Shut up and drive: ‘The Fast and the Furious’ franchise ranked

Has there ever been a franchise more critic-proof than The Fast and the Furious? What started as the story of undercover LAPD officer Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) infiltrating an illegal street racing gang led by the magnetic Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) slowly morphed into a series about a ragtag group of global crimefighters. Across 11 films, audiences have lapped up their blend of absurd action and sentimental musings about found families to the tune of over $6 billion worldwide. And while not every critic is a fan, many found the right gear as 5-8 in the series wound up on the juicy side of Rotten Tomatoes, peaking with Furious 7’s 81% rating.

Dom and Brian’s makeshift family increasingly grew to include Dom’s wife, Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez), his sister (and Brian’s eventual wife) Mia (Jordana Brewster), fast-talking Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), car expert Tej Parker (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges), speed demon Han Lue (Sung Kang), British hacker Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), and Dom and Mia’s long-estranged brother, Jakob (John Cena). Hulking DSS Agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), ex-MI6 mercenary Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), former Massad agent Gisele Yashar (Gal Gadot), and government operative Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) have also rotated in and out of their orbit.

The franchise has attracted A-list talent over the years, with Oscar-winners like Charlize Theron, Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, and Rita Moreno all joining in on the fun. Actors like Jason Momoa, Idris Elba, Luke Evans, and Joaquim de Almeida have all hammed it up as the villains, while the likes of Vanessa Kirby, Djimon Honsou, Michael Rooker, and Scott Eastwood have all popped up in supporting roles.

The series hasn’t been without its ups and downs, and opinions on the individual quality of each entry varies wildly depending on who you ask. Here’s our countdown of every Fast, Fate & Furious movie, ranked worst to best.

11. Fast & Furious (2009)

The fourth Fast & Furious film was an attempt to bring the franchise back to its roots, retconning the events of Tokyo Drift to explain the return of Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Yet despite director Justin Lin’s bravura with car chases and stunts, there’s not much reason for this sequel to exist other than reuniting the original cast. Dominic Toretto (Diesel) has been hiding out in the Dominican Republic when the death of his girlfriend, Letty (Rodriguez), brings him back to Los Angeles. His old pal, Brian O’Conner (Walker), is now working as an FBI agent, and rather than arrest Dom, the two team up to take down a violent drug lord (John Ortiz). Meanwhile, Brian rekindles his romance with Dom’s sister, Mia (Brewster). Thankfully, brighter days were ahead for the franchise.

10. The Fate of the Furious (2017)

You can feel the tires starting to wear thin in The Fate of the Furious, the first entry produced after the death of Paul Walker. His absence isn’t the only issue with this F. Gary Gray-directed installment, which ups the action ante while chiseling away what little storytelling existed in the previous films. Brian (Walker) has retired to live a quiet life with Mia (Jordana Brewster), while Dominic (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) have settled down. But the peace is disrupted when steely-eyed cyberterrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron) coerces Dom to turn against his makeshift family and work for her. The team reunites to save their brother, going so far as to enlist the talents of their nemesis Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham). Though the car chases are spectacular, they don’t quite match the heights of the franchise’s best.

9. Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw (2019)

The famous beef between Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson ran so deep that it inspired an entire spin-off movie. “Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw” was an attempt to branch off from the main franchise to create stand-alone films featuring your favorite supporting characters. Ex-DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Johnson) and ex-MI6 mercenary Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) must work together to stop criminal mastermind Brixton Lorr (Idris Elba) from unleashing a deadly bioweapon. Vanessa Kirby co-stars as Shaw’s sister and Hobbs’ love interest, MI6 field agent Hattie Shaw. Director David Leitch delivers the high octane action sequences fans have come to expect from the series. But the “family” stuff feels shoe-horned in, as Hobbs’ eccentric extended clan comes to the rescue in the third act.

8. F9 (2021)

Justin Lin returned to right the ship with F9, which takes the series to its looniest heights yet (stratospherically so, some might say). While an improvement on Fate of the Furious and Hobbs and Shaw, the franchise was still running on fumes at this point. Dominic (Vin Diesel) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) have left car racing behind to raise their son, Brian (named after his surrogate brother, played by the late Paul Walker). But as you would expect, Dom has to reassemble his family when a new foe arises. This time, it’s none other than his estranged brother, Jakob (John Cena), who went off the grid after being blamed for a car crash that killed their father. He’s re-emerged as a master speed racer and assassin working with the villainous Cipher (Charlize Theron) to enact a nefarious plot that requires the team to do no less than launch a car into space.

