If you feel the need, the need for speed (and other car-themed movies), we've got you covered. We've compiled our top 10 NOS-fuelled flicks into one tidy watchlist that'll get you revved up for the 2026 Grand Prix season.
F1: The Movie (2025)
Four-time Oscar-nominee, F1: The Movie, adds car expertise and credibility to its cast with real-life Formula 1 drivers, including Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Yuki Tsunoda, just to name a few.
The story follows retired F1 driver Sonny Hayes (Pitt), known as 'the greatest that never was', after an accident nearly ended his career. The story jumps forward three decades to Hayes being recruited by former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Bardem), whose racing team is on the verge of ruin. Hayes is tasked with riding alongside talented, wisecracking rookie Joshua Pearce (Idris). But can Hayes earn his respect and pull off the impossible?
This film is guaranteed to get your adrenaline pumping, especially since it's directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick). Despite getting a theatrical release, F1: The Movie is an Apple TV exclusive.
Director: Joseph Kosinski | Cast: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, Sarah Niles, Will Merrick
Language: English | Rating: M
Genre: High-octane action-drama
Available on: Apple TV
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Gran Turismo (2023)
We all love a film based on a true story, but a film based on a true story and a worldwide best-selling video game? Now we're talkin'.
Back in 1997, Sony PlayStation’s Gran Turismo drew gamers around the globe into the world of motorsports. To such an extent that in 2011, Sony and Nissan sponsored the GT Academy, offering the winner a fully funded year with Nissan and a chance to race in a real motorsport event. This film tells the true story of Jann Mardenborough (Madekwe) and his journey through the GT Academy, culminating in his participation in the highly coveted Le Mans racing tournament.
The film has many elements that pay homage to the original video game, including iconic music, sound effects and visual effects. It goes from 0 to 100 in terms of both speed and humour. Whether you played the games or not, there's something here for everyone.
Director: Neill Blomkamp | Cast: Archie Madekwe, David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Takehiro Hira, Darren Barnet, Geri-Halliwell-Horner, Djimon Hounsou
Language: English | Rating: M
Genre: Racing sim to real life
Available on: Netflix
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Let's reverse a few decades to the 1960s, Ford v Ferrari is quite possibly one of the best biographical retellings of car history and motor racing.
Ford v Ferrari recounts how retired car designer and winner of the 1959 Le Mans endurance race, Carroll Shelby (Damon), teams up with British sports car driver and engineer, Ken Miles (Bale), to help Lee Lacocca (Bernthal), Vice President of Henry Ford II's motor company, end the Italian's winning streak.
Their secret weapon? Building the Ford GT40 Mk I in less than 90 days. It's witty, it's heartwarming, it's a dream pairing of Matt Damon and Christian Bale. It's one that shouldn't be missed if you have any love for cars and the people who make or drive them. If you watch any movie on this list, make it Ford v Ferrari (or Le Mans '66 if you're in the UK).
It won two Oscars (Best Achievement in Film Editing and Best Achievement in Sound Editing).
Director: James Mangold | Cast: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Caitríona Balfe, Josh Lucas, Noah Jupe
Language: English | Rating: M
Genre: Heated historical rivalry
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Fast and the Furious Franchise (2001-present)
The longest-running film franchise about cars, The Fast and the Furious, is a must-watch for any car buff. Not only does it have thousands of cars to drool over (everything from American muscle to Japanese turbo-charged Skylines), but its star-studded cast grows bigger and bolder with every film.
If the cars, chart-topping soundtracks and increasingly ludicrous action scenes don't draw you in, la familia will.
The Fast and the Furious franchise is spread across a few different streaming sites, but most films can be found on Binge and Foxtel. The latest film in the series, Fast X, is available to stream for free on 7Plus and you can buy or rent it via services like Apple TV.
Directors: Rob Cohen (1), Justin Lin (Tokyo Drift, 4, 5, 6 & 9), John Singleton (2), James Wan (7), F. Gary Grey (8), David Leitch (Hobbs & Shaw), Louis Leterrier (X)
Cast: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson, Gal Gadot, Luke Evans, Elsa Pataky, Gina Carano, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jason Momoa
Language: English | Rating: M
Genre: Turbo-charged car thriller
Cars (2006 - 2017)
The other long-running movie franchise about cars is well... Cars. Though targeted at a much younger audience than the Fast and the Furious, Disney Pixar's series about anthropomorphic cars has enough humour and heart in the tank for children and parents alike.
Lightning McQueen (Wilson) is a hotshot race car whose selfish attitude holds him back from greatness. Though McQueen dreams of winning the prestigious Dinoco 400 race, he falls victim to his own arrogance when he refuses to change tyres in the final stretch. The resulting blowout costs him the championship.
En route to California, where a high-stakes tie-breaker is set to take place, McQueen becomes stranded in Radiator Springs on Route 66, where he is forced to take on community service after destroying the one road out of town. McQueen has no other choice but to pump the brakes and befriend the locals of Radiator Springs, who teach him a valuable lesson about teamwork.
Cars, Cars 2 and Cars 3 are all streaming on Disney Plus.
Director: John Lasseter (1, 2), Brian Fee (3)
Cast: Owen Wilson, Bonnie Hunt, Paul Newman, Larry the Cable Guy, Tony Shalhoub, Cheech Marin
Language: English | Rating: G
Genre: Teamwork with talking cars
Available on: Disney Plus
Streaming deals
Looking for something to stream tonight but don't want to pay full price? We've rounded up the best deals from Australia's major streaming services.
