Top Ten Road Movies

Culture

We think these are the best road movies ever made. Disagree? Then let us know…

Two Lane Blacktop

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James Taylor (yes that one) and Dennis Wilson (from the Beach Boys) and a tricked out sleeper of a 55 Chevy. Put them together and you have the coolest road movie ever.

National Lampoon’s European Vacation

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Chevy Chase and family cross the Old Continent as the perfect approximation of the American güber. A classic of comedic errors.



Duel

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Spielberg’s first feature and a terrifying ode to sustained road rage.

Thelma and Louise

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In the top ten because girls love it. And so do we.

Easy Rider

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Definitive Americana with Jack Nicholson and Peter Fonda.

Little Miss Sunshine

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Sweet, succinct and features a killer VW camper. What’s not to like?

Motorcycle Diaries

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The reason Che Guevara is an icoc of revoution is because he knew how to live a true road trip.

Mad Max

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Classic Aussie apocalyptica before Mel Gibson went weird.

Sideways

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Two men of a certain age get on the road to taste fine wine and have menopausal misadventures. The Saab 900 convertible reflects the washed-up nature of the main characters. Elegant and touching.

Vanishing Point

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Extreme GTO-pedalling in the mode of the sexually promiscious seventies.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

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Depp as Hunter S Thompson into the Dantean inferno of Vegas. On Acid.

Feel free to tell us your additions to the list…

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22 Responses to “Top Ten Road Movies”

  1. Russell Larcombe

    other iconic films
    The italian job (original versin)
    Californian Kid with Matin Sheen

  2. Anonymous

    Okay, you got Duel and Vanishing Point, but what what about Dirty Mary Crazy Larry or Chase and Bullitt with Steve McQueen or Cannonball Run, Smokey and The Bandit.

  3. Electra Glide in Blue; a cult classic just released on dvd. Opening sequence an all time winner.

  4. Thunderbolt & Lightfoot: always wanted to drive across the Montana Badlands since I saw it!

  5. Id just like to add Me & Will to the list the riding scenes just sum up what a long trip on a bike is… fantastic

  6. samster

    GUYS!!! What about the film The Driver and Cannonball (not Cannonball Run) or The Gumball Rally?
    Dont forget Corvette Sunrise or Blues Brothers, as mentioned, French Connection, Taxi Driver (French film), Ronin (Two show stopping car chase sequences)!!!
    Who wrote this, a 12yrs old tee hee

  7. I’m a child of the 80’s so I’d have to say Smokey And The Bandit, Cannon Ball Run and Mad Max2.

    Easy Rider IS the classic “Road Movie”

  8. Pete White

    Good to see Vanishing Point and 2 Lane Blacktop on that list. Those are seminal. Ignore the ’12yr old commments’- you’ve constructed a fine list of which The Italian Job and The Cannonball Run should definately NOT be a part!

  9. hey guys, check out the original road movie Grapes of wrath from the 1940’s I think peter fonda may have been inspired by his old man,as the film has many similarities.

  10. Haven’t you seen ‘Goodbye Pork Pie?’
    The ‘Italian job’ with a better ending.

  11. Tim Milner

    You have got to be joshing, what about Dirty Mary Crazy Larry, Goodbye Porkpie, True Romance, Thunderbolt and lightfoot, The Blues Brothers, Badlands and Eletraglide in Blue to name but a few.

  12. Chadders

    You have got to be joshing, What about Thunderbolt and light foot, Badlands, True Romance and 3000 miles to Graceland to name but a few!

  13. vipertruck99

    read all the comments,a lot of good movies listed,convoy,smokey,ronin etc all good films and all personal favourites….but the true stamp of a road movie is the fade out…see electra glyde,thunderbolt and lightfoot,dirty mary crazy larry,two lane,vanishing point,easy rider….the end of the road movie dictates not everyone gets out alive.plenty of books written about road movies,car movies etc but the rubber stamp is death as the credits roll if you want to condense it all.