While the wait for the 11th and final installment of the Fast & Furious franchise gets longer, all fans can do is revisit their favorite installments from the series. Even Christopher Nolanwho isn’t the biggest fan of streaming platforms, may want to log into his Netflix account and catch the one Fast & Furious movie he enjoys above all others before it’s removed from the service. The movie in question remains the outlier of the franchise, having been released at a time when neither Paul Walker nor Vin Diesel could be convinced to return in lead roles. The film also serves as an interquel to the main series, and has retroactively become pivotal to the saga’s larger narrative.

Interestingly, the film marked the franchise debut of director Justin Linwho would go on to direct four more installments before abruptly quitting the 10th movie due to an on-set dispute. The 10th film, Fast Xwas already in production at the time, and Universal quickly brought in Louis Leterrier to take the helm. The film’s behind-the-scenes issues and star-studded cast led to its budget escalating to around $380 million. The studio reportedly needs the cost of the final installment to be drastically reduced before giving it the green light, especially with the series generating declining returns in recent years. Nolan’s favorite installment, however, will always remain the series’ lowest-grossing entry.

Watch the Cult Classic Action Movie on Netflix Soon

We’re talking, of course, about The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Driftwhich made around $160 million against a reported budget of $85 million. While it received mixed reviews, the movie has developed a strong cult following over the years. It now holds a 37% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Eye-popping driving sequences coupled with a limp story and flat performances make this Drift a disappointing follow-up to previous Fast and Furious installments.” The late critic Roger Ebert was an early admirer of the film, awarding it three stars. Nolan, on the other hand, said that he has a “soft spot” for the movie and will never feel guilty about enjoying it. You can watch Tokyo Drift on Netflix until November 1, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Release Date

June 16, 2006

Runtime

104 minutes

Writers

Chris Morgan

Producers

Neal H. Moritz

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