How to Watch Chronologically or By Release Date

Cars that are both fast AND furious? A simple concept, but one that 2001’s The Fast and the Furious transformed into a massive, billion-dollar franchise. What began as a light Point Break remake that swapped surfboards for cars—but kept all the unironic man-love—soon ballooned into an epic, globe-trotting heist series injected with a dangerous dose of NoS, one where the concept of family can forgive all crimes and the action set-pieces gleefully laugh in the face of physics. As is the case with most big stories that came from small beginnings, the exact chronological timeline of the Fast & Furious films has gotten a bit complicated.

If you’re new to the series (or just planning a rewatch!) but don’t know where to point the wheel, we’re here to get you through it one quarter mile at a time. Below, you’ll find two options: the Fast & Furious movies in order of chronological events, and the Fast & Furious movies in order of when each film was released in theaters. There’s no “right” way to do it, and it certainly helps that these are some of the most endlessly rewatchable action movies ever made.

Fast & Furious Movies in Order of Release

Here is the Fast Saga in order of how its films were released in theaters.

Fast & Furious Movies in Chronological Order of Events

The Fast and the Furious

The Fast And The Furious

Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) enjoys the adrenaline of street car racing and his fans treat him like a rock star. After a blazing encounter with the ruthless Johnny Tran, Dom decides to take Brian (Paul Walker), a newcomer to street racing, under his wing. Dom’s sister Mia sees something she likes in Brian, too. Trouble is, neither of them realize he’s an undercover cop, and Dominic and his rival Johnny Tran are both the prime suspects in a case involving dirty money and big-rig hijacking.

Release Date June 22, 2001

Director Rob Cohen

Cast Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Rick Yune, Chad Lindberg

Runtime 106 minutes

Directed by Rob Cohen, the first film in the series set the stage by building a bonafide action movie around the culture of drag racing. Set around the film’s release year of 2001, The Fast and the Furious introduced Paul Walker’s Brian O’Connor, an LAPD officer who goes undercover to take down a crew of carjackers. Things get muddled when Brian develops a genuine friendship with the crew’s charismatic leader, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), and a romantic relationship with Dom’s sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster). This is also the first time we meet vital series mainstay Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez).

2 Fast 2 Furious

2 Fast 2 Furious

This sequel focuses on ex-police officer Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker), who relocates from Los Angeles to Miami to start over. Becoming involved in the street-racing scene in his new city, Brian befriends car-savvy Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) and Suki (Devon Aoki), but his competitive streak ends when federal agents apprehend him and he must enter into a deal with the FBI. Working with new partner Roman Pearce (Tyrese), Brian begins a dangerous mission to take down a powerful drug dealer.

Release Date June 6, 2003

Director John Singleton

Cast Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Cole Hauser, Ludacris, Thom Barry

Runtime 107

The most standalone entry in the franchise, 2 Fast 2 Furious, follows Brian O’Connor to Miami in the aftermath of The Fast and the Furious. The only Furious film to not feature Vin Diesel in any capacity, the sequel’s biggest contribution is introducing Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges as Tej Parker. (The story of what Dom and Letty were up to after the first movie is explained in the short film, Los Bandoleros.)

Fast & Furious

Fast & Furious

Dominic Toretto is forced to come out of hiding when a loved one is brutally murdered. Heading to LA to track down the culprit, he crosses paths with Brian O’Connor, the FBI agent whose undercover infiltration of Toretto’s gang led to the motorised miscreant’s exile across the border. The two men temporarily put their differences aside as they investigate the killing.

Release Date April 3, 2009

Director Justin Lin

Cast Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, John Ortiz, Laz Alonso

Runtime 107 minutes

This is where things get screwy. The fourth movie in the series is actually the third chronologically and, story-wise, a direct sequel to the first film. Re-teaming Walker and Diesel—and establishing Han Lue (Sung Kang) as a former associate of Dom—Fast and Furious takes place five years after The Fast and the Furious. It’s also the first time we meet Gal Gadot as team-member Gisel.

Fast Five

Fast Five

Ever since ex-cop Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) and Mia Torretto (Jordana Brewster) broke her brother Dom (Vin Diesel) out of custody, they’ve traveled border to border to evade authorities. In Rio de Janeiro, they must do one final job before they can gain their freedom for good. Assembling their elite team of car racers, Brian and Dom know they must confront the corrupt businessman who wants them dead, before the federal agent (Dwayne Johnson) on their trail finds them.

Release Date April 29, 2011

Director Justin Lin

Cast Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot

Runtime 130 minutes

The film that pivoted away from car racing and directly into glorious nonsense, director Justin Lin’s Fast Five picks up immediately after Fast and Furious. This is also the first time we meet Dwayne Johnson as the extremely large and spinoff-worthy DEA Agent Luke Hobbs. While some might turn their nose up at it, Fast Five is arguably where the franchise hit its peak, combining ridiculous car stunts with its now iconic theme of found family.

Fast & Furious 6

Fast & Furious 6

Since Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian’s (Paul Walker) heist in Rio left them and their crew very rich people, they’ve scattered across the globe; however, they must still live as fugitives, unable to return home to their families. Meanwhile, Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) has been tracking a gang of lethally skilled mercenary drivers whose second-in-command is someone Dom knows. Unable to take them down himself, Hobbs asks Dom and his crew for help in exchange for full pardons for everyone.

