All 5 ‘Mad Max’ Movies Ranked, from ‘The Road Warrior’ to ‘Furiosa’

Wilson Chapman
·2 min read
2

Typically, reboot film franchises don’t surpass the originals. The first films are so iconic and firmly entrenched in the popular consciousness that the reboots get dinged for any changes they make — and sometimes the changes they don’t make. But there are exceptions — just check the “Planet of the Apes.” And maybe no film series inverts this trend more than “Mad Max.”

For decades, George Miller’s Australian apocalypse series was an iconic apocalyptic action series that helped create an entire sci-fi aesthetic in its own right. Starring Mel Gibson pre-fame (and, er, pre-controversy), the trilogy of films from 1979 to 1985 were fondly remembered as an iconoclastic action franchise, with the second entry in particular often cracking lists of the best in the genre.

More from IndieWire

And yet, when Miller resurrected the franchise in 2015, he miraculously came back with a film that eclipsed all of them in respect and attention. “Mad Max: Fury Road” wasn’t just a critically acclaimed action film; it has a legitimate claim to being the most highly-regarded action film ever made, drawing widespread praise for the peerless craft it used to build out its world. If the first films were iconic, “Fury Road” felt like an update that successfully translated Miller’s vision to a new era of filmmaking and blew it up into an expressionistic masterpiece.

“Fury Road” is a hard film to follow up on, and yet Miller has done just that. Well, sort of; rather than make a sequel about Tom Hardy’s version of the titular wanderer Max, Miller choose instead to make a prequel about Furiosa, Charlize Theron’s genre-defining heroine from “Fury Road.” Theron isn’t in the role anymore, instead being replaced by Anya Taylor-Joy as a younger version of the character. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Story” has a big legacy to live up to, but thankfully early reviews have already branded it as one of the best prequels ever; clearly, the wasteland is in good hands as long as Miller is shooting it.

With “Furiosa” racing into theaters, IndieWire is taking a look back at the “Mad Max” series to determine which of the films ranks as the greatest thrill ride. Read on for all five “Mad Max” films, ranked from worst to best.

With editorial contributions from David Ehrlich.

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.