summer road trip movies

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25 Essential Road Trip Movies of the Last 25 Years

We’re looking down the horizon and beyond for some of the best road trip movies that defined the genre over the last 25 years! To rev up this list, we selected American movies movies, journeys that begin in the States (where they actually finish is part of the fun). The movies celebrate the sights and sounds of the country, or at least will inspire you to pull out that camping gear, putting the convertible top down, and hitting the open road. These rides can be cross-county ( Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle ), on the freeway ( Dog , Sideways ), trekking across a few state lines ( Little Miss Sunshine , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ), hitting a new time zone ( Road Trip ), or even runnin’ coast-to-coast ( Rat Race , Transamerica ). Even the Academy has felt the need for reasonable speed, awarding Best Picture to both Green Book and Nomadland . Carpool lane? Of course: we’ve got an Oscar strapped in the passenger seat!

So whether you’re looking for a map to a long summer drive or fixing a flat in your life, turn to these essential 25 road trip movies of the last 25 years (in chronological order)!

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) 51%

The Straight Story (1999) 95%

Tumbleweeds (1999) 82%

Almost Famous (2000) 91%

Road Trip (2000) 57%

Rat Race (2001) 45%

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) 75%

Sideways (2004) 97%

Transamerica (2005) 77%

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) 91%

Cars (2006) 75%

Zombieland (2009) 89%

Away We Go (2009) 67%

Paul (2011) 70%

We're the Millers (2013) 48%

Chef (2014) 87%

Grandma (2015) 91%

Mississippi Grind (2015) 91%

Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016) 83%

Green Book (2018) 77%

Nomadland (2020) 93%

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) 97%

Bad Trip (2021) 79%

Dog (2022) 77%

Joy Ride (2023) 90%

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Entertainment

26 Movies About Summer Road Trips That'll Inspire Your Own Adventures

Let's be real: taking a summer road trip can be practically essential to your well-being. After all, going away for a few days lets you clear your mind and get a distraction from life's everyday humdrum practices. So if you're looking to hit the open road soon, but need some inspiration on where to go, don't worry — there are plenty of movies about summer road trips that can help motivate your own journey.

Now that temperatures are rising and the dog days of summer are coming on, it's time to get out and explore. Most films provide a sense of escape for a few hours, but ones about road trips do so even more. These 26 road trip-themed movies will inspire your next adventure , whatever you decide to do. Anything can happen when you pack up those bags and head out to a destination — you could find yourself reconnecting with old friends like Lucy (Britney Spears) does in Crossroads , or have an intense bonding session with your parents like the characters of College Road Trip and Guilt Trip both do.

Wherever you plan on going, these movies will act as inspiration.

1. Guilt Trip

If you're thinking about doing a road trip with your mom, Guilt Trip is the perfect movie to watch.

2. Girls Trip

Sometimes the best trips happen with a group of people you trust and can have a "judgement free zone" weekend.

3. Thelma & Louise

OK, parts of Thelma & Louise are total #roadtripinspo for you and your bestie. A convertible car, an open road and a banging playlist are essentials for any trip.

4. Little Miss Sunshine

There is nothing cooler than traveling in a yellow 1960s Volkswagon van across the country.

5. Lost In America

Sometimes the desire to travel comes from a drastic change in a person's life — or at least that's the case for the young married couple in Lost in America . After losing his advertising job, David Howard (Albert Brooks) convinces his wife, Linda (Julie Hagerty), to quit her job and join him on a cross-country road trip.

6. Interstate 60

Are you looking to take a solo road trip ? Interstate 60 follows a man (James Marsden) looking for answers as he travels across America. It's the perfect motivation to get out and go solo.

7. Boys On The Side

A nightclub singer named Jane (Whoopi Goldberg) answers an ad from Robin, a woman with AIDS (Mary-Louise Parker), seeking a cross-country travel partner. On their trip from New York City to Los Angeles, the two pick up Robin's friend Holly (Drew Barrymore), and begin the trip of a lifetime.

8. The Wizard

Corey (Fred Savage) breaks his little brother Jimmy (Luke Edwards) out of a mental institution and the two run off together to California. If you're thinking of doing something spontaneous with your sibling this is a must watch.

9. Flirting With Disaster

Adopted as a child, Mel Colpin (Ben Stiller) decides to find out who his birth parents are by taking a cross-country quest to find them. His wife, Nancy (Patricia Arquette), and adoption agent, Tina (Tea Leoni), follow him on a trip that quickly takes a ridiculous turn.

10. Away We Go

As they await the birth of their baby, a couple (John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph) takes a trip of self-discovery across America to find the perfect place to start their new family.

11. Road Trip: Beer Pong

Who knew beer pong could inspire a road trip?

12. TransAmerica

Right before she is scheduled to have surgery, Bree Osborne (Felicity Huffman) learns that she fathered a son, Toby (Kevin Zegers), 17 years ago. After bailing him out of jail in New York, Bree invites Toby to take a road trip with her to Los Angeles.

13. Johnson Family Vacation

Long car rides with your family can be chaotic, but also so much fun.

14. College Road Trip

If you're looking forward to college in the fall, this is the perfect time to gas up that vehicle and take a trip to your new campus. College Road Trip is about an overprotective father and police chief named James (Martin Lawrence) who drives his teenage daughter, Melanie (Raven-Symoné), from their home in Chicago to a college interview in Washington, D.C.

15. A Goofy Movie

The playlist from this silly movie is a must have for your next road trip.

16. Crossroads

Three childhood friends — Lucy (Britney Spears), Kit (Zoe Saldana) and Mimi (Taryn Manning) — rediscover their friendship after spending eight years apart.

17. On The Road

An aspiring writer (Sam Riley), finds himself on the open road alongside a troublesome man (Garrett Hedlund) and his seductive wife (Kristen Stewart).

18. The Darjeeling Limited

The Darjeeling Limited is full of adventure. The film follows three brothers who are reunited on a train while traveling across India. The men uncover deep emotions and discuss problems like never before.

19. Almost Famous

Almost Famous follows a young writer who goes on the road with a rock band to uncover his next story. If you're a journalist looking for some new ideas, a road trip might just be your answer.

20. The Motorcycle Diaries

The Motorcycle Diaries is based on a trip taken by two men — Ernesto (Gael García Bernal) and Alberto (Rodrigo De la Serna) — in 1953 from Brazil to Peru by motorcycle. The two men explore South America and find themselves reconsidering their own values.

21. National Lampoon's Vacation

The Griswold family decides to drive from Illinois to a California amusement park but as the journey ensues, they encounter a lot of trouble on the road and get hilariously derailed.

22. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) takes off on a wild trip across the United States to find his beloved red bicycle. He ends up at the Alamo, finds a motorcycle gang, and meets a beautiful girl.

23. Dumb & Dumber

Why not trade in a car for a scooter on a road trip? You only live once!

24. Into The Wild

An adaptation of Jon Krakauer's non-fiction book of the same name, Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) travels across North America in an attempt to rid himself of possessions and set out on a journey of self-discovery.

25. The Trip

There is nothing better than a food-inspired road trip with someone you can share a laugh and meal with.

26. Mad Max: Fury Road

Sometimes a non-stop, adrenaline-pumping road trip is all you need to set the summer right.

So gas up that car and buckle up — it's time to go road tripping!

Screen Rant

10 road trip movies perfect for summer.

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The freedom and restlessness of summer are perfectly suited to the constant, airy movement found in many road trip movies . The form is versatile, suiting genres from action-comedy to meditative drama; all that’s really required for a film to qualify as a road trip movie is a main character whose journey from one place to another is spotted with constant stops in fresh locales. However, the great examples of the form tap into a deeper appeal. The summer road trip movie is about gradual development; it’s about two or more people stuck with each other against a constantly changing backdrop who come to understand more about one another and themselves.

The road puts things in perspective, and the best road trip movies lead characters to numerous distinct locations that subtly needle at the character’s preconceived notions and offer them fresh, joyful experiences. Strong chemistry between the central cast is essential, a compelling reason to begin the journey is optional, and a sense of freedom and meditation delivers on the summertime appeal of the open road. Across the decades, several great directors and iconic actors have embarked on cinematic road trips, but only a select few have perfected that balanced cocktail that makes the journey feel meaningful, and its destination earned.

10 Last Flag Flying (2017)

This underrated 2017 film from master of the hangout movie Richard Linklater balances the comfortable tones of a road movie with a thoughtful examination of the consequences of war. Last Flag Flying stars Steve Carrell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne as three Vietnam veterans who reunite when one of their sons is killed in the Iraq war. The three embark on a journey across America to pick up the young man’s body while meditating on their own experiences with war thirty years prior. It’s a mature film, but not melancholy; Linklater mostly approaches the subject matter through meandering conversations, with the heavier themes working in the background.

9 The Mitchells Vs. The Machines (2021)

This action-packed animated comedy produced by Into the Spider-Verse ’s Phil Lorde and Chris Miller follows a family whose cross-country road trip to drop their oldest off at college is interrupted by a robot uprising. The dynamic road trip structure showcases numerous robot-ravaged locations across America, where the film executes its intricate action just as well as any summer blockbuster. However, the strength of any road movie is in its characters. The Mitchells vs. The Machines distinguishes itself through its grounded central story of a father and daughter struggling to understand one another.

8 The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

The Motorcycle Diaries , adapted from the Che Guevara memoir of the same name, tells the story of a young Che Guevara as he and his friend travel across South America by motorcycle, gradually undergoing the political enlightenment that would one day see Che become a revolutionary leader. The film is meditative and tonally balanced, creating the sense of a road trip that both liberates and sobers the young Guevara. The episodic structure is a winning aspect of the road trip movie, and it works well in The Motorcycle Diaries , with the film managing to alternate between light chapters and heavier ones.

7 Midnight Run (1988)

A road trip movie will stall without chemistry between its leads; the beloved action-comedy Midnight Run boasts chemistry in spades between its two central characters. Midnight Run sees Robert De Niro play a bounty hunter tasked with delivering his latest bounty, mob accountant “The Duke,” across state lines. With the two forced to flee mobsters and the FBI, their initial antipathy blossoms into one of the best action movie friendships of all time. The film sings along at a dazzling pace, offering laughs and thrills in perfect balance. An easy watch that rewards on endless visits, it’s perfect summer viewing.

