Best Car Chases in Movie History, Ranked for Explosive Excitement

Introduction

Car chases are a movie staple, and it's easy to overlook the skill required to pull them off. From convincing stunt driving to elicit the proper reactions from the actors to directing vehicular combat, these examples represent the best car chases in movie history.

The Top Car Chases in Movie History, Ranked

1. Duel (1971) - The entire movie is one extended car chase, and Steven Spielberg's directorial debut is a tense, white-knuckle experience from start to finish.
2. Bullitt (1968) - This chase through the streets and hills of San Francisco is legendary, with the cars jumping over hills and a fiery finale.
3. The Italian Job (1969) - This comedic heist film features an exhilarating car chase through Turin, with the criminals escaping through rooftops, across a river, and through sewers in Mini Coopers.
4. Ronin (1998) - This chase through Paris is acclaimed for its realism and includes scenes of cars flipping and close calls on crowded highways.
5. Gone in 60 Seconds (1974) - This film features a legendary car chase through Southern California, causing significant damage to over 100 cars. It's a true labor of love from writer/director/producer/star/stunt driver H. B. Halicki.
6. The Seven-Ups (1973) - This chase through Manhattan features dramatic scenes like knocking the doors off cars and using a Greyhound bus as cover.
7. Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974) - This film features several incredible car stunts, including a police vehicle spinning out and launching backward into a body of water.
8. McQ (1974) - This thriller features a unique chase scene with the protagonist catching up to the truck repeatedly, showcasing the chase from different angles.
9. Vanishing Point (1971) - This movie is a white-knuckle ride from start to finish, with the protagonist evading police and competing in a deadly race.
10. Death Proof (2007) - This Quentin Tarantino film features a thrilling game of cat and mouse with stuntwomen on a highway.
11. Violent Rome, aka Violent City (1975) - This Italian thriller features a destructive car chase through the streets of Rome, leaving behind multiple wrecked cars, vendor stands, and street signs.
12. The Mechanic (1972) - This film features a thrilling cliffside road chase with multiple time bombs and a finale with a car being pushed off a cliff.
13. The Transporter (2002) - This thriller features an epic opening sequence with a car leaping off a bridge and landing on a car hauler truck.
14. The Matrix Reloaded (2003) - This sci-fi thriller features an epic highway chase with agents in cop cars and a explosive semi-truck on semi-truck crash.
15. John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) - This sequence features a thrilling car chase through a taxi garage with John Wick evading henchmen.
16. The Raid 2 (2014) - This martial arts thriller features an insane car chase with hand-to-hand combat on top of the cars.
17. The Bourne Supremacy (2004) - This thriller features a memorable chase through Moscow, with the protagonist evading police and chasing the villain.
18. Drive (2011) - This opening sequence is a stylish and thrilling escape from the police through downtown Los Angeles.
19. The Driver (1978) - This film features a tense chase through Los Angeles with the protagonist evading the LAPD.