Fast and Furious Movies in Order: The Right Way to Watch
Fast & Furious isn’t known for having the most complex chronology. Who could have anticipated that the 2001 film about a simple street race would be followed by sequels hauling bank vaults over asphalt, leaping out of aircraft, sliding off submarines, and, most likely, establishing contact with extraterrestrial life in deep space? The Fast and the Furious first introduced us to Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his friends 20 years ago. Since then, the franchise has evolved from a simple street-racing action franchise to a massive-scale adventure franchise, with each film boasting increasingly ludicrous and visually impressive stunts.
If you’re new to the series (or simply want to rewatch) but don’t know where to start, we’ll walk you through it quarter-mile by a quarter-mile. Even though some of these Fast & Furious sequels were produced sooner than others, they are placed later in the chronology. Are you a little perplexed? Don’t worry. We’ve gone beyond with this guide, including a few canonical extras to round out your binge-watch. We’ll review the ideal sequence to watch the Fast and Furious movies below.
How many Fast & Furious movies are there?
There are currently 10 Fast & Furious movies in the main franchise. The last installment was released in 2023, titled Fast X. However, the number goes up to 11 if you count the spinoff movie titled “Hobs & Shaw,” released in 2019.
Fast & Furious movies in order (at a glance)
The first movie in the franchise was released back in 2001. It was an instant hit. People seemed to love fast-paced action combined with cars. Nowadays, the franchise spans 11 movies released over the period of 2 decades. The following is the released date order of all Fast & Furious movies to date:
- The Fast and the Furious (2001)
- 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
- The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
- Fast & Furious (2009)
- Fast Five (2011)
- Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
- Furious 7 (2015)
- The Fate of the Furious (2017)
- Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
- F9 The Fast Saga (2021)
- Fast X (2023)
Are Fast & Furious movies connected? Do you need to watch them in a specific order?
Although the majority of the Fast films are sequels and connected, there is one notable exception: The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
As if the Fast and Furious naming/numbering system wasn’t confusing enough, the film’s release sequence does not precisely match the on-screen chronology. As a result, viewing the Fast and Furious movies in a sequence is strangely difficult. And this is why a specific order exists for watching Fast & Furious movies.
Tokyo Drift is the renegade element causing havoc. When Dom Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, appeared suddenly after that film, returning to the series after missing the previous two installments, everyone thought that the fourth installment, Fast & Furious, would continue up to where it left off. However, there was a major plot hole: Han Seoul-Oh (Sung Kang), who had been murdered in Tokyo Drift, was still alive and thriving in Fast & Furious.
What is the best way to watch Fast & Furious movies?
The best way to watch Fast & Furious movies is in chronological order, which is significantly different from the release order due to the aforementioned Tokyo Drift movie.
Tokyo Drift is the renegade element causing havoc. When Dom Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, appeared suddenly after that film, returning to the series after missing the previous two installments, everyone thought that the fourth installment, Fast & Furious, would continue up to where it left off. However, there was a major plot hole: Han Seoul-Oh (Sung Kang), who had been murdered in Tokyo Drift, was still alive and thriving in Fast & Furious.
Fast & Furious movies in chronological order
1. The Fast and the Furious (2001)
The Fast and the Furious (later renamed Fast & Furious 1) is a 2001 action film directed by Rob Cohen and based on a screenplay by Gary Scott Thompson, Erik Bergquist, and David Ayer, with Thompson’s plot attributed to him.
A robbery team driving three modified Honda Civics assaults a truck carrying electronic products on a lonely highway steals its load, and flees into the night. A combined Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and FBI task team sent LAPD officer Brian O’Conner undercover to find the group the next day.
2. 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
2 Fast 2 Furious is a 2003 action film directed by John Singleton and written by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, with Gary Scott Thompson contributing to the plot. It is the second movie in the Fast & Furious series and is a standalone sequel to The Fast and the Furious (2001).
Former LAPD officer Brian O’Conner leaves Los Angeles to avoid punishment after allowing Dominic Toretto to evade the police. He then relocates to Miami, where he earns a livelihood racing a highly modified silver Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 in illegal street races.
3. Fast and Furious 4 (2009)
Fast & Furious (also known as Fast & Furious 4) is a 2009 American action film written and directed by Justin Lin. It is the fourth movie in the Fast & Furious series and the sequel to The Fast and the Furious (2001).
Dominic Toretto and his new gang, which includes his fiancée Letty, Tego Leo, Rico Santos, Cara, and Han Lue, are hijacking gasoline tankers in the Dominican Republic using highly modified 1967 and 1988 Chevrolet trucks and a 1987 Buick Grand National, five years after leaving the United States. Dom believes the cops are following them, causing the group to split up and go their ways, with Han opting for Tokyo. Dom realizes he must go and flees, leaving Letty behind to defend herself.
4. Fast Five (2011)
Fast Five is a 2011 American heist action film directed by Justin Lin and written by Chris Morgan. It is sometimes known as Fast & Furious 5 or Fast & Furious 5: Rio Heist. It is the fifth movie in the Fast & Furious series and the sequel to Fast & Furious (2009).
Dominic Toretto’s sister Mia and friend Brian O’Conner organize an attack on the bus as it is being taken to Lompoc Prison, rescuing Dom. The group flees to Rio de Janeiro as the police hunt for them. Mia and Brian accompany their buddy Vince and other participants on a mission to steal three vehicles off a train while they wait for Dom to arrive. Brian and Mia learn that agents from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are also aboard the train, and the cars are confiscated property.
