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)

50%

Critics Consensus: Visually creative, but also aimless, repetitive, and devoid of character development.

Synopsis: Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and his attorney Dr. Gonzo (Benicio del Toro) drive a red convertible across the Mojave Desert to Las Vegas with a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Johnny Depp, Benicio del Toro, Craig Bierko, Ellen Barkin

Directed By: Terry Gilliam

The Straight Story (1999)

95%

Critics Consensus: With strong performances and director David Lynch at the helm, The Straight Story steers past sentimental byways on its ambling journey across the American heartland.

Synopsis: A retired farmer and widower in his 70s, Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) learns one day that his distant brother Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton) has suffered... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Jane Galloway Heitz, Everett McGill

Directed By: David Lynch

Tumbleweeds (1999)

82%

Critics Consensus: Strong performances add authenticity and depth.

Synopsis: Whenever trouble strikes in one of her relationships, single mother Mary Jo Walker (Janet McTeer) and her daughter, Ava (Kimberly J. Brown), pack up and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Janet McTeer, Kimberly J. Brown, Gavin O'Connor, Jay O. Sanders

Directed By: Gavin O'Connor

Almost Famous (2000)

91%

Critics Consensus: Almost Famous, with its great ensemble performances and story, is a well-crafted, warm-hearted movie that successfully draws you into its era.

Synopsis: Set in 1973, it chronicles the funny and often poignant coming of age of 15-year-old William, an unabashed music fan who is inspired by the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee

Directed By: Cameron Crowe

Road Trip (2000)

59%

Critics Consensus: Some humor is hit or miss, depending on the audience tastes, but the movie is funny overall. Mixed reviews for the cast, especially for MTV's Tom Green.

Synopsis: Josh (Breckin Meyer) videotapes his affair with another girl and accidentally mails it to his girlfriend. Discovering the mistake, he tows two of his college... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Seann William Scott, Breckin Meyer, DJ Qualls, Fred Ward

Directed By: Todd Phillips

Rat Race (2001)

44%

Critics Consensus: Rat Race moves from one sight gag to another, but only a handful of them are genuinely funny.

Synopsis: In an ensemble film about easy money, greed, manipulation and bad driving, a Las Vegas casino tycoon entertains his wealthiest high rollers -- a group... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr.

Directed By: Jerry Zucker

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)

75%

Critics Consensus: The likable leads and subversion of racial stereotypes elevate Harold and Kumar above the typical stoner comedy.

Synopsis: Nerdy accountant Harold (John Cho) and his irrepressible friend, Kumar (Kal Penn), get stoned watching television and find themselves utterly bewitched by a commercial for... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Cho, Kal Penn, Paula Garcés, Neil Patrick Harris

Directed By: Danny Leiner

Sideways (2004)

97%

Critics Consensus: Charming, thoughtful, and often funny, Sideways is a decidedly mature road trip comedy full of excellent performances.

Synopsis: Struggling writer and wine enthusiast Miles (Paul Giamatti) takes his engaged friend, Jack (Thomas Haden Church), on a trip to wine country for a last... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh

Directed By: Alexander Payne

Transamerica (2005)

77%

Critics Consensus: A terrific performance by Felicity Huffman carries this unconventional but touching transgender road movie.

Synopsis: Right in the midst of important changes in her life, Bree Osborne (Felicity Huffman) learns that she fathered a son, Toby (Kevin Zegers), 17 years... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Felicity Huffman, Kevin Zegers, Fionnula Flanagan, Graham Greene

Directed By: Duncan Tucker

#10

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

91%

Critics Consensus: Little Miss Sunshine succeeds thanks to a strong ensemble cast that includes Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, and Abigail Breslin, as well as a delightfully funny script.

Synopsis: The Hoover family -- a man (Greg Kinnear), his wife (Toni Collette), an uncle (Steve Carell), a brother (Paul Dano) and a grandfather (Alan Arkin)... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin

Directed By: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris

#11

Cars (2006)

74%

Critics Consensus: Cars offers visual treats that more than compensate for its somewhat thinly written story, adding up to a satisfying diversion for younger viewers.

Synopsis: While traveling to California to race The King and Chick Hicks in the Piston Cup Championship, Lightning McQueen falls out of his trailer and winds... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Larry the Cable Guy

Directed By: John Lasseter, Joe Ranft

#12

Zombieland (2009)

89%

Critics Consensus: Wickedly funny and featuring plenty of gore, Zombieland is proof that the zombie subgenre is far from dead.

Synopsis: After a virus turns most people into zombies, the world's surviving humans remain locked in an ongoing battle against the hungry undead. Four survivors --... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin

Directed By: Ruben Fleischer

#13

Away We Go (2009)

67%

Critics Consensus: Built on a set of quirks and charms that are as noticeable as they are interchangeable, Away We Go is a sweet but uneven road trip.