6 Almost Famous (2000)

Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous tells the story of a teenage music reporter on the road with the fictional rock band Stillwater. The film delivers a blend of nostalgia, wonder and contempt for the 1970s music scene as the wide-eyed music critic protagonist is allowed to glimpse the hedonism and interpersonal drama behind a rising band. One of the best hangout movies , Almost Famous’ focus on likable characters, its loose, episodic plot and great music makes for an immersive, relaxing watch ideal for laid-back summer days.

5 A Goofy Movie (1995)

This animated summer road trip movie is an underrated gem from the Disney renaissance. A follow-up to the series Goof Troop , A Goofy Movie uses the framework of a light-hearted comedy romp to tell a resonant story of fathers and sons. The story follows Goofy as he attempts to reconnect with his teenage son by embarking on a cross-country fishing trip on the first day of summer. Once again, this film succeeds based on the strength of its central pairing, whose gradual understanding of one another over the course of their travels feels earned and mature.

4 Beavis And Butt-Head Do America (1996)

This irreverent animated comedy sees two moronic underachievers unknowingly become fugitives after embarking on a journey across America to obtain a new TV. Beavis and Butt-Head Do America is a continuation of MTV’s Beavis and Butt-Head series by Silicon Valley and King of The Hill creator Mike Judge, although prior viewing of the series is not at all necessary. The film is a tight 81 minutes of easy fun, packed with absurd gags; it manages to deliver one of the purest distillations of the episodic road trip formula, while gleefully subverting that formula with two characters too stupid and short-sighted to ever change or grow.

3 Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

The hit indie comedy Little Miss Sunshine delivers droves of offbeat charm with its story of a dysfunctional, underachieving family who pile into a VW bus in hopes of getting youngest child Olive to a beauty pageant final in California. The road trip movie is a perfect ode to imperfect families, with its first-rate cast delivering a chemistry that propels the trundling narrative along with disjointed grace. Among its number, the ensemble counts Steve Carrell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano and the late Alan Arkin , who earned an Oscar for his performance as the heroin-addicted grandfather Edwin.

2 Thelma & Louise (1991)

One of director Ridley Scott’s best films , Thelma & Louise is a tragic, joyful, liberating movie about two women who become fugitives from the law on a road trip gone awry. The film captures the freedom of the road as the titular characters embrace their new lives as outlaws, escaping their oppressive lives and finding strength in their friendship. Thelma & Louise uses the bright summer heat to evoke a carefree, euphoric atmosphere, managing to make the distressing chase feel like a summer road trip.

1 Easy Rider (1969)

Few films feel more particular to summer than Easy Rider . The freewheeling, rule-breaking movie follows two drug smugglers powering through the desert on their motorbikes, hoping to reach New Orleans in time for Mardis Gras. It’s a profound, vital image of a bygone moment in American history, one in which limitless freedom and potential pushed the young into soul-searching, hedonism, and constant movement. The film finds its loose plot secured by a charismatic central pairing of Hollywood stars, Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda; their story, while not exactly an enviable road trip in many ways, evokes the quintessential journey through the heat and freedom of summer.

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The Best Summer Vacation Movies: ‘Parent Trap,’ ‘Aftersun,’ ‘Two for the Road,’ and More

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Editor’s note: this list was originally published in July 2023. It has since been updated with new entries.

To quote Alice Cooper (and poorly paraphrase “High School Musical 2”), school’s out for summer. With Boppenheimer hitting air-conditioned theaters midway through July — just as countless actors and screenwriters head into the heat to join picket-lines in New York and Los Angeles — summer 2023 will no doubt prove a memorable one for Hollywood. What better time then to consider how the movies themselves represent the reason for the season?

The best summer vacation movies range in subject matter and can appeal to all sorts of different audiences. Kid-centric flicks, like “The Parent Trap,” and adult slashers, like the “Friday the 13th” films, explore the traditions and perils of sleep-away camp from spectacularly different view points. Meanwhile, road trip flicks, like the Audrey Hepburn-starring “Two for the Road” and Hindi film “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,” consider the ins-and-outs of traveling across the country with a similar romanticism but using tones separated by decades and cultures. Destination films, including “The Lizzie McGuire Movie” and “ Forgetting Sarah Marshall ” (which see their characters head to Italy and Hawaii respectively), celebrate the innate entertainment in stepping off a plane and emerging into somewhere new.

When curating the top films in this surprisingly robust category, we did our best to restrict ourselves to movies that explicitly take place during the summer months — or, at least very least, exist in weather nondescriptly pleasant enough that we could sufficiently lie to ourselves about when they occur. A break from school or work can be part of a title’s plot points, but doesn’t strictly have. To wit, summer vacation plays a critical narrative plot in “Grease” but wasn’t a fit with the rest of our list. (“Grease” is to summer vacation movies what “Reservoir Dogs” is to heist movies, you know?)

Listed in chronological order, the following represent the best summer vacation movies, including “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” “Under the Sand,” “Adventureland,” “Summertime,” “Aftersun,” and more.

With editorial contributions by Wilson Chapman, Kate Erbland, Marcos Franco, Proma Khosla, and Mark Peikert.

‘Summertime’ (1955)

What it is: Single schoolteacher Jane Hudson (Katharine Hepburn, radiant and Oscar-nominated) travels alone to Venice, where she morphs from awkward caterpillar to butterfly, blossoming under the Italian sun and the Italian arms of Rossano Brazzi. But don’t think this is another ’50s movie about how a woman needs a man. David Lean’s sly film is much more rueful than that. There’s a special ruefulness to recognizing ‘too-lateness’ (to quote film historian James Harvey), and Jane leaves Venice with sweet and bittersweet memories. The final scene will wreck anyone with a heart, just like the end of every good summer vacation.

Perfect for: Romantics who love looking at Venice but hate crowds. —MP

‘Man’s Favorite Sport’ (1964)

What it is: Howard Hawks’ late career addition to his screwball oeuvre is, simply put, the best fishing-centric rom-com ever made. Rock Hudson stars as a world famous fishing gear salesman (the ’60s were a different time!) whose job at Abercrombie and Fitch has turned him into an icon in the outdoor sports community. There’s only one catch: he’s never actually fished. While he has meticulously studied the sport, his fear of touching slimy, wiggly things has prevented him from testing his knowledge on the open water. But when a scheming heiress (Paula Prentiss) devises a plan to enter him in a tournament at her father’s resort, he is forced to learn fishing in a week or risk humiliating himself in front of his biggest clients. Suffice it to say, hilarity and misunderstandings ensue.

‘Man’s Favorite Sport?’ can’t hold a candle to Hawks’ earlier masterpieces like ‘Bringing Up Baby’ and ‘His Girl Friday,’ but there’s still enough of his comedic genius to get the job done. The Technicolor cinematography is gorgeous, and the absurd ethical norms that govern the fishing community in the film are still hilarious. Plus, there’s a bear that rides a bike! If you’re a screwball comedy completionist, consider throwing this one on next time you’re tempted to rewatch ‘It Happened One Night’ for the 200th time.

Perfect for: Anyone who has forgotten the aphrodisiac qualities of live bait. —CZ

‘Two for the Road’ (1967)

What it is:  A decade of marriage is a languid milestone that challenges the vitality of any relationship. When a road trip forces the struggling, starring couple of ‘Two for the Road’ to reflect on the highs and lows of their connection over the years, the memories serve as an illuminating reminder of the many emotional challenges they’ve overcome and reignites the couple’s passion. The non-linear plot of the movie switches between past and present, using insightful vignettes to give the audience a better understanding of the couple who has always bonded through their travels. The romantic comedy stars Audrey Hepburn in her penultimate performance before her early retirement shortly after.

Perfect for: Tenured couples at each other’s throats needing a getaway to remind them why they got into their relationship in the first place. —MF

‘La Piscine’ (1969)

What it is: A typically Gallic thriller made even more languid under the Côte d’Azur sun, in which couple Romy Schneider and Alain Delon lounge decoratively (it’s a dead tie as to who succeeds best) until the intrusion of Maurice Ronet and his daughter, Jane Birkin. The swimsuits are tiny, the sun is hot, and the pool becomes the epicenter of a quadrangle from which no one escapes unscathed.

Perfect for: Lovers of beauty — both physical and natural — with a penchant for sun-drenched dread. —MP

‘Grease’ (1978)

What it is:  Okay, so 90 percent of 1978’s blockbuster musical takes place during the school year, as John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John’s summer lovers struggle to make their vacation fling into a permanent reality. But who could ever forget how the film starts, with Sandy and Danny falling in love on the beach where Australian Sandy is vacationing, as Danny tells his new beau that their love is ‘Only the beginning.’ Plus, there’s the iconic song ‘Summer Nights,’ where both lovers coo about their relationship to their high school friends, which has practically become an anthem for summer romances everywhere.  

Perfect for: Musical theater nerds, greasers, and anyone nostalgic for teen romance. —WC

‘Friday the 13th’ (1980)

What it is:  In 2024, after decades of tragedies including a failed SWAT team intervention that proved the existence of Hell, every rational person knows that summer trips to Crystal Lake should be avoided at all costs. But in 1980, it was fair to assume that the shuttered summer camp deserved a second chance. After all, it had been 22 years since the infamous drowning incident. Nobody could possibly hold a grudge for that long!

‘Friday the 13th’ is the film that launched one of the most unlikely, incoherent, and delightful franchises in horror history. Sean S. Cunningham’s hastily-made slasher flick doesn’t feature the masked Jason Voorhees that we all know and love, but the whodunnit storyline about the camp’s mysterious teen-killer fills the void left by his absence. While nobody could have possibly predicted ‘Jason X’ after watching ‘Friday the 13th”'(frankly, nothing in this franchise seems like it was planned out more than 15 minutes in advance), it’s not hard to see why horror fans became hooked on the soon-to-be-iconic formula. 

Perfect for:  Anyone who is ready to fast forward through summer and get to Halloween. —CZ

‘National Lampoon’s Vacation’ (1983)

What it is: The Griswold family has been entangled in enough bad trips over the past four decades (yes, four) that it’s easy to forget that all this mayhem kicked off with a relatively simple first feature, which follows a relatively simple premise: average, everyday American family tries to go on a vacation, and absolute chaos ensues. The Griswolds — including Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo as Clark and Ellen, eventual mainstays of this series, plus kiddos Rusty and Audrey, this time played by Anthony Michael Hall and Dana Barron — have simple dreams for their cross-country road trip to the dazzling Wally World (imagine Disneyland, but wholly dedicated to Mickey Mouse mythos), but from the start, nothing goes right. Their new car — the Family Truckster — is a lemon, the kids are bored, the food is bad, and that’s before they land at Cousin Eddie’s (an iconic Randy Quaid) and people actually start dying. What happens to the Griswolds (and the many ill-fated people in their path) might feel outsized, but it’s rooted in relatability. Vacation is hell, families are insane, and this is all still so funny, because it’s so damn true.