5. Fast & Furious 6 (2013)
Fast & Furious 6 (also known as Furious 6) is a 2013 American action film written by Chris Morgan and directed by Justin Lin. It is the sixth film in the Fast & Furious series and the sequel to Fast Five (2011).
Dom Toretto and his skilled criminal gang have left the globe after a successful robbery in Brazil and are now living in peace. Meanwhile, DSS agents Luke Hobbs and Riley Hicks look into the bombing of a Russian military convoy by a team headed by Owen Shaw, a former British SAS Major and special operations veteran. By giving Dom a picture of his allegedly slain wife, Letty Ortiz, Hobbs persuades Dom to assist in the arrest of Shaw. In exchange for their pardon and permission to return to the United States, Dom, and his crew accept the assignment.
6. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
Justin Lin directed, and Chris Morgan wrote The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, a 2006 action film. It is the third movie in the Fast & Furious series and is a standalone sequel to 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003).
A troubled Oro Valley high school student Sean Boswell lives with his mother. Before settling in Arizona, they had been forced to move many times owing to Sean’s bad conduct. One day, Sean gets into an altercation with athlete Clay after school over Clay’s girlfriend, Cindy, who flirted with Sean.
7. Furious 7 (2015)
Furious 7 (also known as Fast and Furious 7) is a 2015 American action film written and directed by James Wan. It is the seventh movie in the Fast & Furious series and the sequel to Fast & Furious 6 (2013).
Dominic “Dom” Toretto, Brian O’Conner, and the rest of their crew have returned to the United States to resume regular lives after beating Owen Shaw and obtaining amnesty for their previous crimes. While Brian adjusts to life as a parent, Dom works to help Letty Ortiz regain her memories. Meanwhile, Deckard, Owen’s elder brother, sneaks into the hospital where the unconscious Owen is being kept before robbing the DSS office in Los Angeles and stealing profiles of Dom’s team.
8. The Fate of the Furious (2017)
The Fate of the Furious (also known as F8 in the United States and internationally as Fast & Furious 8) is a 2017 American action thriller film directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Chris Morgan. It is the eighth film in the Fast & Furious series and the sequel to Furious 7 (2015).
Dominic “Dom” Toretto and Letty Ortiz are on their honeymoon in Havana after defeating Deckard Shaw and Mose Jakande when Dom’s nephew Fernando falls into problems for owing money to local racer Raldo. Dom challenges Raldo to a race, pitting Fernando’s 1949 Chevrolet Fleetline against Raldo’s 1956 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria, and putting his own 1961 Chevrolet Impala on the line. Dom allows Raldo to retain his vehicle after barely winning the race, stating that his admiration for him is sufficient, and leaves his cousin with his automobile.
9. Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
Hobbs & Shaw (also known as Hobbs & Shaw) is a 2019 American buddy action comedy film directed by David Leitch and written by Chris Morgan and Drew Pearce based on a screenplay by Morgan. It’s a Fast & Furious spin-off that takes place after the events of 2017’s The Fate of the Furious.
With Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham reprising their roles as Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, the Fast & Furious series now has its stand-alone fan following after eight films that have grossed almost $5 billion globally.
Since their initial encounter in 2015’s Furious 7, burly lawman Hobbs, a devoted agent of America’s Diplomatic Security Service, and lawless misfit Shaw, a former British military elite operator, have traded trash talk and body punches in an attempt to take each other down.
10. F9 The Fast Saga (2021)
F9 (also known as F9: The Fast Saga and Fast & Furious 9) is a 2021 American action film directed by Justin Lin and based on a script written by Daniel Casey and Lin. It is the ninth major chapter and tenth full-length film in the Fast & Furious series, after The Fate of the Furious (2017).
Jack Toretto competes in a late model race in 1989, with his kids Dominic and Jakob serving as pit crew members. Dom confronts Kenny Linder, a rival racer, about his shady methods. As the race continues, Linder’s vehicle collides with Jack’s bumper, causing the automobile to crash into a wall and explode, killing him. Dom is jailed for almost killing Linder following the accident.
11. Fast X (2023)
Dante seeks revenge on Dom but wants to make him suffer rather than kill him. While the family enjoys a good day together, part of the team heads to Rome for a mission, while Dom, Letty, and their son stay home. Cipher, played by Charlize Theron, arrives wounded and reveals that Dante turned her mercenaries against her.
Government agents come to arrest Cipher but also inform Dom that there are no missions in Rome, raising suspicion. Dom and Letty realize their team is walking into a trap and follow them to Rome. There, they encounter Dante, who controls a dangerous sphere bomb. Dom manages to contain the blast, but Letty is arrested, and Dom gets separated from his team.
Where to watch Fast & Furious movies?
Eight movies in the Fast & Furious franchise can only be bought or rented on Amazon Prime Video and YouTube platforms, or you can stream them via DirecTV. The only exceptions to this rule are Furious 7 (2015), which can be streamed on Peacock, and F9 (2021), which can be streamed on MAX.
Fast X can currently be watched only in cinemas.
Will there be more Fast & Furious movies?
Following the release of Fast X, it was revealed that at least one more Fast & Furious installment would be made, with Vin Diesel, even hinting that the franchise’s finale could be split into three parts.
