The Films About Road Trips subgenre often falls under both Drama and Comedy genres. Most Road Trip Films also tend to be ‘Dramedies’ which fuse Comedy and Drama together. This subgenre also features quite a few other subgenres with the most common being Drama Films about Families, Romantic Comedies, Quirky Comedies, Buddy Films and Slapstick and Screwball Comedy films.
The Road Trip Films subgenre became popular in the 1970’s with a few classic films of the decade with The Last Detail (1973) and Smokey and the Bandit (1977). It wasn’t until the 1980’s that the subgenre exploded in popularity. Most films about Road Trips in the 1980’s were comedies with classics such as The Blues Brothers (1980), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), The Cannonball Run (1981), National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), The Sure Thing (1985), Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) and Midnight Run (1988). Classic Road Trip drama films of the 80’s included Fandango (1985) and Rain Man (1988).
The 1990’s saw the emergence of Road Trip comedies within the Slapstick and Screwball Comedy subgenre. Many of these films are classic films of both subgenres and included Dumb and Dumber (1994), Tommy Boy (1995) and Kingpin (1996). Other notable Films About Road Trips during the 1990’s included Coupe de Ville (1990), Dutch (1991), Chasers (1994), Boys on the Side (1995), Bulletproof (1996), Swingers (1996), Larger Than Life (1996) and Detroit Rock City (1999).
In the 2000’s, there were three primary subgenres that dominated the Road Trip film subgenre – Raunchy & Sex Comedy Films, Family Films for Kids and Teen & Young Adult Drama Films. Road Trip films featuring raunchy and sex comedy included Road Trip (2000), Me, Myself & Irene (2000), Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000), Joe Dirt (2001), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), EuroTrip (2004), Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), Sex Drive (2008) and The Hangover (2009). Road Trip films featuring Kids & Families included Johnson Family Vacation (2004), Are We There Yet? (2005), RV (2006), Little Miss Sunshine (2006) and College Road Trip (2008). Teen and Young Adult Drama films featuring road trips included Almost Famous (2000), Y tu mamá también (2002), Interstate 60 (2002) and The Open Road (2009). Other classic and notable subgenre films included Ready to Rumble (2000), The Mexican (2001), About Schmidt (2002), Grand Theft Parsons (2004), The Darwin Awards (2006), Wild Hogs (2007), Fanboys (2009) and Zombieland (2009).
The 2010’s featured a variety of genres and subgenres featuring road trips, but one film came to define the subgenre during the decade – Green Book (2018). Green Book is not only one of the best (if not the best) film of the Road Trip film subgenre but also won Academy Award for Best Picture in 2018. Other notable and classic Films About Road Trips during this decade included Due Date (2010), Paul (2011), Identity Thief (2013), We’re the Millers (2013), Mississippi Grind (2015), Vacation (2015), Dirty Grandpa (2016), The Fundamentals of Caring (2016), The Long Dumb Road (2018) and Zombieland: Double Tap (2019).
Our list of Films About Road Trips includes over 145+ films from 1973 – 2021. Most of these films are in the Comedy and Drama genres, but there are also a few Road Trip films in the Sci-fi, Horror and Thriller genres. For our list of Top Films About Road Trips You Haven’t Seen, we had to leave a few notable films off the list. These honorable mentions include The Last Detail (1973), Losin’ It (1983), Finders Keepers (1984), The Sure Thing (1985), Three For the Road (1987), Vroom (1988), Finding Graceland (1999), Sex Drive (2008), Fanboys (2009) and Due Date (2010).
Note: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Here is our list of Top Films About Road Trips You Haven’t Seen:
Plot: Former detective becomes an insurance investigator for strange and unusual deaths.
KBZ’s Take: Ironically, the main reason to see this film is not because of the Road Trip dynamics in the film but rather the strange and sometimes surreal deaths being investigated. The deaths are re-enacted with often hilarious results which is why the deaths are given ‘a Darwin Award’. Though the film’s direction can often get annoying with the documentary-type framing, it still has enough laughs and some great cameo appearances to make it a worthwhile watch.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3WPfUxu
Plot: Two guys meet and take an unplanned road trip across the American Southwest.
KBZ’s Take: Depending on how much you enjoy the comedy of Jason Mantzoukas (The League TV series) will go a long way in determining if you like this film. As for us, we think he’s hilarious and this is another strong and funny performance from him. Like most Road Trip films, this is about a developing friendship and the situations the friends find themselves in along the way. It’s offbeat humor though helps it rise above the standard road trip comedy. Recommended for fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3WMNPqQ
Plot: Two teenage boys and an older woman embark on a road trip in Mexico.
