The Correct Order To Watch The Fast & Furious Franchise
The "Fast & Furious" saga is some of the most fun you can have with a movie franchise. Where most Hollywood properties make empty promises about diversity and inclusiveness, this is a franchise so diverse it actually just makes every actor in Hollywood Latino whether they want to be or not (in a good way). Sure, on the surface they seem like silly movies about cars and scantily-clad women looking at cars, but it is that — and so much more.
Part of the ridiculous allure of this franchise is how earnest it is. The theme of family is more than a meme, it's the movie series' driving force. And then there's the nonsensical timeline and naming conventions for these films, which make them a hilarious puzzle to try and figure out. The timeline circles back on a whim, constantly re-contextualizing previous events and introducing and reintroducing characters and plot twists like it was a soap opera ... and it rules.
Whether you've never seen these movies because of their confusing titles, fell off once the films went back in time, or simply want to reminisce about how absurd and entertaining this franchise is, here is the correct (and the fun) way to watch the "Fast & Furious" movies.
The right way
It might seem obvious, but the best way to experience these movies is to go by order of release. That means starting with the simply and aptly-titled "The Fast and the Furious," then moving on to "2 Fast 2 Furious," and continuing with "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift." From there, you continue with the one where they go back in time and drop the "The" because it's cleaner, "Fast & Furious." Keep going with the one that reinvented the franchise, "Fast Five," "Fast & Furious 6," and the one where James Wan had the incredibly tough job of carrying on without Paul Walker, "Furious 7." Despite what you might think, the franchise continues to be just as good in "The Fate of the Furious." Then we finally get the moment where the family goes to space in "F9: The Fast Saga" and, at long last, "Fast X."
Do the titles make sense? No, but that is part of the fun.
There's also "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw," which came out in 2019 after "The Fate of the Furious." That spinoff is too much of a detour and doesn't really tie into the main story in the slightest. You can watch it if you so choose, but it's not essential.
There's also the completely unnecessary yet fun idea of actually starting not with this franchise, but with "Better Luck Tomorrow." Though not a part of the series, it is technically the official introduction to Han, the best character in the franchise.
Going by release order means you get to see the ridiculous meta ways in which the franchise evolved with the years, and the reveals and twists are preserved for the right moment for maximum emotional impact.
The furious way
Because a big part of the "Fast & Furious" franchise actually takes place in the universe's past, it makes sense to want to watch the movies in chronological order. That would mean watching "The Fast and the Furious" and "2 Fast 2 Furious" first, then moving on to "Fast & Furious," "Fast Five" and "Fast & Furious 6" before going back to "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift." Then continue as normal with "Furious 7," "The Fate of the Furious," "F9" and "Fast X."
This makes sense as you see the story just as it occurs in-universe, with the main group coming together and going on big missions before tragedy strikes. The problem is that going with a chronological order skips the joy of watching the chaotic escalation of this franchise. "Tokyo Drift" works because it was originally a smaller spin-off movie that nearly sent the franchise to straight-to-DVD hell. It is only at the very end that it ties into Dom Toretto's story, before the fourth film sends us back in time. The escalating momentum of the franchise, with the plots, the ensembles, and the stunts becoming bigger and bigger, is lost if "Tokyo Drift" doesn't signal the first of many changes in tone and scale.
It's always been about family
The big reason why you should stick to the release order when it comes to watching the "Fast & Furious" movies is because of the meta narrative going on throughout the franchise. It's knowing that "2 Fast 2 Furious" only happened because Vin Diesel refused to do a sequel, but it still gave us the gift that are Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris as Roman and Tej. It's seeing how the reception to "Tokyo Drift" (especially Diesel's cameo) led to Universal essentially rebooting the franchise in the fourth film, only to continue escalating the action as "Fast & Furious" completely pivoted from street racing into international espionage. Few franchises have grown in as organic a way as "Fast & Furious," and the only way to see that growth properly is to watch its films as they were released.
This is a franchise that all but starts with a recap in each installment, making it easy to catch on things you might have missed when the new film presents a grand new reveal that changes everything. But remember, it's always about (and always has been about) family.