Ranking the 9 best racing movies from Cars to F1: The Movie
The fast-paced action flick F1: The Movie hit theaters this weekend, and based on early returns, audiences are loving it. It currently sits with a whopping 97% approval rating from audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes — the 83% critics rating makes it "Certified Fresh" — and is tracking to earn an impressive $55.6 million domestically and $144 million globally.
F1: The Movie, which follows washed-up Formula 1 racer Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) as he tries to find himself and his place on a new team alongside up-and-coming driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), is the latest in a long line of driving-themed movies.
So which of the racing movies is the best? Let's take a look at some of the top contenders. Please note this is movies only, so the Netflix miniseries Senna doesn't count.
Is Days of Thunder a particularly good movie? No. Is it still iconic? Yes. Early Tom Cruise plays basically Maverick in a race car with a supporting cast of Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman and Randy Quaid. Rubbing is racing.
This Pixar movie spawned several sequels and has made Lightning McQueen a mainstay in pop culture — KACHOW! Not the best that the studio has put out, but Owen Wilson brings heart to the race track.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is an utterly ridiculous movie and some of Will Ferrell's best work. It's wildly quotable — if you ain't first, you're last — and a hilarious look at the world of racing.
Gran Turismo took the real story of Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) turning from a video game racer to a real-life driver and brought it to the big screen. David Harbour, Orlando Bloom and Djimon Hounsou co-starred in this fast-paced and exciting sports flick full of emotion.
While the rest of the franchise got away from the true racing aspect, the first was all about the underbelly of street racing (and family, of course). It's a truly iconic movie, led by Paul Walker and Vin Diesel.
Rush tells the true story of rival racers James Hunt and Niki Lauda — played by Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl, respectively — that approached the art of Formula 1 racing in two vastly different ways. While their story obviously revolves around the track, it also tackles the physical and emotional toll racing has not just on the drivers, but the family in their lives.
I fought the urge to put this at the top, but you could make the argument. Joseph Kosinski is masterful when it comes to putting the viewer right in the action, and after being snubbed in the cinematography category for Top Gun: Maverick, he should get a nod here. Pitt taps into full movie star mode, but it's Idris who truly shines. Kerry Condon is wonderful as the the team's technical lead, and Javier Bardem is wonderful as always.
Christian Bale and Matt Damon star Ford v Ferrari, a true story about how American car designer Ken Carroll (Damon) and British driver Ken Miles worked alongside one another to build a Ford race car that could take on Ferrari at the iconic Le Mans race in 1966. It's full of emotion and incredible driving scenes, and it's worthy of the top spot.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Ranking the 9 best racing movies from Cars to F1: The Movie
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