Top 20 Best Car Chases in Movies

“Bad Boys II” (2003)
Michael Bay outdoes himself again in this buddy cop sequel with a wild car chase. “Bad Boys II” doesn’t just stop at vehicular mayhem, because the film also has a shootout in there for good measure. Martin Lawrence and Will Smith drive a Ferrari in a scene that’s full of exciting twists. All of this leads to a massive pileup, with its action spectacle taking the film to new heights. Bay’s camera flies all over the place as gunfire and flashy vehicles zoom across the screen. The sequence then moves to a highway where the heroes keep an impressive pace, later having them avoid other cars in several close calls. The leads escape danger at every corner even as destruction happens all around them.

“The Rock” (1996)
Before the characters in this action movie storm Alcatraz, they participate in an entertaining car chase through San Francisco. Sean Connery’s John Patrick Mason tries to skip out on his arrangement with the authorities and takes control of a Hummer. His joy ride takes him through the hills of the city with Nicolas Cage’s Stanley Goodspeed behind him. The Hummer completely destroys anything in its way, taking no prisoners as it crashes through numerous vehicles. Godspeed keeps up in a Ferrari and almost gets done in by a fiery trolley. Even Connery’s days as James Bond weren’t as explosive as this scene, seeing him gleefully tearing through everything.

“What’s Up, Doc?” (1972)
In a salute to screwball comedies, director Peter Bogdanovich stages a climactic chase saluting everything from Buster Keaton to Warner Bros. cartoons. Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal take off with prized suitcases on a delivery bike. Several pursuers follow after them in cars, each barrelling down hills and trying to avoid obstacles like a huge pane of glass. They all make their way up and over steep streets that test the durability of their vehicles. By the time they’ve driven through cement and over staircases, the entire sequence has put them through the ringer. The only thing left for them to do is drive directly into San Francisco Bay.

“Vanishing Point” (1971)
This classic film concerns the transportation of a Dodge Challenger from Denver to San Francisco. After getting hopped up on drugs, the driver pushes his skills to the limit in order to make the deadline. This includes driving the car at top speeds that would make anybody nervous. “Vanishing Point” is essentially one car chase after the next, featuring the delivery man crossing paths with all sorts of police resistance. Nobody is able to catch him as he makes his way to the West coast. The climactic finish sees the driver finally reach his limit, crashing in a blaze of glory after the cops set up a roadblock.

“Baby Driver” (2017)
Set to the music of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, the opening scene of “Baby Driver” thrives because of its soundtrack. The lead character serves as the getaway driver for a crew of robbers. With the help of music, he’s able to turn his car every which way in order to lose the cops. The chase and catchy track lineup perfectly in a slickly-edited sequence. Turning his wheels in every possible direction, the driver swerves around while patrol vehicles struggle to keep up. Filmmaker Edgar Wright turns his movie into a music video in an innovative take on a classic concept. After losing the cops in a clever switch-up, the car slips into a garage in a satisfying conclusion.

“Drive” (2011)
Ryan Gosling’s getaway driver waits for his associates to finish up a routine robbery. When a shooting happens, he drives off with a car close behind him. His Mustang speeds down the road as the chase takes some tight turns. Needing to do some quick thinking, Gosling’s character spins around and drives in reverse. The expert driving all feels especially real in a series of fantastic moves that are made to look easy. He turns back around, but the Chrysler behind him doesn’t have the same skills. A brief shot of the pursuer crashing caps off an enjoyable escape.

“Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (1991)
John Connor tries to flee his time-traveling enemy on a dirt bike, but he underestimates the power of his attacker. The T-1000 takes control of a truck in order to follow the young hero. Driving the massive vehicle off of an overpass, the antagonist continues the chase into the flood-control channels of Los Angeles. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 arrives to save the day in a thrilling, three-person chase. The two cyborgs battle for Connor as they barely avoid crashing. Swooping in to grab the boy, Schwarzenegger transfers him to his bike and subdues the T-1000’s ride by blowing out the tire.

“The Dark Knight” (2008)
While the police transport Harvey Dent in an armored van, Joker has plans to ruin the party. His goons drive alongside the caravan with lots of extra firepower. Batman arrives in his Batmobile to protect Dent, smashing vehicles and deflecting rockets in exciting moments. The caped crusader then chases after the villainous clown in his Batpod. This leads to the hero flipping a semi-truck upside down, delivering a significant blow to the antagonist's plan. Christopher Nolan does it all with his effortless direction, beating out other explosive chases such as the highway scene in Matt Reeves’ “The Batman”.

“GoldenEye” (1995)
For this James Bond adventure, the filmmakers decided to put the agent in a tight spot without his trusty car around. He chooses to do a bit of improvisation and chase down the villain Ourumov in a tank. The super spy controls the equipment like a complete expert, handling it as well as an Aston Martin. The armored vehicle races through the streets of St. Petersburg on a warpath. It tears through statues and blows through walls, making a one-man show out of excessive property damage. Bond does it all in style as he turns Russian architecture into dust.

“Fast Five” (2011)
Always ready to push the envelope, the “Fast” series throws out the rulebook for this heist. The crew hooks a bank vault up to two Dodge Chargers. Dom and Brian drag the money behind them, rarely slowing down as the hunk of metal slides around. The gigantic piece of cargo happily blows through everything in its path. It’s almost impossible to hold back a smile as the impossible becomes possible. Fans of crashes will also enjoy the endless carnage, seeing twisted metal all over the place. This ranks among the best moments from the entire franchise, even better than the tank appearance in “Fast & Furious 6”.

