Top 22 Movie Car Chases of Each Year (2000 - 2021)

“Gone in 60 Seconds”

Though the movie itself isn’t as good as the 1974 original, it does at least get the car chases right. The final chase sees Nicolas Cage’s Memphis hightailing it with a stolen 1967 Ford Shelby, affectionately known as “Eleanor.” Memphis outmaneuvers the police through a variety of locations, from the bustling downtown, around the wide-open L.A River and even a shipyard. However, the real show-stopping moment is saved for last when Memphis’s exit is blocked by a bridge backup. Rather than get arrested and let his crew down, Memphis shoots over the wreckage off an angled tow truck gloriously. Kids, don’t try this at home. Especially not at home, come to think of it.

“The Fast and the Furious”

The early “Fast & Furious” movies are perhaps more known for their street races, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have thrilling chase scenes, too. Toward the end of the first film, Dom and the crew look to hijack a speeding semi truck for one last score, but naturally, things go awry when the driver pulls a gun on them. Suddenly, what started out as a high-speed heist turns into a rescue mission, as Vince finds himself stuck on the hood of the truck. When both Letty’s and Dom’s cars are driven off the road, it’s up to the incoming Brian and Mia to save the day. Thanks to Brian’s daredevil stunts, he’s able to rescue Vince, despite having to subsequently blow his cover.

“The Bourne Identity”

If we’re talking car chases, then we should acknowledge the opening to “The Transporter” for setting the tone for a then-burgeoning franchise. But when it comes to burgeoning franchises, it’s hard to compete with “The Bourne Identity.” You wouldn’t necessarily expect someone to use a Mini Cooper when looking to outrun heat - well, unless you’ve seen a particular classic heist movie - but Jason Bourne makes it look effortless. Using the vehicle’s small frame to his advantage, he’s able to squeeze it through tight corners and weave it in and out of traffic, allowing the environment to take out the fuzz. Honestly, Bourne could probably evade the law on nothing but a pogo stick.

“The Matrix Reloaded”

Speaking of Mini Coopers, the remake of “The Italian Job” does the original proud with the British vehicles. And “Bad Boys II” further proves that 2003 was an excellent year for movie car chases with its freeway pursuit. But it was ultimately overshadowed by the freeway chase in another movie, “The Matrix Reloaded.” Desperate to escape with the Keymaker, Morpheus and Trinity enter the ultra dangerous freeway, where they’re followed by the Twins and a slew of Agents. Marvelous setpieces abound in this sequence, from a struggle inside the car, to Trinity going against the flow of traffic, to Morpheus fighting an Agent atop a semi. Though the entirety of “Reloaded” doesn’t measure up to the original, this scene stands with the best of them.

“The Bourne Supremacy”

It really doesn’t matter what city Bourne’s in: he’s gonna deliver an awesome chase scene, either way. In the film’s climactic sequence, Bourne has to evade not only the police, but also the deadly assassin Kirill. Whereas the Paris chase relied on Bourne’s quick maneuvering, here he’s more willing to get rough-and-tumble. And in a taxi cab, we don’t have many complaints. Of course, Bourne’s always gonna be the star of his movies, but the real MVP here has to be incoming franchise director Paul Greengrass, whose signature shaky cam has us feeling directly in the action. Especially when Bourne manages to take out Kirill by plowing him into a divider. He’s not gonna walk that one off, is he?

“Batman Begins”

Though the General Lee got a pretty good chase sequence in the “Dukes of Hazzard” movie, few fictional cars are quite as iconic as the Batmobile. After his love interest Rachel gets drugged with a lethal toxin, Batman attempts to rush her back to the Batcave to administer treatment, but he’s got a squadron of police vehicles to contend with. This version of the Batmobile being the raucous Tumbler, the chase is naturally very chaotic, with Batman showing little regard for city property. Amidst all the thrilling destruction, the scene is actually pretty funny, with the various officers getting multiple one-liners. Thankfully, Batman justifies the devastation by preserving Rachel’s sure-to-be long life. Oh, wait.

“The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift”

Though this standalone sequel wasn’t received too positively upon release, it has become a sleeper pick among the “Fast” community, and this chase definitely proves why. After Han and his crew are confronted by rival racers, a deadly chase breaks out on the streets of Tokyo. Though there’s a lot of impressive driving on display, the scene definitely lives up to its title by displaying the titular tactic in a big way. As fun as the sequence is, it ends in tragedy when fan-favorite Han is ultimately t-boned by another vehicle and killed in the subsequent explosion. Well, allegedly, anyway, as a later entry would eventually prove.

