The very first car racing movie that was shown on the big screen was
The Speed Kings in 1913. The movie, which features
Fatty Arbuckle and Mable Normand, is centered around a
racetrack and two rival drivers, competing for the love of the woman they
want. The plot doesn’t sound that dissimilar to several of the
Fast and Furious movies. Of course
racing movies have come a long way
since The Speed Kings, and a hundred years later, everything is bigger, better, faster, more,
but the morals of a great racing movie will always endure - you’ve got to
give everything to win, and even the losers grow in strength and
tenacity.
Rush (2013)
The biographical movie, Rush, features Daniel Bruhl as Niki Lauda, the Austrian F1 driver, and
Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt, his closest British rival. Race car
experts
Low Offset
named Rush in their “Best Racing Movies of All Time” list
for sheer authenticity. The real cars that were featured in the movie were
a Ferrari 312T and a Ferrari 312T2, two McClaren M23s, two Lotus 77s and
two Tyrells. It is the relationship between Lauda and Hunt that really
brough Rush to life - there is an intense chemistry that
makes the movie completely believable.
The racing scenes are completely enthralling, especially considering that the 1970s was the most dangerous decade for
motorsports.
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Ford v Ferrari is a historical biopic about the fearless
Ken Miles (Christian Bale) and Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon),
two motorsports experts, who are challenged by Henry Ford II to build a
supercar that will beat Ferrari at the 24-hour Le Mans race. The movie
captures the friendships and rivalries between the main characters
perfectly, which creates even more tension when they are out on the
racetrack. Ford v Ferrari captures the excitement and
danger of Le Mans
so well, you can almost smell the rubber when they pull in for a pitstop.
It is an endurance battle that is certainly not for the
faint-hearted.
Need For Speed (2014)
Not all racing takes place on a big track.
Need For Speed features Tobey Marshall, played by
Aaron Paul, a mechanic who illegally races his muscle car creations
on the streets. The movie was originally based on the video game of the
same name, but brings to life the thrill of the underground racing scene.
The car scenes are intertwined with a complex storyline - Marshall is
framed by a wealthy rival in a murder case. Upon his release from prison,
Marshall then devises a revenge plan which involves building an elite
Mustang to take part in an incredibly exciting cross-country race. The
plot
may be a little far-fetched, but like many of the best racing movies, you simply have to go along
with the ride.
The best racing movies keep you on the edge of your seat. With great
characters and some outstanding supercars, these are the movies that we
will watch time and again.