Perfect for: Any person who has ever been on a family vacation. Hell, any person who has ever been in a family . —KE

‘Stand By Me’ (1986)

What it is: Led by a stellar ensemble of future stars including River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton, ‘Stand By Me’ remains the gold standard for modern coming-of-age dramas. Rob Reiner’s adaptation of Stephen King’s short story ‘The Body’ takes place in the fictional town of Castle Rock, following four adolescent boys who band together to find the dead body of a missing classmate. What begins as a Tom Sawyer-esque boyhood adventure quickly turns into a moving drama as the boys reckon with the roles that grief have played in their own upbringings. The film jumps back and forth in time between the actual trip and one of the men writing a memoir about the experience later in life, and the bittersweet ending makes one of the most moving statements about the passage of time in modern cinema. Along with ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ the film is often cited as proof that the best King movies are adapted from his non-horror output.

Perfect for:  Anyone who never had any friends later on like the ones they had when they were 12. —CZ

‘Dirty Dancing’ (1987)

What it is: One of the definitive films about summer romance, ‘Dirty Dancing’ stars Jennifer Grey as Baby: the good-girl daughter of a doctor who vacations in a Catskills resort with her family. There, she catches the eye of Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze, in his most dashing role): a dance instructor at the resort. She winds up filling in as his dance partner, sneaking around the back of her conservative and snobbish parents in the process. Swayze and Grey’s scintillating chemistry lifts up the sometimes cheesy but endearingly sincere movie, which holds up decades later as a story about a young woman gaining independence and discovering what she wants in the process. There’s a reason why ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life’ remains the definitive song for a summer slow-dance to this day.

Perfect for: Anybody who’s ever been a rebellious teenager. —WC

‘Before Sunrise’ (1995)

Richard Linklater’s beloved ‘Before’ Trilogy kicks off with its leads Jesse and Céline (Ethan Hawke and Julie Deply) on a train passing from Budapest to Vienna. It’s the thick of June, and the two are hours away from ending their respective trips. But when the American and the Frenchwoman unexpectedly connect and impulsively decide to spend the next 24 hours before they leave the city with each other, their summer vacations get extended for one magical night. The ‘Before’ trilogy would only grow deeper and richer throughout its 18-year run, but the first installment still captures the indelible feeling of a swift but unforgettable summer fling.  

Perfect for: Philosophical types, lovers of Vienna, and anyone who’s ever wanted a short but intense one day romance. —WC

‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back’ (1998)

A classic story of opening yourself up to love in an unexpected place, ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back’ is a consistent delight thanks to the dazzling central performance from Angela Bassett as the titular groove get-backer. Her Stella is a successful 40-year-old stockbroker who hasn’t had time for romance after divorcing her son’s father. When she sends her kid on a trip to stay with his dad, she makes an impulsive choice for the first time in forever and books a first-class Jamaican vacation for some alone time. There, she flirts with a charming and much younger local, Taye Diggs’ wildly named Winston Shakespeare, a passing interest that blossoms into something more. For anyone who feels too wound up by the pressures of day-to-day life, ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back’ offers a potent reminder about the importance of letting your hair down. 

Perfect for:  Angela Bassett fans, beach boys (and girls), and anyone who needs a summer balm. —WC

‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ (1999)

What it is: Set in Italy during the summer of 1958, this nail-biter psychological thriller stars Matt Damon as the titlular Tom Ripley: a slippery wannabe-aristocrat whose American Psycho in Rome routine rapidly unravels as he attempts to steal a man’s identity and girlfriend. Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow play the targets of Ripley’s obsession, alongside Cate Blanchett and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as well-to-do socialities. 

Perfect for: Anyone on an international trip with an acquaintance they just can’t seem to trust. —AF

‘The Parent Trap’ (1998)

What it is: Lindsay Lohan’s unforgettable doubling performance as Annie James and Hallie Parker: redheaded twins spearated at birth, who later meet at summer camp and set about getting their divorced parents back together. Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson — aboard the QE2 or separated by countries — brew intoxicating chemistry as the girls’ parents, and supporting actresses Lisa Ann Walter and Elaine Hendrix dazzle as housekeeper Chessy and feisty foil Meredith Blake. A slew of perfectly executed ’90s slapstick hijinkx (lizard! air mattress! fencing!) make this remake a delightfully sincere upgrade on writer/director David Swift’s 1961 original.

Perfect for: ’90s nostalgics and ‘Three Identicial Strangers’ obsessives . —AF

‘Under the Sand’ (2000)

What it is: An empty beach on the coastline of France is a dream getaway for any couple, but when a wealth of privacy results in an unsolved case of ‘What happened to my husband?’ there’s reason to think someplace more public may have prevented the grievous mystery. A French film originally entitled ‘Sous le Sable,’ the storyline of ‘Under the Sand’ leaves Marie Drillon with a mountain of unanswered questions after she wakes up from a nap and her husband of 25 years, Jean, is nowhere to be found. It’s assumed that the man went out for a swim and was swallowed by the tide or perhaps he committed suicide by drowning but Jean’s family is skeptical of all explanations. The dark summer vacation presents the confusing coping mechanisms and the doubtful acceptance of losing a loved one.

Perfect for: Anyone who was already skeptical about getting in the ocean. —MF

‘Wet Hot American Summer’ (2001)

What it is:  David Wain and Michael Showalter caught lightning in a bottle with their absurdist, joke-a-minute parody of summer camp movies. A legendary cast of then-unknown actors including Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, and Elizabeth Banks star as a horny coterie of camp counselors trying to entertain themselves on their last day of work at Camp Firewood. Filled with intentional continuity errors and rapid shifts in genre, ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ simultaneously feels like an LSD-fueled riff on ‘Meatballs’ and a feature-length ‘I Think You Should Leave’ sketch. It might be the only summer camp movie that’s more fun to watch than going to summer camp.

Perfect for:  Comedy geeks and all varieties of sentient canned food. —CZ

‘Swimming Pool’ (2003)

What it is: Hoo boy, François Ozon’s thriller—starring Charlotte Rampling and Ludivine Sagnier—pissed people off with its ambiguous ending. But the whole film is like a half-dreamed moment under the sun, as novelist Sarah (Rampling) finds her work getaway interrupted by the sexually voracious daughter (Sagnier) of her publisher, whose villa she is using. As they engage in increasingly sexualized mind games, the men in their orbit become both playthings and victims. Summer vacation never felt this sexy or scary, and Rampling is at the peak of her inscrutable powers.

Perfect for: Anyone who likes to end vacation with a ‘WTF just happened?!’ —MP

‘The Lizzie McGuire Movie’ (2003)

What it is: Hilary Duff takes her beloved Disney Channel character to Rome in this nostalgia-inducing aughts tale of mistaken identity. When Lizzie is confused for a famous Italian popstar named Isabella during a field trip to Rome, Gordo (Adam Lamberg) and Kate (Ashlie Brillault) cover for the American Cinderella with school chaperone Miss Ungermeyer (a deeply, deeply  funny Alex Borstein) as she fell for a hunk celeb. Will Lizzie finally realize her crush for Gordo, or ride off into the sunset with Yani Gellman’s dashing Paolo? 

Perfect for: Fans of ‘Roman Holiday’ and/or ‘A Cinderella Story.’ —AF

‘High School Musical 2’ (2007)

What it is: Ah, yes, High School Musical: the Disney Channel Original Movie empire that just keeps on growing. For its first sequel in 2007, the TV movie phenomenon about theater kids warring with teen jocks changed its setting from high school hallways to poolside putting greens for an adventure all about the possibilties of summer. Bringing back Zack Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and the rest of the singy cast, ‘High School Musical 2’ kicks off with an all-tiem great number about getting out of classes (‘What Time Is it’).

Perfect for: Millennials missing simpler times and any kid working a shitty job. —AF

‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ (2008)

What it is:  It’s hard to upgrade after getting dumped by a famous actress who’s new relationship is publicized on every TV channel. Needing to escape the cluttered confines of his now companionless apartment, Peter Bretter heads for the North Shore of Oahu where he hopes to recenter his emotions in a luxurious edge-of-the-water resort. To the audience’s amusement, things take an interesting turn at check in as Bretter notices his ex-girlfriend walking towards the front desk where she is shortly joined by her new rock n roll boyfriend, Aldous Snow. Despite the unpleasant surprise, Bretter eventually enjoys his vacation after becoming acquainted with a hotel employee.

Perfect for:  The criers in need of relatable humor who struggle to set their identity apart from their romantic encounters. —MF

‘Adventureland’ (2009)

What it is:  College graduate James Brennan has big plans to study abroad over the summer but his daydreams of spending grad school in the warm European sun is held up by his shortage of funds which leads him to take a less than desirable job. After his parents break the news that they can no longer bankroll the trip, Brennan, lacking any real working experience, takes the only job he can land, a game attendant at Adventureland, a worn-down amusement park in western Pennsylvania. On the bright side (or so it initially seems) he meets Emily, a nice girl with a dark side who brings out his more daring side. 

Perfect for:  Anyone who had to work a shitty summer job or who falls into the foolhardy trap of dating co-workers. —MF

‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ (2011)

What it is: Though not explicitly about a summer vacation, Zoya Akhtar’s 2011 comedy-drama shares critical emotional tissue with the best films about road trips, friendship, self discovery — and a little European holiday to kick it all into gear. Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar (who wrote the dialogues), and Abhay Deol star as Arjun, Imraan, and Kabir, three childhood best friends on a two-week trip through Spain. Though the trip is ostensibly Kabir’s bachelor party, it’s an excuse for him to flee from his fiancee (Kalki Koechlin), to repair the fractured friendship between Arjun and Imraan, for Imraan and Kabir to curb Arjun’s workaholic tendencies, and for Imraan to pursue his own hidden agenda in between salsa dancing, snorkeling, and running with the bulls. The Akhtar siblings flawlessly execute a rare feat in Hindi cinema; a gorgeous, introspective film with both style and substance, as well as a commercial blockbuster that’s as beloved now as the day it premiered. ‘Zindagi’ grounds Roshan from his hunky hero pedestal, elevates Deol into a relatable leading man, and finds the perfect balance for Akhtar’s specific brand of comedic charm (often via designer handbag) — it even builds a believable character for Katrina Kaif as Laila, giving one of her strongest performnaces to date. It’s the kind of movie that will change how you vacation in your own life, hoping that every trip leads to emotional catharsis, seaside epiphanies (set to Javed Akhtar’s poetry), and at least one round of ‘Señorita.’