“Gone in 60 Seconds” (1974)
Some films have one car chase that lasts a few minutes. If audiences are lucky, they might even get a one that lasts even longer like in “Gone in 60 Seconds.” The sequence in question lasts 40 minutes and puts many other scenes of its kind to shame in terms of length alone. Busy streets become the setting for some of the best stunt driving of the decade, playing host to a number of tricks. The anti-hero dodges gunfire in a stolen Mustang. He keeps on driving despite smashing his fender, injuring others, and having the highway patrol on his back the whole way. This all leads up to a skillful getaway that includes a change of cars.

“The Matrix Reloaded” (2003)
Even if some audience members don’t love this sequel, “The Matrix Reloaded” does feature an impressive setpiece that’s hard to ignore. The highway chase differentiates itself from others of its kind for its physics-defying stunts. If the car stunts aren’t enough, the Wachowskis also include some hand-to-hand combat in one of the vehicles. The adversaries come with their own superpowers that make for a more dynamic scene. Characters leap from cars in incredible feats of strength, soaring in slow motion across lanes of traffic. It’s a beautifully chaotic sequence blending stunt drivers and CGI.

“The Blues Brothers” (1980)
“The Blues Brothers” is a comedy full of nonstop entertainment and an all-star cast. After stellar musical numbers and comedic gags, there’s also an impressive car chase that ends the film. While there are earlier scenes involving some stunts, this particular sequence beats out everything else for its inventive destruction. The main duo drive their old police car to their destination as a number of cops and other assorted characters trail behind them. Elwood manages to pull off some slick driving that ensures the authorities don't have a chance, sending most of the pursuers into multiple pile ups and hazards. There’s nothing quite like the zany destruction of his climax that also includes a hilarious flip.

“The Bourne Identity” (2002)
After joining up with an innocent woman, Jason Bourne flees Paris in a Mini Cooper. Bourne takes corners and drives through narrow streets at top speeds. The amnesiac hasn’t lost any of his driving skills, never letting the lesser car stop him. He narrowly escapes the authorities that are ill-equipped to catch up to the former agent. Driving the wrong way across lanes of traffic, the hero has many near-misses as his nervous passenger watches in shock. He even makes his way down a set of stairs in an especially dangerous moment. This wild trek across the City of Lights has more than a handful of intense surprises before its finish.

“Mad Max: Fury Road” (2015)
“Mad Max: Fury Road” is basically a long chase with a few breaks along the way. The first major sequence finds Furiosa stealing the War Rig, setting off a chain of events that unleashes Immortan Joe’s followers on her. Trying to take back control, the henchmen perform acrobatic techniques to try and board the vehicle. Other War Boys make their way to help as a sandstorm approaches. It’s an incredible series of practical stunts that look more dangerous with every subsequent shot, surpassing previous scenes in the series such as the climax of “Mad Max 2”. Explosions don’t interrupt this drive into the desert, only amplifying the amazing direction by George Miller.

“To Live and Die in L.A.” (1985)
Following a tense confrontation, the two secret service agents in “To Live and Die in L.A.” embark on a drive across the City of Angels. Filmmaker William Friedkin is no stranger to these kinds of sequences and once again proves himself as a visionary director. His penchant for action fuels this frenetic chase, turning Los Angeles into a playground for stunt drivers. The skilled technicians drive in front of trains and near the L.A. river with a shootout included. In an exciting climax, Friedkin sends the lead car down the wrong way on a highway.

“The Italian Job” (1969)
You don’t need sportscars to have a thrilling chase. “The Italian Job” proves this point with its famous Mini Cooper scene, featuring three color-coated versions of the smaller car. They each drag around a payload of gold through almost any place that’s not a regular road. The robbers fly through shopping areas, jump impressive gaps, and drive up buildings as the police follow them. Driving over water and into tunnels, the drivers go where few have ever gone before. The extended sequence features every obstacle imaginable for the crew to encounter. Many homages, and even a remake, have tried to replicate this idea without ever really coming close.

“The French Connection” (1971)
Not all car chases are the same and rarely do they involve the pursuit of a train. In “The French Connection,” Gene Hackman’s Popeye Doyle hops in a vehicle in order to follow a criminal that’s using public transit. Considering how fast a train can go, he needs to really pick up speed on the street below. This leads to some highly-dangerous driving including a few collisions. William Friedkin filmed part of this chase without the proper safety precautions, sending the stunt car directly into open traffic. Thankfully, nobody got hurt during production of this famous sequence.

“Ronin” (1998)
The engines roar in this thrilling chase through Paris. Director John Frankenheimer lets the cars do the talking in a series of close calls and near misses. Robert De Niro and company journey into the city tunnels, driving in close quarters with other Parisians as they search for a mysterious briefcase. “Ronin” excels in putting you in the passenger seat on an absolute thrill ride. De Niro zooms through tight spots, dodging gunfire and exploding cars at one point. Seeing the vehicles driving the opposite way down streets causes secondhand anxiety like few other action scenes.

“Bullitt” (1968)
This is arguably the granddaddy of all car chases. Steve McQueen's title character boards a Mustang and races after his target through the streets of San Francisco. The muscle cars drive up and down hills in an action-packed showcase of stunt driving. In a world before computer effects, the drivers in this sequence could only perform with their real-world skills. You can feel each tire screech like a punch in the gut as the scene heads out to the highway. Eventually, McQueen and his counterpart trade blows before a fiery crash brings the whole thing to a dramatic close.