A rookie cop gets sent undercover to infiltrate a notorious gang responsible for a string of high-profile heists, led by a charismatic leader surrounded by followers he’s become so close with, they’re almost family. The untested officer becomes so enamored with their world that he gets welcomed into the crew, only to find himself torn between solving the case or letting his newfound comrades walk. Are we talking about The Fast and the Furious, or Point Break? Answers on a postcard.
Rob Cohen’s glorified B-movie may have been inspired by a magazine article detailing the secret underground world of illicit street racing, but it’s obviously indebted to Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Utah getting in too deep with Patrick Swayze’s Bodhi in Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 classic, whether that’s by accident or design.
Looking back on The Fast and the Furious, it would have been impossible to imagine where the long-running series finds itself today. If you were to show somebody the opening chapter, skip everything in between and then have them watch the ninth installment immediately afterwards, there’d be more than a hint of confusion wondering how Vin Diesel went from boosting DVD players to having his buddies head to outer space in order to save the world.
It’s been a wild ride for The Fast Saga to put it lightly, but it’s the original that’s been putting the pedal to the metal on streaming this week, having become one of the Top 10 most-watched titles on Peacock per FlixPatrol. It’s been a bonkers ride, but with just two films left before the story of Dom and his crew ends, maybe it’s time to head back to where it all began.
