Though we’re still two years out from Fast X: Part Two, now’s as good a time as any to revisit the Fast & Furious franchise. There are eleven movies to get through, and not all of them satisfy our need for speed. These are the best of the bunch.
Best Fast & Furious movies as of 2025
The first Fast & Furious hit theaters nearly 25 years ago, and since then, the series has delivered a new installment every few years. The movies vary wildly. Some are straight-up duds, most fall in the professional category of “that was entertaining and mindless”, and only one has ever managed to crack 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. But it’s hard to deny there’s something about them that we can’t get enough of. And the numbers don’t lie — these movies still take in hundreds of millions of dollars, so you can probably expect they’ll still be making more of them for a while, regardless of whether or not they ever become a critic darling, which we know is very unlikely. Calling something “the best” here is always a little subjective, but for the most part, we’ve ranked them with their current ratings in mind.
The Fast & The Furious (2001)
Okay, this one has mixed reviews and often isn’t at the top of every list. But we’re going to give credit where credit is due and put the original movie on the list. This one takes us back to the original lineup, when the focus was firmly on street racing and crime. You could really categorize the first four films as the “street-race crime era,” followed by films 5–7, which mark the “heist era,” and then films 8-11, often less fondly called the “Dwayne Johnson era.” Each era has its highlights and flaws, but within the first era, The Fast and the Furious stands out as the best. Beyond its satisfying mash-up of car culture, adrenaline-fueled races, and of course, classic crime drama, The Fast & The Furious launched us into the billion-dollar franchise.
Plot-wise, The Fast and the Furious (2001) introduces us to undercover cop Brian O’Conner, who infiltrates the Los Angeles street-racing scene to investigate a string of high-speed truck hijackings. Brian quickly becomes entangled in the world of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), the charismatic leader of a close-knit crew of racers. As Brian gains Dom’s trust, he struggles with his growing loyalty to the crew, plus the budding romance with Dom’s sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster). But if anyone knew his real mission, well – you know.
Fast Five (2011)
Fast Five marks a major turning point for the franchise. Some fans started checking out around this point, thanks in part to the arrival of Dwayne Johnson as DSS agent Luke Hobbs. Whether that backlash was about The Rock’s acting chops or his much-publicized off-screen feud with Vin Diesel, it didn’t stop audiences from picking sides.
Still, this is our second pick for the best Fast & Furious movie, and fan response backs it up: with a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s one of the highest-rated entries in the series. The film shifts gears from street racing into full-blown action-heist territory. Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), and Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) find themselves fugitives in Rio de Janeiro. But freedom has a price tag, and in this case, the crew will need to steal $100 million from drug lord Hernan Reyes (Joaquin de Almeida). It’s also tough to beat the vault chase. For some, this might be the peak of the franchise, and we’d have to give it to them.
Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
There’s definitely a case to be made for Fast & Furious 6 being the best Fast & Furious movie, period. Between this villain, the action sequences, the team dynamics, and just the right amount of over-the-top spectacle, Fast & Furious 6 is really solid. And, if we dare to say so, it may feature the best race of the series — though the Braga qualifying race in Fast & Furious is another contender — which could tip this one over into top-film territory. But for now, we’ll leave it sitting at number three.
Plot-wise, Fast & Furious 6 picks up with Dom (Vin Diesel), Brian (Paul Walker), and the rest of the crew enjoying life after their Rio heist, only to be recruited back into action by Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). He needs their help to take down Owen Shaw (Luke Evans), a former Special Forces soldier. Things get personal when they discover that Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), long thought dead, is alive and working with Shaw. What follows is a globe-trotting mission full of car chases, heists, and impossible stunts, the whole shabang, which culminates in the never-ending runway finale.
Furious 7 (2015)
Furious 7 picks up after Fast & Furious 6, with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), and the crew trying to settle back into everyday lives after defeating international terrorist Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). That peace doesn’t last long when Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) shows up to avenge his brother. The team is soon pulled into a high-stakes mission involving a hacker named Ramsey and her surveillance program, “God’s Eye,” which can track anyone in the world.
The movie isn’t without its flaws. There are a few plot holes, and the series’s ever-increasing appetite for over-the-top stunts leads to more than a few eye-roll moments. From cars parachuting out of planes to skyscraper jumps in Abu Dhabi, it’s packed with spectacle, for better or worse. But more than the action, Furious 7 is remembered for its heartfelt send-off to Paul Walker, who tragically passed away before the film’s release in 2013.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
Before we get into this, yes, this is technically a spin-off. We’d also like to take a moment to remind everyone that this whole franchise is what we’d like to call popcorn fun. It’s mindless, comedic, entertaining, and full of things that blow up. There’s a limited bag of tricks, and at this point, we’ve really seen them all. Hobbs & Shaw is no exception. And while, again, the plot takes a backseat to the driving force of the action, this one feels somewhat fresh, thanks largely to the comedy and the fresh characters — notably Vanessa Kirby as “that hot spy lady,” Hattie Shaw.
In terms of the movie’s storyline, Hobbs & Shaw (2019) is a spin-off from the main Fast & Furious series. This time, certain events force Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) to team up despite their mutual dislike of each other. The duo face off against Brixton, played by an absolutely stellar Idris Elba. This guy is a cyber-genetically enhanced villain who’s threatening global security with a virus. Nothing like a little biological warfare to get things moving.
Alongside Hattie Shaw, who is Deckard’s sister and a skilled MI6 operative, Hobbs races across the globe in classic Fast & Furious fashion. But the flirtation between Hobbs and Shaw, combined with the sweet father-daughter moments between Hobbs and his daughter, brings a nice sense of lighthearted humanity to the film, earning it a spot as our fifth pick for the best Fast & Furious movies.
How we picked the best Fast & Furious movies
We picked these movies based on a combination of critical and fan reception. Really, we didn’t include anything on the list that tanks in terms of reviews. We also picked the films that strike the right balance between narrative and action, and considered whether these are genuinely worth rewatching. If you’re in the mood for more car-meets-action thrills, check out our list of favorite Transformers movies.
