The year may have just turned, butNetflixis kicking off 2025 with an explosive start by addingMad Max: Fury Road, a high-octane dystopian action thriller.Debuting at #4 on the streaming chart,Fury Roadrevived the franchise following its thirty-year deafening silence sinceMad Max Beyond Thunderdomein 1985.
Directed by George Miller andstarring Tom Hardy, the film takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland ruled by the tyrannical Immortal Joe. Furiosa leads Joe’s five wives on a daring escape after forming an alliance with Max Rockatansky, a former captive grieving the loss of his wife and child in the aftermath of the chaos. Together, they face relentless pursuit by a horde of delusional zealots hell-bent on hunting them down.
On Tuesday,Mad Max: Fury Road, the fourth installment in the franchise with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score, soared to the fourth spot on the streaming chart just a day after its Netflix debut,trailing Monsterverse’sGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Furthermore,Furiosa: A Mad Max Sagaentered the top ten most-streamed movies of the day, highlighting the enduring influence of George Miller’s dystopian universe.
Honestly, it’s no surprise thatFury Roadis trending right after its arrival on the streaming service because it delivers a feast for the eyes and ears with relentless action sequences, which were uniquely echoed inFuriosain 2024.Tom Hardy’s film triumphed at the 2016 Academy Awards, earning six wins by outperforming competitors likeThe MartianandThe Revenant. However,Furiosahas to face stiffer competition, with films likeDune: Part Two,Wicked, andDeadpool & Wolverineexcelling in their respective aspects.
Furiosamay have proven to be a strong addition to the long-runningMad Maxfranchise, earning praise from fans and critics alike with a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately,it did not fare well at the box office, grossing only $173 million on a $168 million budget, which was expected given its modest popularity prior to its debut.
Every Mad Max Movie, Ranked
The four films have made their mark, but how do they stack up against one another? These are the Mad Max films ranked.
BeforeFuriosa, Miller considered developing a film with a similar outline to Max’s story leading up to the events ofFury Road, but it remains unclear whether he would proceed with those plans. As a result,the next phase of theMad Maxfranchise is uncertain in the immediate future, but given its popularity and the prospect ofFuriosafinding success on streaming platforms, another entry is not out of the question.
George Miller has devoted more than 40 years to the iconic franchise, creating some of the most remarkable films the industry has ever seen, so he will likely pursue more projects in the future. Having said that,Mad Max: Fury Roadwill always be the best installment in the fan-favorite saga, and it would require at least a decade’s worth of effort with cinematic brilliance to outperform it.
Mad Max: Fury Road