“Death Proof”

We could highlight another Bourne outing with “Ultimatum,” but we’d rather shift gears to talk about Quentin Tarantino’s “Death Proof.” In a career-highlight performance, Kurt Russell plays “Stuntman Mike,” a sadistic, professional driver who relishes in terrorizing women on the roadways with a car that is, yes, “death proof.” After Mike gives real-life stuntwoman Zoë Bell quite the scare as she’s strapped to the hood of a 1970 Dodge Challenger, she and the rest of the gang regroup to give Mike a taste of his own medicine, and how sweet a taste it is. What follows is a fantastic, old-school style rundown as they have Mike whimpering like a baby. And just when he thinks he’s lost them, they return to finish the job.

“The Dark Knight”

While the opening to “Quantum of Solace” offers one of James Bond’s best car chases, it wouldn’t be an entry on 2008 without highlighting “The Dark Knight.” Though District Attorney Harvey Dent has police protection while being transferred, the Joker and his goons go after him anyway in a thrilling underground chase. Batman is forced to intervene, causing severe damage to the Batmobile. But in an applause-worthy moment, he busts out of it with the Batpod, allowing him to make his way back to the surface streets and rejoin the action. It all ends in what is easily one of the greatest practical stunts in movie history.

“Race to Witch Mountain”

Even though the word “race” is in the title of this Disney remake, this is a chase scene all the way. Escorting a couple childlike aliens through the desert, cab driver Jack Bruno gets a rude awakening when some governmental vehicles arrive to intercept them. The nondescript black vehicles ultimately box him in, but Bruno shows his feistiness by breaking free. And in a great trailer shot, Seth resolves to end the chase by altering his molecular density and stopping the remaining vehicle in its tracks. 2009 was admittedly a little light on movie car chases, but leave it to The Rock to kick things up a notch.

“Inception”

Usually, the majority of characters in car chases are awake for them, but not in this mind-bending Christopher Nolan epic. While the other crew members are multiple dream levels deeper, Yusuf is tasked with protecting their comatose bodies as he drives through the streets of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, he comes under attack by multiple projections, and has to keep the van going long enough to initiate a kick. From here, we get continual snippets of the chase throughout the film, as violent movements cause repercussions in the next dream level and so on. Even after Yusuf sets up the kick by driving off a bridge, the movie keeps it thrilling through slow-motion and the iconic score.

“Drive”

2011 gave us a pair of fantastic car chases, as the climactic vault scene in “Fast Five” is easily one of the best of the franchise. But sadly, we have to eschew that one to recognize a more ground-level chase. After a couple thieves make away with their score, Ryan Gosling’s nameless Driver initiates a getaway. When the car is spotted by a helicopter, our butts are on the edge of our seats as the Driver makes a series of shrewd, tactical moves to lose the heat. However, we once again have to hold our breaths when they meet a police car at a stoplight. Coupling the fantastic score and POV-style filming, “Drive” sets the tone early with this understated yet thrilling sequence.

“Jack Reacher”

The “Jack Reacher” movies never quite reached the heights of some of Tom Cruise’s other action staples, but the first outing was good for one wicked car chase. After being framed for a murder, Reacher flees from the police while simultaneously going after the real culprits. With the lack of a musical score, the scene feels incredibly realistic, and Cruise’s actual stunt driving behind the wheel of a cherry 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS is superb. Though Reacher doesn’t catch the bad guys, the way he ultimately slips out of his car and blends into the crowd to avoid detection is the definition of smooth.

“Fast & Furious 6”

We’ll atone for not including “Fast Five” by returning to the franchise in its next installment. As Dom and the gang look to intercept a rival crew’s stealing of a military convoy, they get a pretty unfortunate surprise when they learn what was in that convoy. Nevertheless, our protagonists improvise, managing to keep pace with their classic wheels. From here, the scene delivers what the series does best: loud and exciting action with a welcome disregard for physics. It all ends with a clever solution to their tank problem, and what has to be the most showstopping stunt in the whole movie.

