(Photo by Fox./Courtesy Everett Collection)
Red flag, green flag, go! Let’s burn rubber as we ranking the best auto and car racing movies of all time by Tomatometer! We start with Certified Fresh classics, putting audiences in the driver’s seat at 24 Hours of Le Mans (Ford v Ferrari), Formula One Grand Prix (Rush), and NASCAR (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby).
(We focused on sanctioned sport of auto racing, so we’re saving your cannonball runs, death races, and Tokyo drifts for another day.)
Those are followed up with popular favorites, including the Indy 500 highlight Winning (starring real-life speed legend Paul Newman), Tom Cruise’s Days of Thunder, the cult dazzler Speed Racer, and family-oriented films like Cars, Turbo, and the Herbie entries.
#1
Adjusted Score: 112643%
Critics Consensus: Ford v Ferrari delivers all the polished auto action audiences will expect — and balances it with enough gripping human drama to satisfy non-racing enthusiasts.
#2
Adjusted Score: 97049%
Critics Consensus: A sleek, slick, well-oiled machine, Rush is a finely crafted sports drama with exhilarating race sequences and strong performances from Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl.
#3
Adjusted Score: 82263%
Critics Consensus: Cars offers visual treats that more than compensate for its somewhat thinly written story, adding up to a satisfying diversion for younger viewers.
#4
Adjusted Score: 77534%
Critics Consensus: Though it occasionally stalls, Talladega Nights’ mix of satire, clever gags, and excellent ensemble performances put it squarely in the winner’s circle.
#5
Adjusted Score: 100101%
Critics Consensus: Racing Dreams offers an absorbing peek at the lives of young NASCAR hopefuls that should resonate with racing enthusiasts as well as viewers with no connection to the sport.
#6
Adjusted Score: 100411%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#7
Adjusted Score: 35991%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#8
Adjusted Score: 41535%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#9
Adjusted Score: 81024%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#10
Adjusted Score: 17241%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#11
Adjusted Score: 79010%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#12
Adjusted Score: 77286%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#13
Adjusted Score: 20179%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#14
Adjusted Score: 69401%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#15
Adjusted Score: 84020%
Critics Consensus: Cars 3 has an unexpectedly poignant story to go with its dazzling animation, suggesting Pixar’s most middle-of-the-road franchise may have a surprising amount of tread left.
#16
Adjusted Score: 70856%
Critics Consensus: It’s nowhere near as inventive as its off-the-wall premise might suggest, but Turbo boasts just enough colorful visual thrills and sharp voice acting to recommend as undemanding family-friendly fare.
#17
Adjusted Score: 60780%
Critics Consensus: A thrill ride for fans, but those looking for a deeper experience will be choking on exhaust.
#18
Adjusted Score: 55704%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#19
Adjusted Score: 56110%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#20
Adjusted Score: 49083%
Critics Consensus: Overloaded with headache-inducing special effects, Speed Racer finds the Wachowskis focused on visual thrills at the expense of a coherent storyline.
#21
Adjusted Score: 45953%
Critics Consensus: Herbie: Fully Loaded is a decent kids movie that is pretty undemanding for adult viewers.
#22
Adjusted Score: 41144%
Critics Consensus: Days of Thunder has Tom Cruise and plenty of flash going for it, but they aren’t enough to compensate for the stock plot, two-dimensional characters, and poorly written dialogue.
#23
Adjusted Score: 12678%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#24
Adjusted Score: 17132%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#25
Adjusted Score: 17742%
Critics Consensus: Underdeveloped characters, silly plot dynamics, and obvious CG effects.
#26
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.