The 'Fast and Furious' Movies, Ranked From Worst to Best

Director: Louis Leterrier

Cast: Vin Diesel, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jason Mamoa, Brie Larson, and Rita Moreno 

Release date: May 19, 2023

Box office: TBA

Ed. Note: Warning. Spoilers ahead. 

Things are getting out of hand in the Fast & Furious universe. Most people would agree that that happened long ago, but for the true ride or dies of the franchise, the more outlandish the stunts and storylines are, the better. I would usually agree with that, I know what I sign up for every time I purchase a movie ticket—but Fast X really takes things to another level, and not in a good way. Fast X attempts to tie in the story from Fast Five to include their most-dislikable villain yet, Dante Reyes, played masterfully, and annoyingly, by Jason Mamoa. Dante is driven by revenge and anticipates that the Fast family is stronger together, so he plots to split them apart and for most of the 2-hour-plus film, Dom is on his own and away from his loved ones, including Letty and the usual crew.

Ghosts from the past revisit as the family faces their biggest threat yet, which even their fast cars and their skills can’t save them from. The last film found Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris) in space and that still didn’t feel as ridiculous or far-fetched as some of the stunts in Fast X—but as always, the stunts that work, work, and make it worth watching in theaters. The franchise has become a parody of itself, and moviegoers laughed and sneered at every moment where the film attempted to be sentimental or profound. Fans are there for the explosions, the driving, and the action, but at this point, it’s not clear if they are watching for enjoyment or ironically to poke fun at it. Diesel teased that Fast X will be a trilogy, but from where I was sitting in that theater, more movies may just be overkill for a franchise that once brought fans so much excitement. It might be best to reach the finish line sooner rather than later. 

Director: Justin Lin

Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz, Laz Alonso​​​​​​​

Release date: Apr. 3, 2009​​​​​​​

Box office: $360.4 million

The 2009 reboot/back-to-basics approach of Fast & Furious feels like a sort of necessary evil. Blending the pure street racing elements of the first movie with the beginnings of the more prominent heist aspects we’d see in later films, director Justin Lin’s sophomore effort falls into that dreaded slump as the fourth Fast movie tries to do one too many things. However, bringing the entire crew back together after the previous installments left Dom, Brian, Letty, and Mia in disparate places proved to be the smart move—and served as fertile soil upon which future installments would build a powerful foundation.

Director: David Leitch

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Cliff Curtis, Helen Mirren​​​​​​​

Release date: Aug. 2, 2019

Box office: $760 million

Without the “Fast & Furious Presents” part of Hobbs & Shaw, you’d be hard-pressed to realize this movie has any connection to the franchise outside of porting its leads over from the main series. Even then, the considerable amount of legwork Deadpool 2 director David Leitch does to bring The Rock’s Hobbs and Jason Statham’s Shaw together feels forced. Their chemistry isn’t as stifling as the (poor) romance plot between Hobbs and Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby, otherwise brilliant in a star-making turn). Idris Elba’s Brixton serves as a good villain, thanks in part to the visible blast Elba is having hamming it up. Outside of those few bright spots and an inspired third-act action sequence in Samoa, Hobbs & Shaw feels like it took all the wrong lessons from the Fast franchise as it worked to establish itself as something new.

Director: F. Gary Gray

Cast: Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Scott Eastwood, Nathalie Emmanuel, Elsa Pataky, Kurt Russell, Kristofer Hivju, Charlize Theron​​​​​​​

Release date: Apr. 14, 2017​​​​​​​

Box office: $1.236 billion

The Fast & Furious franchise was always going to struggle without Paul Walker, but The Fate of the Furious feels especially inert without his presence. Director F. Gary Gray’s take on the series is too bogged down in cyberterrorism (!?) and a faux Dom gone bad plot that never entirely comes together. Even the inclusion of Charlize Theron isn’t enough to give this the NOS-infused boost it needs. Despite having helmed The Italian Job remake (which, coincidentally, included Theron and Statham), Gray’s direction in Fate can’t manage any vehicle-based spectacle nearly as memorable as Job’s Mini Cooper sequence. However, he does get some points for Statham’s fantastic baby-based brawl.

Director: John Singleton

Cast: Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, James Remar​​​​​​​

Release date: June 6, 2003​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Box office: $236.4 million

Despite its silly namesake, 2 Fast 2 Furious deserves a little more respect than it gets credit for. As directed by the great John Singleton, the sequel switches LA sprawl for majestic Miami and brings along wise-cracking Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Ludacris) as soon-to-be franchise stalwarts. 

As the Fast series continues to spiral out of control in its audaciousness, the DNA of those grand plans can be traced back to 2 Fast. The absurdity of NOS-fueled ejector seats and yacht-hopping would soon pale in comparison to parachuting cars or driving a Lykan HyperSport between the Etihad Towers. But Singleton clearly understood the potential the series could have, as his impact on the franchise continues to ripple almost two decades later.