Synopsis: As they await the birth of their baby, a couple (John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph) travel across America in search of the perfect place to raise... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Daniels, Carmen Ejogo

Directed By: Sam Mendes

#14

Paul (2011)

70%

Critics Consensus: It doesn't measure up to Pegg and Frost's best work, but Paul is an amiably entertaining -- albeit uneven -- road trip comedy with an intergalactic twist.

Synopsis: For the past 60 years, a wisecracking alien named Paul (Seth Rogen) has resided at a top-secret military base in America's UFO heartland. When Paul... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman

Directed By: Greg Mottola

#15

We're the Millers (2013)

48%

Critics Consensus: We're the Millers squanders its potential with an uneven, lazily assembled story..

Synopsis: Small-time pot dealer David learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished; trying to help some teens, he is jumped by thugs and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Will Poulter, Emma Roberts

Directed By: Rawson Marshall Thurber

#16

Chef (2014)

87%

Critics Consensus: Chef's charming cast and sharp, funny script add enough spice to make this feel-good comedy a flavorful -- if familiar -- treat.

Synopsis: After a controlling owner (Dustin Hoffman) pushes him too far, chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) quits his position at a prestigious Los Angeles restaurant. As... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jon Favreau, Sofía Vergara, John Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson

Directed By: Jon Favreau

#17

Grandma (2015)

92%

Critics Consensus: Boasting a stellar performance from Lily Tomlin and some powerfully empathetic work from writer-director Paul Weitz, Grandma is a dramedy that shouldn't have to ask you to visit.

Synopsis: A misanthropic poet (Lily Tomlin) takes her granddaughter (Julia Garner) across Los Angeles in search of the money she needs to terminate her unwanted pregnancy.

Starring: Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer

Directed By: Paul Weitz

#18

Mississippi Grind (2015)

91%

Critics Consensus: Well-acted and steeped in Southern atmosphere, Mississippi Grind is a road movie and addiction drama that transcends each of its well-worn genres.

Synopsis: Convinced that his newfound friend (Ryan Reynolds) is a good-luck charm, a gambling addict (Ben Mendelsohn) takes the man on a road trip to a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Ben Mendelsohn, Sienna Miller, Lio Tipton

Directed By: Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden

#19

Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016)

85%

Critics Consensus: The simple story is a little short on laughs, but there's plenty of sweet wackiness for Pee-Wee Herman fans to enjoy.

Synopsis: A fateful meeting with a mysterious stranger inspires Pee-wee (Paul Reubens) to take his first-ever holiday.

Starring: Paul Reubens, Tara Buck, Joe Manganiello, Jessica Pohly

Directed By: John Lee

#20

Green Book (2018)

77%

Critics Consensus: Green Book takes audiences on an excessively smooth ride through bumpy subject matter, although Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen's performances add necessary depth.

Synopsis: Dr. Don Shirley is a world-class African-American pianist who's about to embark on a concert tour in the Deep South in 1962. In need of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, Sebastian Maniscalco

Directed By: Peter Farrelly

#21

Nomadland (2020)

93%

Critics Consensus: A poetic character study on the forgotten and downtrodden, Nomadland beautifully captures the restlessness left in the wake of the Great Recession.

Synopsis: A woman in her sixties embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad after losing everything in the Great... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Swankie

Directed By: Chloé Zhao

#22

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

97%

Critics Consensus: Eye-catching and energetic, The Mitchells vs. the Machines delivers a funny, feel-good story that the whole family can enjoy.

Synopsis: Young Katie Mitchell embarks on a road trip with her proud parents, younger brother and beloved dog to start her first year at film school.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Michael Rianda

Directed By: Michael Rianda

#23

Bad Trip (2021)

80%

Critics Consensus: With ingeniously gross hidden-camera bits that often find their unsuspecting marks at their best, Bad Trip turns out to be a surprisingly uplifting ride.

Synopsis: Hidden cameras capture two best friends pulling hilarious and inventive pranks on an unsuspecting public.

Starring: Eric André, Lil Rel Howery, Tiffany Haddish, Michaela Conlin

Directed By: Kitao Sakurai

#24

Dog (2022)

77%

Critics Consensus: Dog's dramatic breed is far from exotic, but solid narrative bones and well-trained work from co-director/star Channing Tatum make for a fetching viewing experience.

Synopsis: DOG is a buddy comedy that follows the misadventures of two former Army Rangers paired against their will on the road trip of a lifetime.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Channing Tatum, Jane Adams, Kevin Nash, Q'orianka Kilcher

Directed By: Reid Carolin, Channing Tatum

#25

Joy Ride (2023)

90%

Critics Consensus: Joy Ride isn't afraid to shock with its gross-out gags, but this road trip's real surprise is how successfully it blends its raunchy humor with real heart.

Synopsis: The hilarious and unapologetically explicit story of identity and self-discovery centers on four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure. When Audrey's (Ashley... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Stephanie Hsu, David Denman, Ashley Park, Annie Mumolo

Directed By: Adele Lim