7. 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

2 Fast 2 Furious has the distinction of being the only Fast & Furious installment to be helmed by an Oscar nominee, the late John Singleton. That heightened pedigree perhaps set the film up for disaster with critics, who understandably expected more from the director of Boyz ‘N the Hood. Yet modern assessment has improved (ever so slightly) as appreciation for Singleton’s energetic style has grown. Paul Walker returns as ex-cop Brian O’Conner, who leaves Los Angeles for Miami after helping Dominic Torreto flee arrest. He falls immediately into the local street racing scene, organized by mechanic Tej Parker (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges). When the feds apprehend him, he cuts a deal to infiltrate an Argentinian drug cartel with the help of childhood friend Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson).

6. Fast X (2023) – review

Despite some very public production problems that saw the exit of director Justin Lin over creative differences with Vin Diesel (he was replaced by Louis Leterrier), Fast X manages to breathe new life into the franchise just when the wheels were in danger of coming off. You can credit part of that revitalization to Jason Momoa’s performance as the most entertaining villain the series has had in quite some time. He plays Dante, a flamboyant sociopath who holds a grudge against Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and his crew for killing his father, Brazilian drug kingpin Hernan Reyes (aka the bad guy from Fast Five). He emerges after 10 years to exact his revenge, targeting the one thing Dom values above all else: his family. In what is the first of a planned three-part finale, Fast X proves there’s still some tread on the tires.

5. The Fast and the Furious (2001)

Watching the original The Fast and the Furious is like finding a relic from another century, considering how dramatically the series has evolved since then. While later sequels would up the action ante and turn the characters into a crime-fighting found family, Rob Cohen’s initial installment is an unabashed throwback to exploitation cinema of the grindhouse era. Paul Walker stars as Brian O’Conner, an LAPD officer who infiltrates a criminal street racing gang led by the enigmatic Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his girlfriend, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). Brian’s fealty to the law is tested when he grows fond of the high speed lifestyle – and falls in love with Dom’s sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster). Though no masterpiece, the film delivered enough hair-raising thrills to inspire one of the most successful franchises in history.

4. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)

Tokyo Drift was the first Fast and the Furious film directed by Justin Lin, who helmed five entries in the franchise, including its best (Fast Five) and its worst (Fast & Furious). The third installment is a near-complete reset, giving the series a creative boost that would carry over into its best films. When street racing teenager Sean Boswell (Lucas Black) wrecks a construction site, he goes to live with his estranged father in Japan to avoid jail time. He quickly finds comradery with Tokyo’s drifting community after befriending fellow American teen Twinkie (Bow Wow). With the help of Dominic Toretto’s old pal Han Lue (Sung Kang), Sean takes on the city’s drift king, DK (Brian Tee), and romances the racer’s girlfriend, Neela (Nathalie Kelley). Dom (Diesel) shows up at the end to challenge the kid to a race. 

3. Fast & Furious 6 (2013)

Having finally cracked the code with Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6 built upon the unusual blend of outlandish action scenes and found family sentimentality that made that fifth installment so successful. Having successfully pulled off their heist in Rio, Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian’s (Paul Walker) team of car thieves have split up to enjoy their riches, although they still have to hide from the law. DSS Agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) offers the team full pardons if they agree to help him track down dangerous mercenary Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). Much to Dom’s surprise, Shaw’s second-in-command is none other than his previously thought to be deceased girlfriend, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). It’s up to Dom and his family to apprehend Shaw and bring Letty back from the dark side.

2. Furious 7 (2015)

It’s impossible to separate Furious 7 from the untimely death of Paul Walker, who was killed in a single vehicle car accident before filming was complete (the incident occurred off set). This tragic circumstance lends an extra emotional heft to the found family motif that has become a part of the franchise. But that does nothing to take away from the brainless action thrills provided by director James Wan. After killing terrorist Owen Shaw, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O’Connor (Walker), and their ragtag band of car whizzes now have to contend with a new foe: Shaw’s brother, Deckard (Jason Statham). Shady government agent Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) agrees to lend them assistance in their fight against Shaw, but first, they’ll have to rescue kidnapped British hacker Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), who has developed a nifty piece of surveillance technology called the God’s Eye.

1. Fast Five (2011)

It took a few laps around the track, but the Fast & Furious series finally achieved its finest form with the fifth go-round. Directed by series regular Justin Lin, Fast Five found the special mixture that has fueled the franchise ever since, forgoing car chases in favor of gonzo set pieces carried out by the world’s most bizarre makeshift family. After Brian (Paul Walker) and Mia (Jordana Brewster) break Dominic (Vin Diesel) out of prison, the trio make their way to Rio de Janeiro to hide from the law. They’re given the opportunity to buy their freedom by heisting $100 million from drug kingpin Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almedia). They assemble a ragtag team of professional car thieves, mechanics, and ass-kickers to pull off a heist, all the while evading DSS Agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson).

The newest film in the series, Fast X, hits theaters on May 19.