Fast cars, furious rivals, and family are the key components to theFast & Furiousfranchise. Back in 2001, street racing went from being an underground sport to something everyone wanted to talk about, spectate, and even attempt. With the first film’s major success at introducing a lifestyle that centers around trust as well as illegal activity, a cult following emerged. 10 moreFast & Furiousmovies have since come out, short films as well as television series have kept up with certain storylines, and fans can still not get enough of the action.
It does not matter how ridiculous some scenes and stunts get, plenty of people are loyal to the characters as well as the franchise. From thecurrently 11Fast & Furiousfilms, the overall storyline may appear a bit complicated due to when the movies were actually released. If you are wanting to take a trip down memory lane, or you are a rare individual watching the movies for the first time ever, here are theFast and Furiousmovies in chronological order and by release date.
All the Fast and Furious Movies in Chronological Order
To best follow along with the overall story, some fans would suggest watching the movies in chronological order. It is important to mention thatFast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shawis a spinoff movie from the original storyline. The events take place afterThe Fate of the Furious,but opting to skip out on the buddy film will not hinder one’s understanding of the main plot.
The Fast and the Furious(2001)
2 Fast 2 Furious(2003)
Fast and Furious(2009)
Fast Five(2011)
Fast & Furious 6(2013)
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift(2006)
Furious 7(2015)
The Fate of the Furious(2017)
Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw(2019)
Fast X(2023)
The Fast and the Furious (2001)
Rob Cohen got his inspiration forThe Fast and the Furiousfrom aVibemagazine article about illegal street racing that was taking place in New York City. Between the adrenaline that comes with the race itself and always having to be on the lookout for cops, the real life event is action-packed.
In this very first film, audiences are introduced to Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), an upstanding LAPD cop who goes undercover to catch a crew of hijackers. Despite the initial pushback, he works his way into Dominic Toretto’s (played by Vin Diesel) good graces. Fans meet the initial “family” here, and relationships and loyalties are quickly established.
Related:The Fast and the Furious: 10 Facts You May Not Know About the Original Film
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
Because Brian previously helped Dominic escape his arrest, he was let go from the LAPD. Now he is living a fun and fast life in Miami by winning several illegal street races. In2 Fast 2 Furious, we are introduced to two of Brian’s good friends, Tej Parker (played by Ludacris) and Roman Pearce (played by Tyrese Gibson). Brian and Roman have a bit of a bad history, but once they hash it out with their fists, the two work together to bring down a drug lord in exchange for their criminal records getting wiped clean.
Fast and Furious (2009)
Brian has moved up in his former profession as an FBI agent inFast and Furious. His latest assignment puts him back on the same streets as Dominic, but the latter is more focused on avenging Letty’s sudden death than dealing with his former friend.
This film is still full of action and plenty of double-crossing, but in the end, fans are glad to see that Brian finally earns his way back in to Dom’s family. Gal Gadot makes her first appearance as Gisele, and while it seems like she would be easy to write off as a guest, she too earns a spot among the crew.
Related:Fast & Furious: Why Gal Gadot Needs Hew Own Spin-Off With Sung Kang
Fast Five (2011)
Fast Fivepicks up exactly whereFast and Furiousleft off. Dom is being transported to a prison, but with his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) and Brian following his bus, he never makes it to his cell. This film is a turning point for the franchise because it focuses more on the characters carrying out a heist than street racing. Of course, the mission still involves cars, and the team still has to quickly move on the roads to get things done.
However, the main focus is no longer earning respect or car titles on the drag strip. This film introduces Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s character, Luke Hobbs, who, like Brian, comes to realize that Dom’s team is not as criminal as he’s been led to believe.
Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
WhenFast Fiveleft off with the possibility of Letty still being alive, fans could not wait forFast & Furious 6to be created and released. At the beginning of the film, everyone seems to be content with their own “retired” lives, but Hobbs manages to stir things up again. He shows Dominic a picture of Letty as proof that she is still alive, and Hobbs says that he needs Dom’s team to take down her new boss.
Along with the reprisal of Michelle Rodriguez’s character, each main racer from previous films (exceptTokyo Drift) comes together to form an elite team.
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
ThoughThe Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Driftcame out as the third film in theFast & Furiousfranchise, it comes in as number six in the overall chronology. Lucas Black stars as the main character, Sean Boswell, and while the film as a whole does not focus on Dominic Toretto’s family or heist missions, fans still love the culture shock aspect for the all-American teenager and races through the streets of Tokyo. Han (Sung Kang) has a lead role in this film as Sean’s racing mentor and friend, and his fate leads to Dom’s appearance in the very last scene of the film.
Furious 7 (2015)
Furious 7is the highest-grossing film in theFast & Furiousfranchise, and a horrible tragedy likely had a lot to do with that. In November 2013, after filming had already commenced, it was publicly announced thatPaul Walker diedin a car crash.
No one knew what would come ofFurious 7(or if it would even be released), but after some delay, the cast and crew came together to pull off an amazing tribute to the incredible man. The storyline is outstanding, but the send-off of Walker’s character did not leave a dry eye in any theater.
The Fate of the Furious (2017)
Once again, Dominic finds himself getting dragged back into the criminal life, but this time, it’s truly personal inThe Fate of the Furious. Dom and his team are recruited by Hobbs to complete a mission abroad, but unbeknownst to the team, Dom has plans to double-cross everyone to save his former girlfriend and child from a cyberterrorist.
Though some stunts begin to feel a bit too farfetched even for the most loyal of fans, it is nice to see how far characters will push themselves to protect their own and who gets accepted into the family regardless of their history with others.
Related:Fast and Furious: The 10 Most Badass Female Characters in the Franchise, Ranked
Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
AfterThe Fate of the Furiousevents, Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw (played by Jason Statham) find themselves teaming up overseas to retrieve a missing virus.Hobbs & Shawis a spin-off and does not directly follow the mainFast & Furiousstoryline. Several new actors are introduced such as Idris Elba as the new antagonist, Vanessa Kirby and Shaw’s sister, and Cliff Curtis as Hobbs' estranged brother. Ryan Reynolds and Kevin Hart also get some screen time as they make cameo appearances. Asecond spin-off movieis currently in the works.