Director: 

Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Luke Evans, Gina Carano, John Ortiz

Release date: May 24, 2013​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Box office: $788.7 million

Trying to recapture the intoxicating thrill of Fast Five was always doomed to be a fool’s errand, but I’ll be damned if I don’t commend Justin Lin and Chris Morgan for trying. There’s something to be admired in the way Fast & Furious 6 literally kills its darlings by (kind of) sunsetting Gisele (Gal Gadot) and Han (Sung Kang). The former seemed like a foregone conclusion, but reminding audiences of Han’s fate and then tossing in the wildcard of Statham as the elder Shaw brother made for a darkly fantastic twist of the family dynamic of the series. The less said about the runway sequence, the better, but the highway tank ranks among the series’ best moments.

Director: Rob Cohen

Cast: Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Rick Yune, Chad Lindberg, Johnny Strong, Ted Levine​​​​​​​

Release date: June 22, 2001​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Box office: $207.3 million

Considering there’s a likely chance F9 is heading to space, it’s staggering to look at the humble origins of The Fast and the Furious and realize they’re both pieces of the same whole. However, the Point Break-riff of the original still holds up a staggering 20 years(!) later.

The bromance between Brian and Dom remains one of the series’ most endearing traits, and the supporting cast around them feels just as well considered. When it comes to the racing, those sequences still manage to feel electric; you’re bound to push the pedal of your car down just a little harder after watching it in an attempt to capture some of the thrills. 

Director: Justin Lin

Cast: Lucas Black, Bow Wow, Nathalie Kelley, Sung Kang​​​​​​​

Release date: June 16, 2006​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Box office: $159 million

Tokyo Drift has become a bit of a reclamation project amongst die-hard fans of the franchise, as it marks the first appearance of some of the most beloved parts of the series in the form of director Justin Lin, writer Chris Morgan, and Sung Kang’s portrayal of Han Lue. Lin and Morgan would define—and subsequently, redefine!—what a Fast & Furious movie could be, the origins of which begin in Tokyo Drift. The movie also marks one of the last entries focused purely on the art and craft of racing before its ambitions grew larger.

While Lucas Black isn’t the most captivating lead, the fish out of water tale surrounding him becomes intoxicating as both he and the audience dive deeper into the heart and soul of Japanese street racing with Bow Wow in tow. Kang’s performance as Han is coolly iconic; his snacking habit rivals Brad Pitt in the Ocean’s movies, while his belief in the special bond between man and machine is unbelievably compelling. It’s no wonder why Lin, Morgan, and Kang found a way to bring him back for future installments. The movie also solidified Lin’s talents as a visual wonder, as the neon-drenched glow of the Shibuya sequence remains a series-best almost 15 years later. Call it polarizing if you must, but real ones know Tokyo Drift is one of the franchise’s superior outings. 

Director: James Wan

Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Djimon Hounsou, Kurt Russell, Jason Statham​​​​​​​

Release date: Apr. 3, 2015​​​​​​​

Box office: $1.516 billion

We might be going too much with our hearts over our heads here. Still, the genuinely moving and emotionally effective tribute to Paul Walker at the end of Furious 7 remains a remarkable feat. Equally as memorable are the setpieces of this thing, which rival Fast Five in outstanding visuals and inspired creativity. Cars parachuting out of planes and flying between buildings inexplicably manage to balance the real and surreal while giving the Fast family a menacing threat in the form of Deckard Shaw. New additions like Kurt Russell seamlessly fit in, while old favorites still find new ways to surprise; I’ll never forget the roar of the crowd when The Rock flexed his arm out of a cast in a perfect representation of how expertly this movie conveyed both ridiculousness and entertainment.

Director: Justin Lin

Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Sung Kang, Tego Calderon, Don Omar, Gal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson, Matt Schulze

Release date: Apr. 29, 2011​​​​​​​

Box office: $626.1 million

By the time a storied film franchise hits its fifth installment, most of them are typically scraping the bottom of the barrel to find new stories and innovations. Not so with Fast Five, which not only is the series’ best, but one of the best blockbuster movies ever. 

The third partnership of the Lin and Morgan brain trust managed to tie together all the parts of the previous films and bring in our favorite characters from every past movie under one umbrella. Tossing The Rock’s Agent Hobbs and a full-on Ocean’s 11-inspired heist into the mix might feel like a bridge too far, but both aspects strengthen the whole. The heist angle provides the now fully loaded ensemble with plenty of individual moments to shine—and makes Dom’s platitudes about family feel fully special. Sure, FF stands for Fast Five, but this movie proves it could just as easily stand for found family. The Rock turned out to be a great addition to the franchise, understanding his role perfectly. But the action in this movie remains the best of the bunch; the safe-swinging street chase, the favela foot race, the bulky beatdown between Dom and Hobbs—each is memorable (and still grounded in some version of normal reality). 

Fast Five is a well-oiled machine. When everything comes together, it’s simply masterful to behold.