Perfect for: Travelers on their way to Europe, but not for a bachelor party. —PK

‘Moonrise Kingdom’ (2012)

What it is:  Wes Anderson’s masterful portrayal of summer camp love is structured just like the idyllic romances it depicts: a series of profoundly cinematic highs and lows followed by an inevitable return to normalcy when school starts again. First-time actors Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward give remarkable performances as Sam and Suzy, a Khaki Scout and New Penzance resident who act considerably more mature than the clueless adults surrounding them as they explore the New England coast together. The Boy Scout-adjacent Camp Ivanhoe represents some of the best world building of Anderson’s career, as the 1950s summer camp is the perfect canvas for his offbeat sense of humor. ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ features both the razor-sharp wit of Anderson’s early works and the visual lushness of his more recent output — and might be the best film he’s made to date.

Perfect for: Armchair Khaki Scouts and anyone who’s just dying to know how an orchestra is assembled. —CZ

‘Us’ (2019)

What it is:  Most of the films on the list can be summed up with adjectives like ‘soothing,’ ‘comforting,’ ‘fun,’ ‘sunny,’ and their respective synonyms. That’s certainly  not  the case for ‘Us,’ Jordan Peele’s second feature, which plunges its vacationing family into a total nightmare when a mysterious group of doppelgängers intrude upon their beach getaway. Like all of Peele’s work, ‘Us’ can often be very funny, but it’s the most straight-forwardly terrifying of any of his films, a nonstop parade of unsettling terror. What most resonates from the film, beyond Lupita Nyong’o nimble dual performance as a desperate mother and the leader of the doubles, is Peele’s pointed look at how class in America operates. The Wilsons might not be able to afford the most lavish of vacations, but many Americans can barely afford a vacation as is, and ‘Us’ uses its twisted horror story as a metaphor for the institutions that allow those disparities to build and grow.  

Perfect for:  People who are afraid of house of mirrors, anyone who had a scary nightmare during a family trip, and anyone who just has fears in general. —WC 

‘Aftersun’ (2022)

What it is:  Charlotte Welles’ acclaimed debut feature stars Paul Mescal, in the role that got him an Oscar nomination, as Calum, a single father taking his 11 year-old daughter Sophie (an incredible Frankie Corio) on a summer vacation to Turkey. There, they laze around the sun, sing karaoke, go scuba diving, and dance, as the young and perceptive Sophie explores romance for the first time and the cheerful Calum hides glimmers of sadness from his daughter. But that’s only one layer of the movie, which is filtered through the eyes of an older Sophie (Celia Rowlson-Hall) piecing together what her dad was going through via the old camera footage she’s kept from that trip.The movie’s meta narrative — and the perfectly calibrated performances of Corio and Mescal — make the film one of the few to capture what it’s like to look back on summer vacation memories, with small moments and happy times registering in a different, more melancholy pitch.

Perfect for: People with daddy issues, people who fell in love with Paul Mescal’s character in ‘Normal People,’ or people with daddy issues who fell in love with Paul Mescal’s character in ‘Normal People.’ —WC

‘Theater Camp’ (2023)

If you’ve ever experienced the magic and the cringe of a theater sleepaway camp, ‘Theater Camp’ will blast you back to the past. The mockumentary comedy from directors Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman (who co-wrote it with stars Ben Platt and Noah Galvin) is a passionate and sweet tribute to these types of safe havens for the dorky and the artistic and the (mostly) gay youth among us. All four writers based the film — a chronicle of a few weeks in the life of the staff at an Adirondacks-based camp going through a crisis after its director falls into a coma — on their own experiences as theater kids, and that obvious affection and expertise shines through in how painfully and hilariously accurate the film’s sweetly rendered world is. By the time ‘Theater Camp’ stages a ridiculous yet somehow moving original play based on the life of the comatose founder, its charm is liable to infect even the most theater-hating among us.

Perfect for:  Theater nerds who will shriek at the references to ‘Damn Yankees,’ fans of Patti Harrison’s ‘I Think You Should Leave’ appearances, and anyone who shared memes about the ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ movie. —WC

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Summer is here, and with it comes the irresistible urge to throw caution to the wind, gas up the car and hit the open road. Whether you’re dreaming of an epic cross-country adventure or just a weekend escape, there’s nothing like a good road trip movie to get you in the mood for some serious travel.

From dysfunctional family escapades to solo journeys of self-discovery, these five films offer a fresh perspective on the joys and challenges of life on the road.

( Editor’s note: Some of these films include strong language, so check the ratings! )

5. Wild (2014)

Based on Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling memoir, Wild  is the story of a woman seeking redemption and self-discovery on a grueling solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail. Played by Reese Witherspoon, Cheryl Strayed’s journey is raw, unfiltered, and brutally honest. It’s about confronting your past and finding the strength to move forward.

Why it inspires: Wild  is a powerful reminder of the healing power of nature and the importance of facing your demons head-on. Cheryl’s trek is not just a physical challenge but an emotional odyssey, proving that sometimes you have to lose yourself to find yourself.

Travel Takeaway : Solo travel can be transformative. There’s a unique clarity that comes from being alone in nature, allowing you to reflect and grow in ways that the everyday hustle doesn’t permit.

4. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Ben Stiller directs and stars in this visually stunning adventure that takes the mundane and makes it extraordinary. Walter Mitty, a daydreaming photo editor at Life magazine, embarks on a real-life quest that takes him from the icy landscapes of Greenland to the rugged mountains of the Himalayas. It’s a whimsical journey of self-discovery and adventure.

Why it inspires: Walter Mitty’s transformation from a timid dreamer to a bold adventurer is a beautiful reminder that it’s never too late to start living the life you’ve always imagined. The film’s breathtaking scenery and imaginative storytelling make it a visual treat.

Travel Takeaway : Don’t just dream about adventure — go out and live it. The world is full of incredible places and experiences waiting to be discovered, and sometimes the biggest risk is not taking one at all.

3. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

The quintessential indie darling, Little Miss Sunshine is a chaotic blend of dark comedy and heartfelt drama. The Hoover family, a lovable band of misfits, embarks on a cross-country trek in their rickety yellow VW bus to get young Olive (Abigail Breslin) to a beauty pageant. It’s a trip full of unexpected breakdowns — both mechanical and emotional — and it’s through these mishaps that the family finds its strength.

Why it inspires: Because it reminds us that no family is perfect, and sometimes the most memorable journeys are the ones where everything goes wrong. The Hoovers teach us that perseverance and love can get you through the most ridiculous of circumstances.

Travel Takeaway : Embrace the chaos. The best road trips are those that allow for spontaneity and those beautiful, unplanned moments that become the stuff of family legend.

2. Almost Famous (2000)

Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical Almost Famous  is a love letter to rock ‘n’ roll and the golden age of 1970s music journalism. We follow teenage prodigy William Miller (Patrick Fugit) as he scores a dream gig: writing for Rolling Stone and touring with the fictional band Stillwater. What unfolds is a wild ride through the highs and lows of rock stardom, captured with equal parts humor and heartbreak.

Why it inspires: The film perfectly encapsulates the allure of following your passion, no matter where it takes you. William’s journey from starstruck kid to seasoned writer is a testament to the transformative power of stepping out of your comfort zone.

Travel Takeaway : Chase your dreams with reckless abandon. Sometimes, the most rewarding adventures come from diving headfirst into the unknown and living in the moment.

1. Crossroads (2002)

Yes, Britney Spears’ Crossroads is on this list, and it deserves to be. This coming-of-age flick is all about three childhood friends — Lucy (Britney Spears), Mimi (Taryn Manning) and Kit (Zoe Saldana) — who reconnect on a road trip to Los Angeles. Each character embarks on the journey with personal baggage, but together, they find closure and new beginnings.

Why it inspires: Crossroads  captures the essence of youthful spontaneity and the cathartic power of the open road. It’s a reminder that sometimes, it’s the journey we take with friends that helps us find ourselves.

Travel Takeaway : Road trips are a great way to reconnect and rediscover friendships. There’s something about being trapped in a car together that forces you to confront your issues and, hopefully, come out stronger on the other side.

Whether you’re planning a cross-country trek or just dreaming of your next adventure, let these movies be your guide. Pack your bags, hit the road, and see where the journey takes you. Safe travels!

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Summer is often defined by its barbecues and beaches, but the true essence of the season can be found in the passenger seat of a moving vehicle — windows down, music blaring, wind mangling sun-bleached hair. Summer is an escapist fantasy, promising paradise around every corner. It doesn’t matter where you’re going, just that you’re going somewhere. You’ll get there eventually. You’ve got time.

Technically, a road trip can take place any time of year, but regardless of what the calendar says, setting off on the open road will always carry the feeling of hope and possibility that fills the air from June to September. In film, the same is often true. Road trip–themed movies, regardless of their official seasonal designation, all exude summer’s intoxicating sparkle. The following seven cinematic journeys — brimming with adventure, discovery, and plenty of memorable mishaps — allow us to experience the warmth and thrill of a summer road trip all year.

