, John Bisignano, Neide Senna
> Director: Asif Kapadia
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12. Speed (1994)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.2/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94%
> Starring: Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Sandra Bullock
> Director: Jan de Bont
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11. Trafic (1971)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.1/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 77%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95%
> Starring: Jacques Tati, Marcel Fraval, Honoré Bostel
> Director: Jacques Tati
10. Thunder Road (1958)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.1/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96%
> Starring: Jim Cummings, Kendal Farr, Nican Robinson
> Director: Jim Cummings
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9. American Graffiti (1973)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.4/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96%
> Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat
> Director: George Lucas
8. Taxi Driver (1976)
> IMDb audience rating: 8.2/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96%
> Starring: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd
> Director: Martin Scorsese
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7. Back to the Future (1985)
> IMDb audience rating: 8.5/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 96%
> Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson
> Director: Robert Zemeckis
6. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
> IMDb audience rating: 8.1/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97%
> Starring: Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult
> Director: George Miller
5. Repo Man (1984)
> IMDb audience rating: 6.9/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98%
> Starring: Harry Dean Stanton, Emilio Estevez, Tracey Walter
> Director: Alex Cox
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4. Bullitt (1968)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.4/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98%
> Starring: Steve McQueen, Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Vaughn
> Director: Peter Yates
3. The French Connection (1971)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.7/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98%
> Starring: Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey
> Director: William Friedkin
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2. Highway 61 (1991)
> IMDb audience rating: 6.9/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100%
> Starring: Don McKellar, Valerie Buhagiar, Earl Pastko
> Director: Bruce McDonald
1. Grand Prix (1966)
> IMDb audience rating: 7.2/10
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88%
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100%
> Starring: James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Yves Montand
> Director: John Frankenheimer
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