10 Most Intense Car Chases In Movie History

From Mustangs to Minis, these chase sequences are simply unmissable.

By Martin Shore /

If classic action movies have taught us one thing, it's that there's nothing quite like a thrilling car chase. Burning rubber, screeching tires and roaring engines are guaranteed to get anyone clinging to the edge of their seat with anticipation as they push their trusty vehicle to the absolute limit.

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Where once the car chase was a real treat to watch, it now feels like every street level thug has some sort of access to a supercharged getaway car to lead police in a wild goose chase. Now, the constant presence of the car chase in every action movie means that there are plenty of cookie-cutter sequences. Some are high-speed thrill rides, whereas some are about as enthralling as being stuck in gridlock traffic.

Whether it's through death-defying stunts, clever editing and cinematography or just a sheer sense of speed, there's nothing like a good old fashioned car chase. Here are the best of the best.

10. The Matrix Reloaded

While you might not have as much respect for the later Matrix movies, the lengthy freeway chase at the heart of The Matrix Reloaded featuring Trinity and Morpheus is a must-see.

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Peppered with bullets from the Twins, Morpheus and Trinity try to escape in a Cadillac that seems incapable of being fully crushed. Filled with absolute carnage, they speed along the freeway whilst cars are flipped, scrape against trucks, and just generally get thrown around in a way only a Wachowski-level production budget could have allowed.

Flitting both inside and outside the Cadillac, we're treated to both long-range shoot-outs and expert hand-to-hand combat inside the car thanks to one of the Twins' phasing inside and holding Morpheus at knifepoint. Littered with stunts and crashes, we are promised action as soon as Trinity reminds us that Morpheus warned her never to drive on the freeway for fear of it being "suicide". We're promised action, and boy is it delivered.

Punctuated by a deep, electronic score and filled with impressive bullet time moments and total destruction, this is easily one of the most visually impressive car chases ever seen in the cinema.

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