Thelma & Louise (1991)

Ridley Scott’s classic road trip film “Thelma & Louise,” starring Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, captures everything sacred about summertime: convertibles, silk headscarves, big sunglasses, and even bigger hair. Staying in the spirit of “no spoilers,” this ‘90s flick is a timeless and rare celebration of female friendship. It also easily passes the Bechdel test, following two women on what’s meant to be a harmless girls’ trip through Arkansas before it’s derailed by violence. Rev your engines, girls. We’re goin’ fishin.’ Stream on Showtime

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

The late Alan Arkin won an Oscar for his portrayal of the grandfather in the deliriously charming “Little Miss Sunshine,” which plots the journey of a family en route from Albuquerque, N.M., to Redondo Beach, Calif., where their youngest (Abigail Breslin) is slated to compete in a beauty pageant. The family of misfits chugs along a dusty trail in a rattling old VW minivan, confronting the things that make them each different but ultimately embracing the tenderness and spunk that bind them together. Stream on MAX

Dumb and Dumber (1994)

Nothing says summer quite like a cross-country trek behind the wheel of a van disguised as a giant, shaggy dog. Though Colorado ski country is the destination of Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne’s (Jeff Daniels) fool’s errand in “Dumb and Dumber,” the levity of this slapstick play on the hero’s journey tinges the film with a summery glow. And with a prequel and a sequel, this franchise can last a long haul. Stream on MAX

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Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985)

Though this early Tim Burton work stars a red bicycle instead of a car, it still falls squarely within the road trip cinema canon. As with anything from the Pee-wee universe , “Big Adventure,” starring the iconic late Paul Reubens as Pee-wee himself, is kooky and playful and full of twists and turns, dragging viewers along on an adventure to the Alamo, then to Burbank, with childlike wonder as its primary guide. Rent on Prime Video or stream with an AppleTV+ subscription

Tommy Boy (1995)

Holy schnikes, this road trip flick truly has it all: roadkill resurrected from the dead, young Rob Lowe, radio singalongs (“don’t you remember you told me you loved me, baby?”), and the comedic genius of the late Chris Farley and his real-life BFF David Spade. The journey really is the destination for these two, who discover on the road that they’re better off as friends than as enemies. Aww . Stream on Max

Y tu mamá también (2001)

Filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón bottles summertime and serves it up steaming hot, as two teenagers (Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna) and an older woman (Maribel Verdú) set out on a drive from Mexico City to the shores of Oaxaca. The film drips with sweat — as much from the sexuality radiating off its three central characters as from the heat of the sun over the Mexican desert. Expect cinematic sun flares, roadside cacti, and lots of running away from life’s challenges in this coming-of-age cult classic. Stream on AMC+

Nomadland (2020)

Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” is hardly a romp, but its interrogation of freedom and the American Dream — plus its jaw-dropping landscapes from the western United States — earn it a spot on this list of great summer road trip movies. Though Frances McDormand’s character battles isolation, loss, and disenfranchisement, a vein of tranquility runs through the film — similar to the tranquility that comes with rolling the windows down and feeling a benevolent August sun on your skin. Stream on Hulu

Emma Glassman-Hughes can be reached at [email protected] . Follow her @eglassmanhughes .

The 27 best road trip movies to watch so you forget you're stuck at home

• Can't go anywhere right now? A good road trip movie could put you in a better mood.
• Here are the 27 all-time best.
• Classics like "Easy Rider" and "Thelma & Louise" are on our roundup.
• There are also more recent movies like "Logan" and "Magic Mike XXL." 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

Hollywood has always had a soft spot for road trip movies, and some have become memorable not just for what was shown on screen, but what the spirit of the movie meant for the people who saw them.

Take "Easy Rider" for example, whose no-rules approach launched a new way that movies were made for decades. Or "Thelma & Louise," which was as much about female empowerment as it was about a movie about two people on the run from the law.

Here are 27 road trip movies (listed alphabetically) you should check out before heading on your own adventure:

"Almost Famous" (2000)

Cameron Crowe's love letter to the 1970s rock and roll scene, which he covered as a writer for Rolling Stone, is a fun look at adolescence, fame, and highlights the non-stop grind of a band being "on the road."

"The Blues Brothers" (1980)

John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd play two brothers on a mission from God. Trying to get on the straight-and-narrow after getting out of prison, Jake Blues (Belushi) and his brother Elwood (Aykroyd) decide to help raise the money the Catholic home they were raised in needs to stay open. That leads to a road trip around Illinois to get the band back together.

"Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" (2006)

With the help of director Larry Charles, Sacha Baron Cohen creates one of the funniest road trip movies ever made as he takes his character, Borat, to America to marry Pamela Anderson. But in the process, the movie highlights the US itself, as Borat travels the country doing everything from singing the Kazakhstan national anthem at a rodeo to hanging out with some fraternity kids.

"Dumb and Dumber" (1994)

In this Farrelly brothers classic, friends Lloyd (Jim Carrey) and Harry (Jeff Daniels) are convinced the gas man is out to get them after the death of their bird, so they decide to drive to Aspen to hand-deliver a briefcase the beautiful Mary (Lauren Holly) "forgot" at the airport. Oh, and they are hitting the road in a truck that's made up to look like a dog.

"Easy Rider" (1969)

It's the movie that launched the "New Hollywood" era of the 1970s and was made with little money and lots of drugs.

Directed by Dennis Hopper, the Hollywood bad boy also stars alongside Peter Fonda as two hippie bikers (Jack Nicholson also shows up) who travel from LA to New Orleans after cashing in on smuggling cocaine from Mexico. On their freewheeling trip, they find an America that's split between the stuffy establishment and the younger generation that is starving for change.

"The End of the Tour" (2015)

The days of conversations between Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) and author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) are beautifully profiled in director James Ponsoldt's intimate story that has the two men interacting while on the road for Wallace's book tour.

"Into the Wild" (2007)

Based on a true story, Christopher McCandless' quest to go off the grid and hitchhike to Alaska to live in the wilderness is a powerful exploration of human desire and the kindness of strangers.

"It Happened One Night" (1934)

Frank Capra's famous movie is romantic comedy at its best. Claudette Colbert plays a spoiled heiress running from home, and Clark Gable is a reporter who finally thinks he's found a story that will get him some attention as he follows her to New York. But it will be forever known for its hitchhiking scene in which Colbert's character gets them a ride by pulling up her skirt to show off her legs.

"Little Miss Sunshine" (2006)

Filled with an all-star cast including Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Greg Kinnear, Paul Dano, Alan Arkin, and Abigail Breslin, we follow a dysfunctional family as they jump in a VW bus to drive the young Olive (Breslin) on a cross-country trip to the finals of a beauty pageant she's competing in.

"Logan" (2017)

Marking the coda of the Hugh Jackman era as Wolverine, director James Mangold delivers a somber drama of the superhero's final days. Here he and Charles Xavier set out to drive a young mutant to a refuge in North Dakota. That sounds simple, but it definitely isn't.

"Magic Mike XXL" (2015)

In this fantastic sequel to the 2012 original, Mike (Channing Tatum) sets out on the road with the remaining members of the Kings of Tampa in a food truck to Myrtle Beach for one final performance.

"Midnight Run" (1988)

Robert De Niro is fantastic in this foul-mouthed comedy as bounty hunter Jack Walsh who plans to cash in when he tracks down a sneaky accountant (played by Charles Grodin) who has jumped bail.

But with the FBI, other bounty hunters, and the mob also trying to get their hands on his bounty, things aren't easy for Jack.

"The Motorcycle Diaries" (2004)

Based on the Che Guevara memoir he wrote before becoming the Marxist revolutionary, Gael García Bernal plays young Guevara who, in 1952, went on a trip across South America with his friend Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna). The experience shaped Guevara's life as it showed him the injustices of the world.

"The Muppet Movie" (1979)

Marking the first time the Muppets appear on the big screen, Kermit, Fozzie Bear and the rest of the gang go on a cross-country drive to Hollywood in hopes of making it big. A load of cameos, songs, and hilarity occur along the way.

"National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983)

This classic from director Harold Ramis stars Chevy Chase as one of his most memorable characters, Clark W. Griswold, the ambitious father whose vacation plans always never work out.

Clark takes the family cross-country to Walley World and in the process leaves chaos in his wake.

"On the Road" (2012)

Based on the iconic Jack Kerouac novel, Sam Riley plays the book's narrator, Sal Paradise, who after meeting Dean (Garrett Hedlund) and Marylou (Kristen Stewart), head on a free-spirited road trip across the country.

"Over the Top" (1987)

Sylvester Stallone plays trucker and arm wrestling pro Lincoln Hawk who needs to get to Las Vegas to compete in the world arm wrestling tournament. But he also has to get his estranged son to his dying mother. This all leads to a big-rig father-and-son road trip.

"Pee-wee's Big Adventure" (1985)

A loose parody of Vittorio De Sica's classic "Bicycle Thieves," Tim Burton makes his own classic around the zany antics of Paul Reubens' hit character Pee-wee Herman.

The movie follows the "boy" as he goes to search of his stolen bike, which he's been told by a psychic is in the basement of the Alamo (spoiler alert: there's no basement in the Alamo).

"Planes, Trains & Automobiles" (1987)

Steve Martin and John Candy play two men who suddenly have to become travel companions as they try to get home for the holidays. Written and directed by John Hughes, Martin and Candy together are a delight.

"Rain Man" (1988)

Tom Cruise plays sleazy Charlie Babbitt and Dustin Hoffman is his brother Raymond, who suffers from savant syndrome. Hoping to cash in on the fortune Raymond got from their father, Charlie sets the two out on a cross-country trip leading to a lot of self-discovery.

If you've never seen Barry Levinson's Oscar-winning movie, now's the time.

"Road Trip" (2000)

Of course "Road Trip" was going to be on this list. Todd Phillips' insane raunchy comedy about four college friends on a race against time to retrieve a sex tape sent in the mail to one of their girlfriends is always a fun watch.

"Smokey and the Bandit" (1977)

Burt Reynolds teams with his pal and longtime stunt double Hal Needham for his first directing effort, and it would go on to become a classic road trip movie.

Reynolds plays a fast-driving bootlegger who has to transport 400 cases of Coors beer safely from Texarkana to Atlanta. But things get complicated when Reynolds picks up a runaway bride (played by Sally Field) along the way.

"The Straight Story" (1999)

In one of David Lynch's most traditional storytelling offerings, Richard Farnsworth plays a man who sets out on a trip via riding a lawnmower to make things right with his ill brother.

The story is based on a real-life event, in which Alvin Straight traveled 240 miles from Iowa to Wisconsin on a lawnmower.

"Stranger Than Paradise" (1984)

Jim Jarmusch's second feature film follows Willie and his friend Eddie as they set out on a road trip to Cleveland to visit Willie's cousin from Hungary, Eva.

The movie went on to be regarded as a landmark work in the independent film world for its unconventional long takes and do-it-yourself aesthetic.

