Death Proof (2007)

Death Proof is one great car chase stuck to the end of a very long hang at a bar. Quentin Tarantino lets two different groups of friends chat about dates, movies and car magazines in long, looping stretches, and in the first half especially, the hangout drags like a road trip with a broken radio. It’s really two short movies sharing one poster, and you feel the switch. Then Kurt Russell flips the whole thing. His Stuntman Mike starts as a friendly old flirt with a corny line for everyone and turns into the scariest grin of the decade without changing his voice. The second half belongs to Zoë Bell, a stuntwoman playing herself, riding the hood of a speeding car while Tracie Thoms and Rosario Dawson egg her on. The final chase feels completely physical, all real speed and real metal. A 6.6 because the drive is unforgettable and the talking is a long wait at the pump. $264 says you grab the door handle the next time a friend takes a turn too fast.

What works: Kurt Russell is terrifying and charming at once, and the final car chase with Zoë Bell on the hood is a stunner.

What doesn’t: The dialogue scenes run long and repetitive, and the two halves never quite feel like one movie.

Who it’s for: Car chase fans and Tarantino fans who don’t mind waiting a while for the payoff.