“The Raid 2”

The first “Raid” movie, set in a claustrophobic apartment complex, gave us some of the best hand-to-hand combat we’ve ever seen. The plot of the second one had a little more room to breathe, allowing it additional setpieces like a thrilling car chase. When main character Rama is being escorted by some baddies, presumably to his death, jilted consigliere Eka arrives to save the day. While Rama handles the goons in the car, Eka jousts with the other vehicles, utilizing smart driving to get his adversaries to crash. Getting the best of both worlds with astounding fight choreography and impressive car stunts, this scene runs the full gamut of the action movie formula.

“Mad Max: Fury Road”

We could probably pick out certain sequences, but when a movie this badass is essentially one long car chase there and back, why would we want to? Director George Miller proves he never lost a beat in the thirty years since the previous installments, crafting dynamic and stunning setpieces with creative vehicles and weaponry. Not only that, but the whole thing looks absolutely beautiful, proving not every action movie has to be muted and dour to be exhilarating. “Mad Max: Fury Road” arguably has more tools in its belt thanks to the post-apocalyptic setting, but it puts all of them to superb work here.

“Jason Bourne”

In our third and final entry in the franchise, Bourne pursues the nameless Asset who’s responsible for his father’s death along the Las Vegas Strip. The Asset, behind the wheel of a SWAT vehicle, shows his ruthlessness by upending a series of cars in a gross display of power. From there, the chase works its way into a parking garage then back out on the Strip as Bourne doggedly keeps up his pursuit. It isn’t until Bourne gets the Asset to crash into the facade of the Riviera that the vehicular portion of the chase finally ends. Funnily enough, the Riviera had actually closed prior to filming, and allowed the production team to actually crash into it to get this terrific shot.

“Baby Driver”

The Driver from “Drive” is an incredible getaway driver, but Baby from “Baby Driver” might just be better. Rather than tell us how good he is, the movie shows us from the get-go as Baby absconds from the scene of a robbery with the rest of his crew. With much of the action synced to the song “Bellbottoms” by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, the chase features a number of incredible stuntwork, including some jaw-dropping drifting in an alleyway. We’ve always known Edgar Wright to be a singularly kinetic comedy director, but he might just outdo himself with this sequence. “Baby Driver” is a fantastic movie, and this opening scene sets the tone for the greatness that’s to follow.

“Mission: Impossible – Fallout”

It’s honestly about time we included a “Mission: Impossible” movie here, but what better way to introduce the franchise than with arguably its finest installment? After ensuring that international criminal Solomon Lane is intercepted and captured by the rest of his team, Ethan Hunt goes on the run from Paris police. Starting out in a truck before transitioning to a motorcycle, Ethan proves that sometimes two wheels are better than four as he rides against traffic around the Arc de Triomphe. This chase scene doesn’t need to get too flashy to entertain, even though Ethan’s time on the bike doesn’t end too smoothly.

“Ad Astra”

Hey, we did say we’d be including car-adjacent vehicles, and rovers are the cars of the Moon, no? In this sci-fi epic, humanity has established long-term habitation on the Moon, and much like with what happened in the Wild West, this has bred rampant lawlessness. Brad Pitt’s Roy McBride is being escorted via rover when the convoy is ambushed by a group of space pirates. Coupled with the inherent danger of having zero atmosphere, the scene’s deafened sound effects adds to the perilousness of the whole situation. The fabulous visual effects similarly makes us feel as if the sequence was actually shot on the Moon. Fortuitously, Roy’s rover is rammed into a crater, giving him the space he needs to escape.

“Extraction”

2020 was a tough year for movies with the closure of theaters, so credit to a Netflix movie like “Extraction” for being able to thrill us from the comfort and safety of our own homes. Taking place through the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh, the chase in question is presented as if occurring in a single shot. It isn’t, but it blows our minds all the same as the camera seemingly transitions in and out of the protagonists’ car to capture all the action. It isn’t surprising to learn that Sam Hargrave has had a long career as a stunt coordinator, as all that experience clearly carried over into this, his feature directorial debut.

“F9”

We’re closing out our list by returning to the “Fast & Furious” franchise, which clearly has delivered some of the best car chases of the 21st century. Though the Edinburgh chase wherein the magnets are introduced is also great, nothing can top the climactic one in Tbilisi, Georgia. Dom and company are pursuing his brother Jakob’s crew, who are uploading an extremely dangerous program to a satellite in an armored truck. To incapacitate the various vehicles, they use a high-powered magnet. The scene doubles down on the ridiculousness, especially when the magnets are used to topple the incredibly long truck. “Fast & Furious” has rarely been more ludicrous, and we kind of love it for that.