The smell of burnt rubber, the roar of powerful engines and the nail-biting spectacle of neck-and-neck battles — there’s something uniquely thrilling about the best auto racing movies Hollywood has to offer. Placing the viewer in the driver’s seat, these films make one feel the G-force of sharp turns and the breathless anticipation of the starting line. From intricate shots of finely tuned machinery to slow-motion sequences of high-stakes manoeuvres, race films make us participants in the impossible drama.
From the glamorous world of Formula One to gritty stock car circuits and beyond, the silver screen provides a unique lens into the lives of F1 drivers, the intense rivalries and the sheer drama of racing at breakneck speeds.
With the February 2024 release of the sixth season of Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive series reigniting interest and the upcoming untitled F1 movie starring Brad Pitt revving its engines, it’s a fantastic time to explore cinema’s greatest contributions to the world of auto racing.
However, the following list encompasses a variety of auto-racing movies, spanning from Formula One to other exhilarating racing genres. We will shift to high gear, dramatic crashes and extraordinary victories. So, buckle up and get ready to leave your competition in the dust as we explore the exhilarating world of adrenaline-fuelled cinema.
The best auto-racing movies to get your heart pounding
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- Days of Thunder (1990)
- Thunderbolt (1995)
- Death Race (2008)
- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
- Racing Dreams (2009)
- Gran Turismo (2023)
- The 24 Hour War (2016)
- Cars (2006)
- Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman
- Grand Prix (1966)
- 1: Life on the Limit (2013)
- Ford v Ferrari (2019)
- Senna (2010)
1 /13
Days of Thunder (1990)
IMDb rating: 6.1
Directed by: Tony Scott
Cast: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid
Synopsis: Hotshot rookie NASCAR driver Cole Trickle (Cruise) clashes with his team, his mentor (Duvall) and a rival driver while battling for the championship and the attention of a beautiful doctor (Kidman).
2 /13
Thunderbolt (1995)
IMDb rating: 6.3
Directed by: Gordon Chan
Cast: Jackie Chan, Anita Yuen, Michael Wong
Synopsis: Mechanic and race car driver Jackie Chan (Chan) is drawn into an intense rivalry with a ruthless Japanese street racer known as Cougar.
3 /13
Death Race (2008)
IMDb rating: 6.4
Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson
Cast: Jason Statham, Joan Allen, Tyrese Gibson, Ian McShane
Synopsis: In a dystopian future, framed convict Jensen Ames (Statham) is forced to compete in Death Race, a brutal televised prison race where cars are armed with deadly weapons.
4 /13
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
IMDb rating: 6.6
Directed by: Adam McKay
Cast: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen
Synopsis: NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby (Ferrell) believes he’s the greatest racer alive until a talented French Formula One driver, Jean Girard (Cohen), challenges his supremacy.
5 /13
Racing Dreams (2009)
IMDb rating: 7.1
Directed by: Marshall Curry
Synopsis: This documentary follows a year in the life of three young racers — Josh Hobson, Brandon Warren and Annabeth Barnes — competing in the World Karting Association’s National Series, giving an inside look at the hopes, ambitions and challenges they face.
6 /13
Gran Turismo (2023)
IMDb rating: 7.2
Directed by: Neill Blomkamp
Cast: David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Archie Madekwe
Synopsis: The gaming skills of a talented Gran Turismo player Jann Mardenborough (Madekwe) win him a shot at becoming a real-world professional race car driver.
7 /13
The 24 Hour War (2016)
IMDb rating: 7.2
Directed by: Nate Adams, Adam Carolla
Cast: Charlie Agapiou, Mario Andretti, A.J. Baime, Bob Bondurant
Synopsis: This documentary dives into the legendary 1966 battle between Ford and Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Witness the high-stakes world of endurance racing and the personal stories behind the drivers.
8 /13
Cars (2006)
IMDb rating: 7.2
Directed by: John Lasseter
Voice cast: Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy
Synopsis: Hotshot race car Lightning McQueen (Wilson) finds himself unexpectedly stranded in the sleepy town of Radiator Springs. While learning about friendship and community, he prepares for the biggest race of his life.
9 /13
Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman
IMDb rating: 7.6
Directed by: Adam Carolla, Nate Adams
Synopsis: This documentary explores the surprising and successful racing career spanning 35 years of Hollywood legend Paul Newman.
10 /13
Grand Prix (1966)
IMDb rating: 7.6
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
Cast: James Garner, Yves Montand, Toshiro Mifune, Eva Marie Saint
Synopsis: An all-star cast tackles the world of Formula One racing in this epic drama. Follow the story of an American driver Pete Aron (Garner), trying to make his mark in a dangerous and ruthless sport.
11 /13
1: Life on the Limit (2013)
IMDb rating: 7.9
Directed by: Paul Crowder
Cast: Michael Fassbender (narrator), Lewis Hamilton, Niki Lauda
Synopsis: Dive into the history of Formula One racing, exploring both the evolution of safety in the sport and the inherent dangers faced by charismatic drivers, such as Hamilton, Lauda, Mario Andretti, Sebastian Vettel, Mario Andretti and Michael Schumacher, in the pursuit of speed.
12 /13
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
IMDb rating: 8.1
Directed by: James Mangold
Cast: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Caitriona Balfe
Synopsis: Automotive designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and fearless driver Ken Miles (Bale) defy corporate interference and the laws of physics to build a revolutionary race car for Ford. Their goal: To challenge the dominance of Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
13 /13
Senna (2010)
IMDb rating: 8.5
Directed by: Asif Kapadia
Cast: Reginaldo Leme, John Bisignano, Neyde Senna, Richard Williams
Synopsis: This documentary chronicles the life and career of Brazilian Formula One legend Ayrton Senna, from his karting beginnings to his tragic death on the track.
About the film: Composed entirely of archival footage, Senna is a powerful tribute to a complex and controversial figure, considered by many to be one of the greatest drivers ever.
(Hero image: Courtesy of Photo by Merrick Morton – © 20th Century Fox/ IMDb); featured image: Courtesy of © 2013 – Universal Pictures/IMDb)
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-Which is the best auto-racing movie?
For pure racing drama, films like Rush (2013) and Ford v Ferrari (2019) often top the charts. If you like action-packed car sequences from other genres, The Italian Job (2003) or Baby Driver (2017) might be better choices.
-Which is the highest-rated auto-racing movie according to IMDb?
Currently, Senna (2010) holds the highest IMDb rating among auto-racing movies with an IMDb rating of 8.7. However, feature films like Rush and Ford v Ferrari are also well-loved on the platform, with a rating of 8.1 each.
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