"Thelma & Louise" (1991)

Ridley Scott's look at the road-trip-turned-manhunt adventure of friends Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Sarandon) is arguably more powerful today because of the #MeToo than when it opened in the early 1990s.

"Tommy Boy" (1995)

Perhaps the best Chris Farley/David Spade collaboration, in this one Farley plays an underachieving college graduate who suddenly has to travel the nation (with Spade as the geeky sidekick) to keep the accounts for his auto-parts family business after his father dies. This one truly shows off Farley's high-energy comedy greatness.

"Y Tu Mamá También" (2001)

Director Alfonso Cuarón received a best screenplay Oscar nomination with his brother Carlos for this powerful road trip movie that made Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal international stars.

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Summer is the perfect season to pack a ton of snacks and sunscreen and hop in the car for a lengthy road trip. Whether you experience confused GPS systems, too many bathroom breaks, or less than ideal travel companions, not every adventure is perfect, and movies love tackling the improbable aspects of road trips. If you're planning your next driving odyssey right now, turn to some movies that will fuel your summer road trip vibes before sending out the itinerary to your squad.

Even if you've graduated from road trip vacations to elaborate excursions at resorts, chances are you've experienced long drives down dull-looking highways with your family. Your mom insisted on playing "I Spy" before realizing you could only describe cars or sky in so many ways, your dad controlled the radio, and you and your siblings fought for space in the cramped backseat. You might have graduated to road trips with friends, which probably involve more gossip and less sports radio, but maybe all of these trips have fallen short compared to the winding roads and smooth soundtracks of road trip flicks. Don't we all just want to look out a car window pensively as an acoustic song plays?

Whether you're in the mood for a whimsical drive across the country or a more debaucherous summer adventure, check out the list below for an early escape before it's time to roll your car out for your own trip.

01 'Chasing Liberty' (2004)

Before Mandy Moore was the Pearson family matriarch and Matthew Goode starred in countless period dramas, they played a globetrotting pair in Chasing Liberty . As the president's teen daughter, Moore's Anna is desperate for some freedom and strikes a deal with her dad for time on the loose during an official visit to Prague. When Anna escapes her Secret Service agents there, she runs into Goode's Ben, who is actually an undercover agent tasked to look after Anna. The two hop across Europe through various modes of transportation, so while it's not exclusively a road trip story, the movie captures the glory of a summer spent traveling.

02 'Little Miss Sunshine' (2006)

Long before Steve Carell segued into dramatic roles after years on The Office , he played a gay, suicidal uncle in the family comedy-drama Little Miss Sunshine . When his niece Olive (Abigail Breslin) learns she has a spot in a state beauty pageant, he joins the rest of the Hoover family in their eventful road trip to the competition. Crossing highways in their bright yellow Volkswagen, the Hoovers capture the best and worst elements of a typical family vacation. If you're nostalgic for the era in which Breslin was the cute little kid in every other movie, this is also a perfect fit for you.

03 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' (1987)

Although it's best associated with Thanksgiving and the holiday season, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is the perfect example of a road trip gone wrong. When Steve Martin's businessman character is delayed in traveling home for Thanksgiving, he's forced to partner with John Candy's salesman in his quest to reach Chicago. Because of inclement weather, they shift from one plan to another frequently, embarking on a relatable Odd Couple -esque journey. Something about traveling in a pre-cell phone age is very sweet to watch, so enjoy this retro take on clashing forces stuck in a car together.

04 'RV' (2006)

If you survived a trip in a mobile home with your family, you deserve a badge of honor. Try out RV if you're still having nightmares about spending all summer with the fam in that vehicle, because the Munro family's vacation in this movie was probably way more dysfunctional. Dad Bob (Robin Williams) unexpectedly has to cancel the family's trip to Hawaii to attend a work meeting, but he buys a RV to cover up the real reason why they had to desert their more lavish plans. The rest of the cast includes JoJo, Josh Hutcherson, Jeff Daniels, and Kristin Chenoweth, so it's perfect for picturing big names legimitately stuck on a unappealing vacation. Stars — they're just like us!

05 'The Fundamentals of Caring' (2016)

Road trips aren't all singalongs and snacks, and the Netflix original movie The Fundamentals of Caring demonstrates that. In it, Paul Rudd's Ben takes a new job as a caretaker and lands a job looking after teenager Trevor (Craig Roberts), who suffers from muscular dystrophy. Ben takes Trevor on a road trip, sparking encounters with other travelers, including Selena Gomez's Dot. Whether or not you're into picking up hitchhikers on your own journey, watching this may ignite daydreams of Rudd as your road trip companion.

06 'Thelma & Louise' (1991)

One of the ultimate road trip stories, Thelma & Louise combines female friendship and travel when Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis' titular characters go on the run after killing a man. The movie's deeper meaning of people believing women has become even more relatable over the years, which makes the women's internal struggles even more heartbreaking to watch. Luckily, Thelma and Louise's tough duo act makes up for the more emotionally charged moments, providing an empowering and entertaining finished product. Get ready for all of the feels while watching this.

07 'We're the Millers' (2013)

Have you ever gone on a long-haul trip with total strangers? This is the concept of We're the Millers. When pot dealer David (Jason Sudeikis) has to smuggle a supply of marijuana over the border, he enlists a series of neighbors (Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, and Will Poulter) to pose as his family, as one man going through customs alone looks more suspicious. While transporting the marijuana on a RV, they run into hilarious, unforeseen circumstances that encourage them to bond. If anything, the movie teaches audiences that people can make the best of any situation, so keep your head up if your trip takes a turn for the worst.

08 'Away We Go' (2009)

Best known for their comedic roles, Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski became an adorable indie couple in Away We Go . Rudolph's Verona is heavily pregnant when she and Krasinski's Burt learn that his parents are moving away from their area. Now without any family nearby, the couple decide to visit several different states where friends and family live in order to determine the best place for them to raise their baby. Packed with memorable cameos from stars like Allison Janney, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Jim Gaffigan, Away We Go is a more grounded, kindhearted story about travel.

09 'Are We There Yet?' (2005)

You definitely have memories of watching this in middle school, but seeing it as an adult, you may still appreciate the hilarious ridiculousness of Are We There Yet? 's premise. Kids Lindsey and Kevin are experts at scaring away the men their mother Suzanne dates, but they're forced to get to know her newest prospect Nick (Ice Cube) when he has to bring them to meet Suzanne in Vancouver on New Year's Eve. The kids foil their plan for a smooth and easy flight, so the trio has to hit the road instead. It's a comedy of errors, but hopefully they're mistakes you'll never have to face.

10 'National Lampoon's Vacation' (1983)

As the ultimate family road trip story, National Lampoon's Vacation led to a series of similar films set in different places, but as always, the original is typically best. This follows the Griswold family on their cross-country trip to amusement park Walley World, but the journey proves more difficult than they expected. This movie may have ruined your expectations for a road trip when you were younger, but there are definitely some scenarios in it I'd rather see onscreen than IRL. Look out for a young Jane Krakowski as a Griswold relative.

Happy adventuring, summer travelers!

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20 Stellar Road Trip Movies To Help Start Your Summer

Summer is here, so there's no better time to shine a spotlight on some stellar road trip flicks.

BuzzFeed Contributor

Summer is here, and the heat is on to find the perfect film to set the tone for the season.

Luckily, I've got you covered, as there's no better kind of movie to get you pumped for sun, sand, and adventure quite like a road trip movie. With this in mind, I've assembled 20 terrific highlights of the road trip subgenre to kick off your summer just right, regardless of whether you're a comedy fan, a horror buff, or a drama movie diehard.

1. National Lampoon’s Vacation

This classic, franchise-launching comedy starring Chevy Chase follows the Griswold family as they embark upon a cross-country vacation in which everything that can go wrong, does.

Directed by Natalie Morales, Plan B is the story of two teenage girls who encounter drug dealers, crushes, and their own personal revelations as they venture from their sleepy town to Rapid City in search of a "Plan B" pill.

3. The Devil’s Rejects

Rob Zombie's gruesome sequel to House of 1,000 Corpses expands upon that film's universe while flipping the character dynamics on their head by sending them on the road while evading a sadistic lawman.

Channing Tatum headlines this heartwarming comedy about an injured former soldier who is assigned to accompany a troubled dog on a road trip to his fallen comrade’s funeral.

5. Nebraska

This poignant black-and-white film follows a middle-aged man and his elderly father who confront their complicated past and present when the former drives the latter from Montana to Nebraska to claim a sweepstakes prize.

6. Road Trip

The breakout film for director Todd Phillips, this outrageous throwback to ‘80s sex comedies parlayed the momentum of American Pie into this flick about the misadventures of four college students who must cross the country to retrieve an accidentally mailed sex tape from a one-night stand.

7. My Own Private Idaho

River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves are absolutely incredible in Gus Van Sant's state-crossing (and, eventually, globetrotting) journey of a narcoleptic hustler and his rebellious son of a politician in search of answers to life's mysteries, both existential and otherwise. 

8. The Long Dumb Road

Spider-Man: Homecoming 's   Tony Revolori and The League 's Jason Mantzoukas are an inspired pairing in this hilarious, irreverent, and oddly touching tale of a straight-laced photographer and an unpredictable mechanic who begin upon a spontaneous bonding trip while traveling from Texas to Los Angeles.

9. Carriers

This underrated horror offering starring Chris Pine follows four survivors of a viral pandemic attempting to avoid infection, violence, and paranoia while driving through a bleak, post-apocalyptic Florida.

10. Little Miss Sunshine

A sleeper sensation among critics and audiences alike, this dark comedy surrounds a dysfunctional family that reluctantly comes together for an 800-mile road trip after their young daughter qualifies for the “Little Miss Sunshine” beauty pageant.

11. A Goofy Movie

Disney's animated cult favorite is a surprisingly endearing story about Goofy and his son, Max, as they attempt to bond on a last-minute cross-country fishing trip, which the latter attempts to manipulate toward a highly anticipated concert.

12. Dumb and Dumber

The Farrelly brothers' beloved comedy follows a pair of dimwitted best friends who attempt to return a briefcase containing ransom money left in Rhode Island to a woman in Colorado, with whom they both fall madly in love.

13. Midnight Run

Arguably the greatest action comedy of all time, Midnight Run  surrounds a grizzled bounty hunter and an obnoxious mafia accountant as they run afoul of gangsters, the FBI, and a rival bounty hunter in a cross-country race from New York City to Los Angeles.