- Apple TV Plus deals: Get 30% off
- Binge deals: Stream Binge from less than $7 per month
- Disney Plus deals: Get 12 months for the price of 10
- Foxtel packages and deals: Save up to $55 per month
- HBO Max deals: Free HBO Max with Foxtel
- Kayo deals: 50% off Kayo Premium for six months with Optus SubHub
- Netflix deals: Free Netflix with Foxtel
- Paramount Plus deals: Save over $40 per year
- Prime Video deals: Score a 30-day free trial
Rush (2013)
One of the most highly rated car films of all time, Rush details the tumultuous rivalry between loose-cannon James Hunt (Hemsworth) and newly-signed Niki Lauda (Brühl) - two exceedingly talented Formula One drivers during the 1970s.
Another biopic based on real events, this film highlights the thrilling highs and devastating lows of Formula One driving and the true dangers that await out on the track.
Rush is streaming for free on 7Plus but you can also buy or rent it on services like Apple TV.
Director: Ron Howard | Cast: Daniel Brühl, Chris Hemsworth, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, Natalie Dormer, Alistair Petrie
Language: English | Rating: MA15+
Genre: Biographical sports drama
Drive (2011)
Seems like a simple enough concept: stunt driver helps his neighbour's ex-con husband pull off a heist. All he has to do is drive. But when things go sideways, he must drive to survive.
Gosling proves he's not just a one-Notebook heartthrob in this gritty original film. Drive was nominated for one Academy Award and had 180 other nominations and a staggering 79 total wins.
Director: Nicholas Winding Refn | Cast: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman
Language: English | Rating: MA15+
Genre: Noir car thriller
Need for Speed (2014)
Another car movie based on a video game, Need for Speed, is a redemption story that'll have you on the edge of your seat. Wrongfully framed and jailed for the death of a close friend, street racer Tobey Marshall (Paul) sets out to win the elusive and high-stakes race, The DeLeon, to save his custom-car workshop. With a lot of help from his friends and some really, really fast cars, Marshall is on a mission to clear his name and exact revenge on the person truly responsible for framing him.
Much like in Gran Turismo, you'll feel the gamer-nostalgia in the special effects and soundtrack, which give it a genuine game-like vibe. Catch Need for Speed on Disney Plus.
Director: Scott Waugh | Cast: Aaron Paul, Imogen Poots, Kid Cudi, Rami Malek, Dominic Cooper, Dakota Johnson, Michael Keaton
Language: English | Rating: M
Genre: Roadtrip thriller
Available on: Disney Plus
Speed Racer (2008)
It might have been a Box Office bomb, losing over $100 million worldwide. It might have been a critical flop, with only 42% on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer. These things are true. But The Wachowskis' 2008 adaptation of iconic anime Speed Racer is still one of the most visually aggressive movies ever filmed, one that has aged like fine wine (or a technicolour sludge). At 135 minutes, Speed Racer isn't an easy watch, and if you have any sensitivity to flashing lights, I'd suggest steering clear entirely. But if you're game, buckle up for over two hours of some of the most inspired cinematography and frenetic editing you will ever see.
The plot of Speed Racer isn't really important. Speed (Hirsch) is a young hoon who runs Racer Motors with his parents, Mum (Sarandon) and Pops (Goodman) Racer, his brother Spritle (Litt) and their pet chimpanzee, Chim Chim. He races the Mach 5, a car owned by his late older brother and idol, Rex, who died racing the Casa Cristo 5000 championship. When Speed declines a wealthy CEO's offer, the Racer's livelihood is threatened. To save the family business, Speed must compete in the Casa Cristo 5000 alongside the mysterious Racer X (Fox).
Speed Racer's heavy stylisation and kaleidoscopic colour palette pay tribute to the original 1967 anime, and it might be the closest thing we'll ever get to a live-action Mario Kart 64 movie.
Director: The Wachowskis | Cast: Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox, Paulie Litt
Language: English | Rating: PG
Genre: Vibrant assault on the senses
Available on: Stan
Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)
Gone in 60 Seconds drove so Fast and the Furious could hoon. Before Vin Diesel and family were pulling off elaborate DVD player heists, Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie and Giovanni Ribisi were boosting cars with razor-sharp precision. When Kip Raines (Ribisi) finds himself on the lam after stealing a Porsche 996 for a British gangster (Eccleston), his brother, former car thief Randall 'Memphis' Raines (Cage), is dragged back into a life of crime. In order to save his brother's life, Memphis and Kip have to pull together a team to steal 50 cars within 72 hours.
Think of the "getting the crew back together" trope that dominated the late 90s and early 00s, and you've basically got the plot figured out. With the help of his mentor Otto Halliwell (Duvall), Memphis assembles the crew of misfits made up of a driving instructor, a mute mortician and master mechanic, Sara "Sway" Wayland (Jolie).
Amongst the cars on the docket to steal is Memphis' white whale: a gorgeous silver '67 Ford Shelby GT500, affectionately known as Eleanor.
Director: Domenic Sena | Cast: Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie, Giovanni Ribisi, Robert Duvall, Delroy Lindo, Will Patton, Vinnie Jones, Chi McBride, Scott Caan and Timothy Olyphant
Language: English | Rating: M
Genre: Meme generator
Available on: Disney Plus
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Christie Graham
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