10 Most Intense Car Chases In Movie History
2. The French Connection
To have a list of car chases without mentioning William Friedkin would be completely impossible, and it's arguable that The French Connection exhibits him at his very best. Here, we see a manic Gene Hackman as Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle behind the wheel of a commandeered 1971 Pontiac LeMans as he chucks this car frantically around the streets of New York, in hot pursuit of who he thinks is known heroin smuggler Alain Charnier.
What makes this particular chase so special is that for many of its iconic sections, the action was partially improvised. Some of the crashes that made the final cut are actually stunts that were supposed to be near-misses but were left in to heighten Popeye's desperation. This is a messy chase, and we get to see it in all its glory as Popeye's Pontiac endures more and more damage as he hurtles his way underneath the speeding train.
With the innovative use of under-the-bumper camera placement creating a blistering sense of speed - and the vicious turns and traffic all presenting more and more obstacles for Hackman to dodge - this is undoubtedly one of the most desperate, gripping chases you'll ever watch.