14. Kalifornia

Brad Pitt eschewed his "pretty boy" image to play a ruthless serial killer in this pitch-black 1993 thriller about a cash-strapped journalist and photographer that unwittingly welcome a pair of bloodthirsty sadists upon their cross-country tour of infamous murder sites.

15. Smokey and the Bandit

Director Hal Needham and stars Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, and Jackie Gleason essentially redefined the "road trip" movie with this all-timer about an illicit beer importer speeding from Texas to Georgia in less than 30 hours.

16. Due Date

This warped modern retelling of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles  follows a no-nonsense architect and a flamboyant aspiring actor who find themselves on the road trip from hell while rushing to get the former to the birth of his first child.

17. Pee-wee’s Big Adventure

The feature-length directorial debut of Tim Burton, this unforgettable road comedy follows good-natured manchild Pee-wee Herman as he encounters various eccentric strangers while searching across the nation for his missing bicycle.

18. We’re the Millers

A small-time pot dealer enlists in his misfit neighbors to act as his squeaky-clean "family" while attempting to transport marijuana across the Mexican border to clear his debt in this hilarious recent entry into the road trip film canon.

19. Joy Ride

John Dahl's edge-of-your-seat horror-thriller is about a cross-country trip in which a college freshman is manipulated by his miscreant older brother to prank a murderous trucker, who psychologically and physically targets them on their way to pick up a childhood friend in Colorado.

20. The Mitchells vs. the Machines

Produced by the untouchable Lord and Miller, The Mitchells vs. the Machines is an exceptional animated road film about a family driving their innovative film student daughter from Michigan to California when they are besieged by sentient (and vengeful) AI.

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Top 12 Summer Road Trip Movies

Summer is a time for escape and adventure, a season meant to be spent on the move. So here are 12 road trip movies to get you going!

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When the heat hits and the bliss of summer sinks in, it’s easy to imagine packing up everything for three months like Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman in the British documentary Long Way Round  (2004), and traveling via motorcycle throughout the world. There’s a restlessness in the air, a wanderlust, and a hunger for new adventure that the advent of summer brings.

Thus, to celebrate summer’s arrival, we’ve concocted a list of the 12 best road movies for the summer to spark that adventurous and exploratory spirit. Alice Cooper iconized this seasonal sensation with his hit “School’s Out for Summer,” but the characters in the following films are anything but “bored to pieces,” as Cooper sings. So climb in the ol’ caravan and shift that gear stick forward – it’s time to ride, Sally, ride.

12. Rolling Family (2004)

With an assortment of close-ups and persistent shallow depth of field, Pablo Trapero’s Argentine drama, Rolling Family , visually evokes the claustrophobia Emilia’s family experiences on a trip to her niece’s wedding. Emilia is 84 and the matron of honor, so her daughters, their husbands, and the children and grandchildren, pile into a motor home and brave the washed out roads, blistering heat, and building tensions in order to fulfill Emilia’s wish.

The luscious scenery of the Argentine countryside is reason enough to watch this summer family film. The rutted roads are red as rust, and the mountainous regions are swarming with of the sounds of insects and birds.

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Trapero’s biological grandmother plays Emilia, and in behind the scenes footage she revels in her ability to be an actress in the twilight of her life. Trapero also notes how personal this project is to him as a montage of family photographs spans the screen, chronicling his own summers spent traveling in his family’s caravan. This movie is a labor of love, and it wears its nostalgia and sentiment on its dusty sleeve.

It’s like the Argentine equivalent of Little Miss Sunshine that premiered two years later, albeit with a matriarch (rather than Alan Arkin’s patriarch) at the center, and sans beauty pageant for tween girls. There are infidelities, secrets spilled, and budding teenage passions. A family member will be sent packing back to the city, another will have to have a tooth extracted, and a few hearts will be broken – there are thus enough detours along this family’s travels to keep the audience engaged.

11. The Daytrippers (1996)

For anyone who drooled over Parker Posey’s ‘90s penchant for oversized coats, neon tights, and platform shoes in features such as Party Girl  (1995) or Kicking and Screaming  (1995), Greg Mottola’s 1996 The Daytrippers  won’t disappoint. In bright red lipstick, Posey’s Jo is the wisecracking, sarcastic sister of Hope Davis’ square Eliza. The film begins with Eliza discovering a love letter addressed to her husband, played by Stanley Tucci, and, mistakenly, she tells her mother who piles the whole family in the station wagon, including Jo’s painfully bumbling boyfriend Carl (played by a delightful Liev Schreiber).

A majority of the film takes place in the station wagon as the family drives from Long Island into New York City. Carl eagerly shares the details for his novel with Jo and Eliza’s enrapt mother, Rita. This mama is played by Anne Meara, who is perhaps best known for her recurring role as Steve Brady’s mother on HBO’s Sex and the City .

In Mottola’s comedy, she’s controlling and kind, acerbic and anxious. As Eliza wrestles with the implications of this love letter (and who its mysterious author might be), Rita provides no breathing space in which to think. The confines of the car become as claustrophobic to the audience as it is to the family, as tensions run high. But, at the film’s heart are the bond of the two sisters who struggle for their autonomy and voice under their matriarch’s control. Even if we don’t get a traditionally happy ending, you’re still smiling with the sisters at the film’s end.

10. Holy Motors (2012)

2012 was the year for road movies within the sleek confines of a limousine. First, there was David Cronenberg’s strict adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel, Cosmopolis , and then Leos Carax’s Holy Motors . While the dialogue of its characters largely drives Cosmpolis ’ narrative, Holy Motors is a surreal and strange foray into performance, disguise, comedy, murder, musicals, and a meta-commentary on filmmaking (and viewing). The film begins within a man’s bedroom – he cautiously draws his hand across the wallpapered walls (perhaps a nod to Delphine Seyrig stroking her mirrored walls in Alain Resnais’ Last Year at Marienbad ?) before fitting a key into a lock and entering a movie theater.

No explanation is given for who this character is or where we are, and that unease and uncertainty continues throughout the almost two-hour feature. We travel with Mr. Oscar throughout the streets of Paris in his limousine, driven by Édith Scob’s Céline. Mr. Oscar has nine “appointments” to make throughout his work day and each involves him transforming himself physically into another person, whether he’s in a motion capture suit or a crazy eccentric who kidnaps model Eva Mendes and drags her into the sewers of the city. 

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Though the narrative is not always lucid, nor the role of Mr. Oscar clear, this is a film that revels in the power and magic of cinema. When Céline dons a rubber mask toward the end of the film, it’s a visual homage to her most iconic performance in Georges Franju’s 1960 horror film, Eyes Without a Face . Cinephilic details such as this abound in Carax’s feature, and we’re ready to get carried away into whatever genre or whatever character Mr. Oscar assumes next.

9. The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

The epigraph to Walter Salles’ film The Motorcycle Diaries  notes that this is not a film of heroic feats, but of two lives “running parallel for awhile.” The film opens with Gael García Bernal frantically packing for a trip on a 1939 single-cylinder Norton 500 (which gets nicknamed “the Mighty One”) to explore a continent he has hereto now only known in books. There’s an urgency and organization to this forthcoming trip, evidenced in the rapid cutting and montage that introduces us to Gael’s young Che Guevara, and Rodrigo de la Serna’s Alberto Granado. As Guevara says in voiceover, “What we had in common was our restlessness, our impassioned spirits, and a love for the open road.” And, thus, they hop on their motorcycle with ceaseless abandon (and shaky coordination), and leave Buenos Aires far behind.

Upon their travels they crash, lose their tent, scavenge for ducks in an ice-cold lake, brave sickness and bad weather. But throughout it all they never lose their friendship, charisma, or desire to do good. There’s also dancing, drinking, and thinly veiled flirtations that lead to a dance hall riot. But the constant visual in the film is Salles’ long shots of the luscious, snow-capped, mountainous landscape that surrounds the men throughout their travels. The film is as much an ode to the Latin American landscape, as it is to celebrating these two altruistic adventurers.

Director Salles’ seems to have a penchant for road movies. His 1998 fourth feature film Central do Brasil  ( Central Station ) follows the travels of an older woman Dora who befriends the young boy Josué and accompanies him to find his absentee father via bus, and then truck throughout Brazil. Additionally, his most recent film, On the Road (2012), is an adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s 1957 novel.

8. Lolita (1962)

Stanley Kubrick’s cinematic adaptation of Lolita  is both a love letter to Lo and a celebration of the roads of America. Authors such as Vladimir Nabokov or Jack Keroauc, or Rick Moody with his more recent Hotels of North America , revel in the intricacies of our interstates, the mysteries of our motels. When Humbert Humbert (played by a woeful and earnest James Mason) scoops Lolita up from camp to travel across the country, it’s an opportunity for new beginnings, freedom, and unfettered (i.e. pedophilic) passion. During their drives, Kubrick often favors medium close-ups where audiences can see both the protagonists’ faces, as well as the landscape surrounding them, allowing us too to travel alongside this doomed couple as the landscape alters and wends.

Sue Lydon’s Lolita is at once sly, pouty, peeved, and grief-stricken throughout their travels, eating voraciously and alternating between tolerating her legal guardian and eschewing him the next. Unlike Adrian Lyne’s 1997 adaptation with Jeremy Irons and Dominique Swain, Kubrick delicately steers away from overt sexuality or eroticism (though the first shot of Lydon in a paisley bikini and heart-shaped sun glasses is nothing if not flirtatiously coy) of the titular character.

Peter Sellers as Clare Quilty provides a comedic edge to the plot with his various accents and disguises. It’s a niche he’s famously cornered, particularly two years later in another Kubrick film, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb where Sellers has four different central roles.

7. Gun Crazy (1950)

When Annie Laurie shoots a blank gun at Bart in a POV shot (reminiscent of the concluding shot in the 1903 short “The Great Train Robbery”), she might as well be Cupid piercing him with a bullet of desire. The two share a love of guns and meet at a Carnival where Annie Laurie is performing as a sharp shooter. In childhood, Bart attempted to steal a gun from a store and is sent to the army as a means of rehabilitating him. He’s just gotten out when his friends take him to the Carnival, and it doesn’t take long before Bart’s challenged Annie Laurie to a shooting duel. Though ‘gun crazy,’ Bart isn’t violent, and he and Annie Laurie soon wed, settling into marital bliss.