Release Date May 24, 2013

Director Justin Lin

Cast Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson

Runtime 130

Lin’s third straight entry in the franchise takes place about six months after Fast Five. The gang gathers back together with the help of Agent Hobbs to take on the mercenary Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). While we don’t see much of Owen, Fast & Furious 6 does give us our first taste of the Shaw family at large. A post-credits scene introduces Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw, Owen’s brother, and changes some of the events of…

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

Sean Boswell (Lucas Black) always feels like an outsider, but he defines himself through his victories as a street racer. His hobby makes him unpopular with the authorities, so he goes to live with his father in Japan. Once there and even more alienated, he learns about an exciting, but dangerous, new style of the sport. The stakes are high when Sean takes on the local champion and falls for the man’s girlfriend.

Release Date June 16, 2006

Director Justin Lin

Cast Lucas Black, Damien Marzette, Trula M. Marcus, Zachery Ty Bryan, Brandon Brendel, Daniel Booko

Runtime 104 minutes

The third film of the franchise is the sixth, chronologically, taking place just a few months after Fast & Furious 6. (Although the studio in no way planned for this, so some stuff absolutely does not line up and part of the fun is you just accept it.) Largely separated from the main franchise, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift takes place, as you might imagine, in Tokyo. It follows Sean Boswell (Lucas Black) as he is sent to live with his U.S. Navy dad stationed in Tokyo. There he gets involved in street racing and specifically learns how to drift. The movie also features Bow Wow as Twinkie, and Sung Kang’s Han acts as a sort of mentor to Sean. Near the end of the film, Dom appears to race Sean and comments on his connection to Han.

Furious 7

Furious 7

After defeating international terrorist Owen Shaw, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) and the rest of the crew have separated to return to more normal lives. However, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), Owen’s older brother, is thirsty for revenge. A slick government agent offers to help Dom and company take care of Shaw in exchange for their help in rescuing a kidnapped computer hacker who has developed a powerful surveillance program.

Release Date April 3, 2015

Director James Wan

Cast Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster

Runtime 137 minutes

Director James Wan’s Fast film takes place just under a year after Fast & Furious 6 and slightly overlaps with the end of Tokyo Drift. Furious 7 is yet another franchise film about taking down a devious hacker, ramping up the absurd car heist scenes that have become synonymous with the franchise. It is also the final movie Walker’s Brian O’Connor appeared in after his death. The film also introduces Kurt Russell as Mr. Nobody, a spy and intelligence operative that helps the team.

The Fate of the Furious

The Fate of the Furious

With Dom and Letty married, Brian and Mia retired and the rest of the crew exonerated, the globe-trotting team has found some semblance of a normal life. They soon face an unexpected challenge when a mysterious woman named Cipher forces Dom to betray them all. Now, they must unite to bring home the man who made them a family and stop Cipher from unleashing chaos.

Release Date April 14, 2017

Director F. Gary Gray

Cast Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Kurt Russell, Charlize Theron

Runtime 136 minutes

Director F. Gary Gray’s 2017 film picks up just a few months after Furious 7. In addition to a chase scene featuring a nuclear submarine, the film also introduces key characters like Charlize Theron’s criminal mastermind Cipher, who is, yes, another dangerous hacker. And rounding out the Shaw family, we meet Helen Mirren, who plays Magdalene Shaw, the matriarch of the family.

F9

F9: The Fast Saga

Dom Toretto is living the quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, but they know that danger always lurks just over the peaceful horizon. This time, that threat forces Dom to confront the sins of his past to save those he loves most. His crew soon comes together to stop a world-shattering plot by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered — Dom’s forsaken brother.

Release Date June 25, 2021

Director Justin Lin

Cast Charlize Theron, Vin Diesel, Helen Mirren, Lucas Black, Michelle Rodriguez, Martyn Ford

Runtime 145

Justin Lin returns to the franchise with first a flashback to 1989 where we learn about Dom’s past and how he lost his father. The majority of F9 takes place in 2019, with the series bringing back the majority of its leading cast (except for Dwayne Johnson, of course) and introducing a very questionably tan John Cena as Jakob Toretto, Dom and Mia’s dark horse older brother. It also brings back Han, who “died” in Tokyo Drift.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

Hobbs & Shaw

Brixton Lorr is a cybernetically enhanced soldier who possesses superhuman strength, a brilliant mind and a lethal pathogen that could wipe out half of the world’s population. It’s now up to hulking lawman Luke Hobbs and lawless operative Deckard Shaw to put aside their past differences and work together to prevent the seemingly indestructible Lorr from destroying humanity.

Release Date August 1, 2019

Director David Leitch

Cast Vanessa Kirby, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Eddie Marsan, Stephanie Vogt

Runtime 120 minutes

It’s actually pretty unclear when exactly this spinoff film takes place. It’s completely safe to say Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw team up here sometime after becoming bros in The Fate of the Furious, but there’s some compelling evidence—like the terrorist Brixton (Idris Elba) saying he was nearly killed “eight years ago” in 2014—that places it in 2022, which might also mean Hobbs & Shaw happens after F9.

Fast X

Fast X

Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto and his family have outsmarted and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they must confront the most lethal opponent they’ve ever faced. Fueled by revenge, a terrifying threat emerges from the shadows of the past to shatter Dom’s world and destroy everything — and everyone — he loves.

Release Date May 19, 2023

Director Louis Leterrier

Cast Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Sung Kang, Ludacris, Jason Momoa, John Cena

Runtime 141 minutes

Considering the events of the final moments of Fast X takes place after Hobbs & Shaw. However, within Fast X is also a flashback to a Fast Five, where we first met Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida). Reyes’ death is what inspires his son, the extremely dramatic and flamboyant Dante, played by Jason Momoa, to target Dom and his family. The movie also adds Brie Larson, Alan Ritchson, Daniela Melchior, Leo Abelo Perry, and Rita Moreno to the already packed cast.

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