KBZ’s Take: This is not only one of the best Road Trip films but also one of the best coming of age films in the Teen & Young Adult Drama subgenre. The film taps into various coming of age themes including life, friendship and sex. It was one of the earliest films of both Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna who have both gone on to great careers in Hollywood. It’s a highly recommended film of the Road Trip film subgenre and shouldn’t be missed.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3kIiXu3
Plot: Three brothers drive a 1954 Cadillac from Michigan to Florida for their mother’s birthday.
KBZ’s Take: This film falls more into the Dramedy genre as it has both drama and comedy elements throughout. While the film is about the road trip from Michigan to Florida, it’s much more about family and the dynamics between the three brothers. While not a great film, it’s still an entertaining (and sometimes endearing) road trip film with great performances from Daniel Stern, Patrick Dempsey, Arye Gross and Alan Arkin.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3RgPVhg
Plot: 3 Detroit teens try to make their way to a KISS concert.
KBZ’s Take: DRC meshes together multiple subgenres (Road Trip, Teen & College Comedy, Buddy Comedy) for a fun and nostalgic coming of age tale. Like most films set during a previous decade, this film will likely appeal more to people who grew up during the 70’s and were familiar with how popular (and controversial) KISS was during their rise to fame. This film is a funny metaphor for ‘life is about the journey and not the destination’ with the journey featuring many funny situations and obstacles. Definitely recommended for fans of the 70’s and Road Trip films.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3HhRozC
Plot: Man must steal Gram Parsons corpse and spread his ashes in Joshua Tree to fulfill his end of a pact.
KBZ’s Take: This little seen film is hard to find despite having a top tier cast with Johnny Knoxville, Christina Applegate, Michael Shannon and Robert Forster. Shannon is especially great in this film as the drugged-out hippie who uses his yellow hearse to transport the dead body. While the humor varies between offbeat and dark and black comedy, the core of the film is about the pact between friends, and one friends journey to fulfill the pact by any means necessary. It’s a great film and should definitely be sought out by fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3wG26Lb
#4
Chasers
Plot: Two navy sailors are assigned to SP duty and must transport a female prisoner.
KBZ’s Take: Another forgotten film of the 1990’s that’s one of the better little-seen road trip films. The film is mostly a comedy as Erika Eleniak’s prisoner often escapes the SPs in creative and hilarious fashion. There’s also a great dynamic between Tom Berenger and William McNamara with Berenger playing the hard nose Navy vet while McNamara runs a scam and just wants his duty to be over with. Dennis Hopper has directed a few films and this and Colors (1988) are among his best. Definitely worth checking out by fans of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Y4HOHz
Plot: As aspiring painter meets various characters and learns valuable lessons while on a road trip across America.
KBZ’s Take: This film has a cult following and it’s easy to see why. It’s written and directed by Bob Gale (writer of Back to the Future films) and you can see some of the same coming of age themes from that film franchise in this film. Though it has some comedic situations, it’s much more of a coming-of-age drama with fantasy elements. It also has a great cast and cameos with James Marsden, Gary Oldman, Kurt Russell, Amy Smart, Christopher Lloyd, Chris Cooper and Michael J. Fox. One hilarious sequence in this film is a town inhabited by nothing but lawyers which makes for a rather funny take on how normal people fit within the socio-economic dynamics of this town. It’s worth tracking down and one of the better films of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3RfuKwd
Plot: Two gamblers make their way down the Mississippi River for a high stakes poker game in New Orleans.
KBZ’s Take: This film will not be for everybody. It’s not a typical Road Trip comedy and it’s much more of a character study of the two poker players played by Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn. And the poker players aren’t redeeming characters, so you’ll struggle to root for anybody to ‘win’ in this film. With all of that said, it’s still an intriguing film about Gambling and the friendship that develops between the two players while on the road.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3j9qNwE
#1
Fandango
Plot: Five college buddies embark on a final road trip across the Mexican border.
KBZ’s Take: We’re mainly listing this film for younger generation film fans who might not have heard or seen this film yet. It’s one of the best of the subgenre and helped define many Road Trip film tropes. It’s another period film with friends struggling with their entry into adulthood and the anxieties awaiting them including the Vietnam War, marriage, etc. The heart and soul of the film, however, lies within the great performances by Kevin Costner, Judd Nelson and Sam Robards. You quickly come to understand and empathize with these characters and the uncertainty that lies ahead for each of them. Highly recommended film and one of the best of the subgenre.
Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Y9SpjT
