Movies Like Days of Thunder (1990)

Days of Thunder is a 1990 action, adventure, drama film from Tony Scott with a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Last American Hero and Greased Lightning.

Action Adventure Drama

The Last American Hero

1973

A young hell raiser quits his moonshine business and tries to become the best NASCAR racer the south has ever seen. Loosely based on the true story of NASCAR driver Junior Johnson.

5.6

MagicScore

Greased Lightning

1977

The true life story of Wendell Scott, the first black stock car racing driver to win an upper-tier NASCAR race.

6.3

MagicScore

Ford v Ferrari

2019

American car designer Carroll Shelby and the British-born driver Ken Miles work together to battle corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.

8.0

MagicScore

F1

2025

Racing legend Sonny Hayes is coaxed out of retirement to lead a struggling Formula 1 team—and mentor a young hotshot driver—while chasing one more chance at glory.

7.8

MagicScore

Race 1

2021

The once dominating LIONS team gradually declined after the death of team leader Lao Shen. Unwilling to retire, Li Yi Fei and his new partner-the first female driver in league history, Lu Li li did not get along, and the two did not give in to each other, which made the team's situation worse. The second-generation new team leader, Ah Shen, who is not optimistic, has to pin his hopes on Du Jie Ke, an otaku who can only play simulator racing. Du Jie Ke, who has no actual combat experience, does not have the strength to participate in the competition, but in order to catch up with Lily, he works hard. Faced with his racing performance and the concerns of his family, Li Yi Fei decided to retreat behind the scenes and let Lily and Du Jie Ke form a new partnership. Outside the Lions team, there is a strong opponent Song Jie, and there are misunderstandings and conflicts that need to be resolved. In the fierce battle, they regained their original aspirations.

6.4

MagicScore

Grand Prix

1966

The most daring drivers in the world have gathered to compete for the 1966 Formula One championship. After a spectacular wreck in the first of a series of races, American wheelman Pete Aron is dropped by his sponsor. Refusing to quit, he joins a Japanese racing team. While juggling his career with a torrid love affair involving an ex-teammate's wife, Pete must also contend with Jean-Pierre Sarti, a French contestant who has previously won two world titles.

7.2

MagicScore

Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman

2015

The world knows Paul Newman as an Academy Award winning actor with a fifty-plus year career as one of the most prolific and revered actors in American Cinema. He was also well known for his philanthropy; Newman's Own has given more than four hundred and thirty million dollars to charities around the world. Yet few know the gasoline-fueled passion that became so important in this complex, multifaceted man's makeup. Newman’s deep-seated passion for racing was so intense it nearly sidelined his acting career. His racing career spanned thirty-five years; Newman won four national championships as a driver and eight championships as an owner. Not bad for a guy who didn't even start racing until he was forty-seven years old.

7.5

MagicScore

Stroker Ace

1983

Stroker Ace, a champion NASCAR driver, is standing at the top of his career, but is getting fed up with having to do as he's told. In between rebelling against his sponsor (a fried chicken chain)'s promotion gimmicks (like making him dress up in giant chicken suit) he spends the rest of the movie trying to bed the buxom Pembrook.

4.9

MagicScore

Winning

1969

Frank Capua is a rising star on the race circuit who dreams of winning the big one - the Indianapolis 500. But to get there he runs the risk of losing his wife Elora to his rival, Luther Erding, and strains the relationship with his stepson.

5.9

MagicScore

#10

Italian Race

2016

Giulia De Martino is a pilot. At seventeen she participates in the GT Championship, under the guidance of her father Mario. But one day everything changes and Giulia has to face alone both the track and her own life.

7.5

MagicScore

#11

Fast Company

1979

An over the hill drag racer finds himself considering retirement and ceding the spotlight to his protégé and targeted for replacement by the oil-company executive who sponsors his team.

5.1

MagicScore

#12

Overhaul

2023

When truck racer Roger loses everything, he receives a tempting but dangerous offer: to work as the getaway driver for a gang of thieves.

6.8

MagicScore

#13

The Fast and the Furious

1954

A framed man escapes prison and takes a wealthy woman's Jaguar with her in it. After she tries to escape numerous times, they begin to develop feelings for each other, and enter a road race that ends in Mexico.

4.9

MagicScore

#14

Logan Lucky

2017

Trying to reverse a family curse, brothers Jimmy and Clyde Logan set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the legendary Coca-Cola 600 race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

6.7

MagicScore

#15

Le Mans

1971

Filmed during the annual 24-hour endurance race at Le Mans, Michael Delaney is a Porsche driver haunted by the memory of an accident at the previous year's race in which a competing driver was killed. Delaney also finds himself increasingly infatuated with the man's widow.

6.8

MagicScore

#16

Bobby Deerfield

1977

Bobby Deerfield, a famous American race car driver on the European circuit, falls in love with the enigmatic Lillian Morelli, who is terminally ill.

5.8

MagicScore

#17

Ídolos

2026

A fiery young motorcycle racer throws away his shot at the junior championship in a reckless crash, only to receive a surprise offer from a top Moto2 team that gives him a chance at redemption. But to claim it, he must train under his estranged father, a disgraced former world champion haunted by a tragic past. As the father and son battle personal demons, media scrutiny, and a ruthless racing circuit, their fractured bond is pushed to the limit by ambition, love, and the unforgiving speed of the sport. With a wildcard entry into MotoGP on the line, they must confront the wreckage of their relationship to seize a future—on and off the track.

7.1

MagicScore

#18

Race for Glory: Audi vs. Lancia

2024

Inspired by true events that occurred during the fierce rivalry between Germany (Audi) and Italy (Lancia) at the 1983 Rally World Championships.

6.1

MagicScore

#19

Grand Prix of Europe

2025

Edda, a young mouse and the daughter of fairground operator Erwin, dreams of becoming a race car driver. Ahead of the 50th anniversary of the European Grand Prix, Edda gets the opportunity to meet her idol, racing star Ed, and to help her father save his failing business. But to do so, she'll have to get behind the wheel herself.

7.0

MagicScore

#20

The Final Destination

2009

A horrifying premonition saves a young man and his friends from death during a racetrack accident but terrible fates await them nonetheless.

5.6

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Days of Thunder?

The top films similar to Days of Thunder by MovieMagicScore are The Last American Hero (5.6), Greased Lightning (6.3), Ford v Ferrari (8.0). Each shares action/adventure/drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Days of Thunder worth watching?

Days of Thunder holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10 from 1,600 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Days of Thunder?

Days of Thunder (1990) is a action, adventure, drama film directed by Tony Scott, starring Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman.

Where can I find more recommendations like Days of Thunder?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more action recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like The Last American Hero Movies like Greased Lightning Movies like Ford v Ferrari Movies like F1 Movies like Race 1 Movies like Grand Prix

About movies like Days of Thunder

This ranked list pairs Days of Thunder (1990), a action and adventure and drama film from Tony Scott, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Tom Cruise take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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