Since 1979, George Miller’s Mad Max series has transformed from a schlocky B-rate post-apocalypse story to one of the most beloved action franchises of all time.
Mad Max is set in Australia sometime after the world has been desolated by plagues, economic collapse, and ecological die out. The dregs of humanity hang onto life and go to war over the remaining food, fuel, and shelter. The humans in Mad Max also spend a good chunk of their time creating spike-covered vehicles that can patrol the wastes and duke it out in high speed battles. It’s a goofy premise that takes itself entirely too seriously, but that’s part of the appeal.
The Mad Max movies are beloved for good reason, but even super fans like myself have to admit that some of them are quite a bit better than others. They might not all be worth a rewatch, but they’re definitely worth ranking.
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
Beyond Thunderdome is arguably the most iconic Mad Max movie thanks to the titular combat arena and a truly memorable performance from Tina Turner. At the same time, this movie is a lot worse than your memory might lead you to believe. There’s less time spent watching post-apocalyptic gladiators duke it out than there is watching Max interact with a group of semi-feral children. Digging into various factions and the plight of kids in the wasteland definitely gives Beyond Thunderdome a different feel than the other movies, but that’s not really to its benefit.
Mad Max
The original Mad Max still holds up, but I’d be lying if I said that nostalgia had nothing to do with this ranking. Truly an example of low-budget filmmaking at its finest, Mad Max is about as stripped down as you can get. We learn about Max’s origins as a sort of police officer in an apocalypse-lite society (the world doesn’t become completely desolate until the sequel). The gang leader Toecutter is still the most memorable villain of the series, and the stunt performers who absolutely risked their lives while filming deserve much of the credit for making Mad Max so good.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
In some ways, Furiosa is more like Beyond Thunderdome than any other Mad Max movie. Furiosa tells a grandiose story set over more than a decade, and it spends lots of time building up various factions and locations in the wasteland, which is why you should probably catch up on the series before watching it.
That said, the stories it weaves together are much more interesting than the ones presented in Beyond Thunderdome, and the action scenes that link all the brooding and worldbuilding moments together are top-notch. Furiosa doesn’t provide quite the same thrill ride as other movies in the series, but it definitely tells the most cohesive story and gives us a clear vision of the wasteland that the other movies don’t really explore.
Mad Max: The Road Warrior
It almost doesn’t get better than The Road Warrior. The sequel to the original Mad Max opens up the world and brings the apocalypse to the forefront of the story. There aren’t cops any more, just roving bands of car-obsessed raiders and the people who desperately try to avoid them. The Road Warrior ups the ante on all the action shown off in the first film and truly sets the tone for the rest of the series. Some of the storytelling is a bit clumsy, and there’s the Mel Gibson of it all to get past, but The Road Warrior still stands out as the best of the original Mad Max trilogy.
Mad Max: Fury Road
It feels a little weird to put a legacy sequel at the top of this list, but it’s also hard to deny that Fury Road is a masterpiece. The movie basically functions as one giant chase scene, and it manages to capture everything that makes the Mad Max franchise great. From beginning to end, it’s packed with clever world building details, breathtaking shots, and some of the most well-choreographed action scenes ever put to film. Everything the earlier movies did well, Fury Road does better, so if someone was only ever going to watch a single entry in the series, this is the one I’d recommend.