But the honeymoon doesn’t last long. Almost immediately, they’re hard up for money, and Annie Laurie convinces Bart to rob a bank. In an extended long take, the camera perches behind the couple as they cautiously drive up to the bank’s front door. Annie Laurie engages a cop in conversation as Bart gets the money, but bludgeons him with the butt of her gun once Bart runs out. It’s a slippery slope of crime and the violence escalates beyond Bart’s comfort zone, shaking the foundation of their marriage. But their love of each other (and guns) is strong, and they stubbornly persist in robbing banks for food and shelter.

Joseph H. Lewis’ film noir is a sobering look at obsession and life on the road as an outlaw. Flitting from one stolen car to the next, Annie Laurie and Bart ultimately cannot maintain their criminal lifestyle, and the consequences are tragic and fatal.

6. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Last summer, moviegoers around the world lauded George Miller’s ultimate action adventure road movie Mad Max: Fury Road . Men’s rights groups damned the fast and furious feature while feminists applauded badass Charlize Theron for her complete embodiment of Imperator Furiosa, complete with shaved head, piercing cobalt eyes, and oil-streaked face. While Quentin Tarantino eschewed CGI and special effects in Death Proof , Miller’s film revels in them. But we’re willing to suspend our disbelief when there are epic dust storms and when a heavy metal guitarist provides thrumming accompanying music to Immortan Joe’s posse pursuing Max and Furiosa’s cohort. 

Although impressive automatic feats and special effects are what ultimately won this movie accolades, one would be remiss not to examine the way in which this film contributed to the breakdown of gender barriers in action road movies.

In an interview, Theron noted that, “I was inspired by a woman with this kind of primal drive in a genre like this and in a movie where this iconic character has always taken charge of that… I think women in our society are tired of being portrayed as standing in the back and having the guy do everything for us.” While Tom Hardy’s Max still does just as much if not more than Theron’s Furiosa to combat the evil Joe, she gives Max a run for his money, engaging in a fistfight with him while also ushering a group of Joe’s wives to the eternal safety of utopias like the “Green Place” and its ilk.

5. Badlands (1973)

Terrence Malick’s first feature film Badlands is a gorgeous exploration of young love, irrevocable violence, and the flat plains of South Dakota. Sissy Spacek’s Holly narrates the story and the plight of her romance with Martin Sheen’s Kit. She’s 15 and easily impressionable, twirling her baton as Kit flirts with her on the street at dusk. But Holly’s father is protective (rightfully so) and disinclined to let his only daughter run away and wed. As a result, Kit kills him and thus begins their life of crime on the road.

The two lovers hide out in the woods, making a fortress out of tree limbs and leaves, hunting in streams, and picking wildflowers. It’s an idyllic if transient time; soon, the police are on their trail, and Kit’s trigger finger gets the better of him. The murders Kit commits stand in stark contrast against the singsong lilt of Holly’s young voice. Between the two, there’s both innocence and aggression, and the melding of the two has an unsettling effect.

As in later Malick films like Days of Heaven (1978) and The New World  (2005), Malick favors long shots of landscapes and shooting at the golden hour to capture the musky hues of sunset. It’s beautiful, both visually and narratively – a classic story of crime and love that lingers with you long after it’s over.

4. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Six years before he was outlaw Clyde Barrow, Warren Beatty was good guy Bud Stamper in the coming of age drama Splendor in the Grass (1961). Yet, Beatty carries that charisma from Elia Kazan’s teenage drama to Arthur Penn’s violent film. Clyde Barrow woos bored beauty Bonnie Parker (played by a gorgeous and troubled Faye Dunaway) with his amateurish antics as a robber. Though Barrow fumbles as much as he finesses, Parker is so desperate to escape the confines of her sleepy town and waitressing job that she leaps at the opportunity to hit the open road, even if it comes at the price of breaking the law.

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Soon, Clyde’s older brother Buck joins them (played by a goofy and spry Gene Hackman), as does his prim and proper wife Blanche. Bonnie struggles with Blanche’s moral pretentions and Clyde’s inability to provide her the physical love she needs, despite having won his heart.

Bonnie and Clyde  was inspired by film noir movies such as Gun Crazy and ends with a moral tinge of judgment, just as Lewis’ film does. As their escapades escalate, Bonnie and Clyde are eventually cornered by the cops and meet a violent and fatal end, just like Bart and Annie Laurie. The increased volume of the police’s guns accentuates the graphic conclusion so that sound and image coalesce for the sobering and somber end.

3. Death Proof (2007)

Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof  (the accompaniment to his and Robert Rodriguez’s double feature Grindhouse ) opens on the open road, a pair of feet with a perfect red pedicure perched on the car dashboard, languidly tapping to the song’s beat. The song playing, as the credits roll, is “Last Race,” an appropriate ditty that foreshadows the motorized action and terror to follow.

Shortly thereafter, a gaggle of women pull up to DJ “Jungle” Julia’s apartment complex to celebrate her birthday. Over salted margaritas, Julia confesses to her friend Arlene that on the radio she announced Arlene would give a lap dance to anyone tonight who recites part of Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” to her. Frost’s poem, about the longevity and the love of travel, is a precursor to the travel another group of women will eventually undergo after Julia’s rainy birthday night. But, in this opening sequence, Julia, Arlene, and the rest of their cohort, are drinking, dancing, and slightly deflated after being stood up (Julia) by a potential boyfriend.

When Stuntman Mike (played by a chillingly charismatic Kurt Russell) recites Frost’s poem for Arlene, she’s reticent to fulfill Julia’s promise. “There are as few things fetching as a bruised ego on a beautiful angel,” Stuntman Mike pontificates. But Arlene, undeterred, claims she’ll have to take a raincheck. When Mike calls her “chicken shit,” Arlene caves in, though Tarantino cuts to several hours later instead of indulging both Mike’s (and the audience’s) fantasy… at least within the theatrical cut.

Mike offers Rose McGowan a ride home at the evening’s conclusion and she’s wary about the setup of this stunt mobile Chevy. Sadly, she has every reason for reluctance because she’s told to “start getting scared right now .” Mike’s dangerous driving pitches her against the glass panes until she’s bleeding, bruised, and, eventually, dead. He later hunts down the rest of the women on a lonely road, crashing into them full force.

Later on, we’re introduced to a new quartet of women including Rosario Dawson, Zoë Bell, Tracie Thoms, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. They’re driving through Tennessee and while eating in a diner, Bell reads in the classifieds that a Stock 1970 Dodge Challenger with a 440 engine and a white paint job is for sale. Bell and Thomas are stuntwomen and leap at the opportunity to test drive the vehicle. On the road, they play “ship mast” where Bell rides the hood of car while clutching seat belts. Lo and behold, Stuntman Mike catches sight of the women’s feats and crashes into them repeatedly while Bell holds on for dear life. When Mike finally peels off after being shot, the women pursue him, wheels ablazin’, and beat him to a bloody pulp after crashing his beloved car.

2. Thelma & Louise (1991)

Ridley Scott’s Thelma & Louise  just celebrated its 25 th anniversary, and this road movie takes audience members for both a joyride and a self-empowerment journey. At its heart are two close friends, our titular characters, who weather bad partners, abusive men, and dead-end jobs. While catching up with Thelma in-between waitressing, Susan Sarandon’s Louise snatches the phone from a male colleague who teasingly implores, “Thelma, when are you going to run away with me?” “Not this weekend, sweetie,” Louise quips, “She’s running away with me.”

And run away they do. They’re buddies on a vacation, and Thelma’s “had it up to [her] ass with sedate, and hair is coming down.” They stop off at a bar for celebratory drinks and what starts as an evening of fun ends with Thelma beaten and almost raped. It’s still a tragically topical moment for viewers today in the midst of cases like perpetrator Brock Turner. After confronting the man with a gun, Louise shoots him dead. Determined not to go to jail for protecting her friend, Louise decides to head for the Mexican border, assisted by her Jimmy, played by a smiling Michael Madsen.

Madsen’s Jimmy is a far cry from his more recent turn in Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight – no one’s coffee is getting poisoned in this ‘90s classic, though his proposal to Louise is dispassionate at best. And before Magic Mike was Channing Tatum, making women everywhere feel beautiful, he was Brad Pitt brandishing his six-pack and golden tresses, the man who sweetly romances Thelma and revs her libido louder than any car ever will. Sadly though, Pitt may have the bluest of eyes, but he’s got shifty hands (for wallets, not below Thelma’s belt), and bilks the women of their hard earned cash.

Even as times get tough with no money and the cops hot on their dusty trail, the montage where the women drive through the desert at night while Marianne Faithful sings “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan” is a moment of shared solace. The women, though financially and legally burdened, smile serenely in the moonlight, and we’re rooting for them mile by mile.

1. Easy Rider (1969)

No one speaks for the first several minutes in Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider , but there are motorcycles, cocaine, and blank, semi-contemplative stares between co-stars/co-writers Hopper and Peter Fonda. We have a vague sense of their distinct personalities before they even open their mouths when Fonda delicately snorts his cocaine with a rolled up bill and Hopper goes in full hog, dusting his handlebar ‘stache white.

They’re Wyatt and Billy, travelling via choppers to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. They pick up hitchhikers, smoke grass, and appreciate the benefaction of others, especially at a commune that offers food, and the companionship of two beautiful women who swim naked with Wyatt and Billy in a nearby lake. There are often long shots of the expansive wide west that surround our ambling bikers. And in the deserts, with their distantly ice-tipped mountains, it feels like something out of a Hudson River School painting; as if our protagonists are in the process of discovering this unadulterated landscape like a virgin touched for the very first time.

Karen Black from Five Easy Pieces (1970) has a brief cameo as a prostitute, as does Jack Nicolson who plays George – a smooth talking, alcohol-swilling lawyer, who dons his high school football helmet when he decides to join the duo on the open road. In a time in America’s history where the culture was both exploratory and explosive, the soundtrack complements this tension with bands and performers like Jimi Hendrix, The Byrds, and Steppenwolf; additionally, the proliferation of drug use, from the tranquil opening sequence to the phantasmagoric LSD sequence in the graveyard, showcases a generation that’s loud, fast, and out of control.

Hannah Bonner

Hannah Bonner is a MA Film Studies student in the Department of Cinematic Arts at The University of Iowa. Her essays and book reviews have appeared or…