There’s plenty of movie moments that can make the heart race. Sometimes it’s something as simple as a tense conversation. Other times it’s something as violent as a fast-paced shoot-out. But there’s nothing quite like a car chase to bring out the thrills from the movie experience.
The roaring of the engines, the speed of the cars, and the dangers of cars spinning out into destruction will certainly get the heart racing. Consider how the Fast & Furious franchise has kept audiences coming back time after time with the promise that you’ll see lots of cars with lots of racing and lots of crashes.
But have you ever wondered just how effective some of these movie car chases are at making your heart pound? Well, now we have a study that has scientifically proven which car chases are the best at making the blood flow and create a sense of exhilaration in your body.
So if you’re looking for some intense movies with the best car chases, consider the following list of movies with the highest average BPM when the chases kick into high gear.
- “Mad Max: Fury Road” (Average BPM: 85)
It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that George Miller’s 2015 masterpiece of a Mad Max movie is the most intense of movie car chases. This is mainly because, well, the chase is the entire film. A captured Max finds himself flung into a caravan war between the noble mercenary of Furiosa and the crazed cult of Immortan Joe. They face off in a brutal battle of absurd cars that bound across a post-apocalyptic desert with some of the most explosive action ever put to screen, amped up fully by the thrilling soundtrack composed by Junkie XL. - “Fast & Furious 6” (Average BPM: 84)
While the Fast & Furious saga of films certainly found their groove with Fast Five, it’s hard to deny the absurdity and fun was cranked up high in the sixth entry. There’s plenty of great chases in the film but the crescendo of a chase alongside a moving Antonov An-124 on a runaway is a scene loaded with ridiculously large explosions and intense speeds. - “Furious 7” (Average BPM: 83)
It should come as no shock that there’s a handful of Fast & Furious movies on this list but “Furious 7” is certainly worthy of being near the top. This continuation not only features some fantastically shot fight scenes and Dwayne Johnson with a massive machine gun but also unbelievable sequences of cars dropping from the sky, dashing between skyscrapers, and fleeing from missiles. - “Ronin” (Average BPM: 82)
John Frankenheimer’s 1998 crime film is perhaps most notable for the car chases that take place in Nice and Paris. The chases are more tactile than the previous films, portrayed as more believable and real cases involving cars. That being said, it’s quite the feat to watch Robert De Niro and Jean Reno in a chase where they have to drive backward through narrow streets at high speeds.
- “Baby Driver” (Average BPM: 80)
Edgar Wright’s films are always such fast-paced, quickly-edited, and fun. “Baby Driver” is no exception as the zippy director places his skills with shooting into exhilarating chases as the titular character of a getaway driver showcases his fancy skills in evading police. The film is also notable for its astounding cutting that manages to perfectly tune the finale of a car duel to the music of Queen.
- “Fast and the Furious” (2001) (Average BPM: 78)
Before Fast and Furious went all ridiculous with missions involving missiles, tanks, aircraft carriers, and even car zombies, it was once known as a street racing movie with more believable stunts. Even in its early days, the slew of speed-pushing chases were impressive and still holds up to this day, making the first Fast & Furious film far more than just the quaint beginnings of something bigger. - “Quantum of Solace” (Average BPM: 77)
James Bond films are known for quite a few familiar components and the cars are certainly a draw. Not only do the cars look nice but come with all manner of handy gadgets. As the second film of the Daniel Craig era of the character, “Quantum of Solace” isn’t afraid to stage some tight car chases of Craig veering around traffic, tunnels, and construction sites as he attempts to avoid capture.
- “The Bourne Supremacy” (Average BPM: 76)
As the second film in the Bourne saga, “The Bourne Supremacy” once more features rogue agent Jason Bourne evading authorities. During a car chase with Kirill, there’s some fast-paced driving but also a lot of banging and crashing as cars collide all over the place until they’re a complete mess of torn-up metal by the end of the scene. - “The French Connection” (Average BPM: 76)
This Oscar-winning crime picture is best known for the expertly shot sequence of Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle relentlessly pursuing his target. After losing his suspect when he boards a train, Popeye follows the raised tracks by speeding through traffic to catch up with his target, keeping a close eye on both the road and the tracks. - “Batman: The Dark Knight” (Average BPM: 75)
In Batman’s most explosive encounter with the Joker, the Batmobile becomes a target for Joker’s goons who are initially trying to assassinate Harvey Dent’s prison van. The attack proceeds with bazookas and guns, creating lots of explosions and car crashes along the way. This sequence becomes all the more captivating when realizing that it was shot for IMAX and one of the incredibly expensive cameras for shooting in such a format was broken during this fast-paced chase.
Though they didn’t make the top 10 list, it should be noted that a lot of exciting car chases have been filmed in Hungary. Films such as “Die Hard 5 “ and “The Spy Who Dumped Me” are worth mentioning but let’s not forget the most recent Marvel movie of “Black Widow”, which featured a riveting chase of cars and motorcycles through the streets of Budapest.
