The Fate of the Furious, the eighth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise, marks a significant shift in tone and direction for a series that has evolved dramatically over the years. What began as a modest street-racing film has morphed into a high-octane, globe-trotting action saga that places its focus on larger-than-life characters, over-the-top stunts, and, more recently, the theme of family. Directed by F. Gary Gray, who previously helmed films like Straight Outta Compton and The Italian Job, The Fate of the Furious attempts to push the franchise’s formula to even more extreme heights, but the results are mixed.
The plot of The Fate of the Furious centers on a new antagonist, Cipher, played by Charlize Theron, who forces Dominic Toretto, the franchise’s protagonist, portrayed by Vin Diesel, to turn against his friends and family. This betrayal is the central conflict of the film, and it adds an emotional layer that previous installments have lacked. Cipher is introduced as a cyber-terrorist mastermind who has the means and motivation to manipulate Dom into doing her bidding, and the film’s early scenes are spent setting up her power and her plan.
The opening of the film takes place in Cuba, where Dom and Letty, played by Michelle Rodriguez, are enjoying their honeymoon. The Cuban setting provides a vibrant and colorful backdrop, and the film wastes no time in setting up its first high-octane action sequence: a street race between Dom and a local racer. The sequence is filled with the typical Fast & Furious flair—fast cars, dangerous stunts, and a healthy dose of machismo—but it also serves to remind the audience of Dom’s moral compass. He wins the race but spares his opponent’s life, reinforcing the idea that Dom is, at his core, a good man with a strong sense of loyalty and honor.
However, this loyalty is soon tested when Cipher confronts Dom and blackmails him into working for her. The reasons behind Dom’s betrayal are kept a mystery for a large portion of the film, which helps to maintain suspense, but it also feels somewhat contrived. Dom’s sudden shift in allegiance is difficult to swallow, especially given how deeply the theme of family has been ingrained into the franchise’s DNA. Nevertheless, Vin Diesel plays the conflicted Dom with a brooding intensity that helps to sell the character’s internal struggle.
The rest of Dom’s crew—Letty, Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Ludacris), and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel)—are understandably shocked and confused by his betrayal, and they are soon recruited by Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) and his protégé Little Nobody (Scott Eastwood) to track down Dom and Cipher. Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs, a fan-favorite character introduced in previous films, also joins the team, and his larger-than-life presence provides much of the film’s humor and action.
One of the film’s strengths is its ensemble cast. The chemistry between the characters is palpable, and the banter between Roman and Tej, in particular, provides some much-needed levity in an otherwise serious film. Tyrese Gibson’s Roman continues to serve as the comic relief, delivering quips and one-liners with ease, while Ludacris’ Tej remains the team’s tech expert. Nathalie Emmanuel’s Ramsey, who was introduced in Furious 7, is given more to do in this film, though her character still feels somewhat underdeveloped.
Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty is the emotional heart of the film. Her relationship with Dom has been central to the series since the beginning, and her struggle to understand and accept his betrayal provides some of the film’s most poignant moments. Rodriguez brings a quiet strength to the role, and her scenes with Diesel are filled with a sense of longing and heartbreak that adds depth to the otherwise bombastic proceedings.
Charlize Theron’s Cipher, on the other hand, is a more problematic character. Theron is a talented actress, and she brings a cold, calculating menace to the role, but Cipher’s motivations are never fully fleshed out. She is a generic villain, more concerned with world domination than with any personal vendetta against Dom and his crew. Her cyber-terrorism angle is timely, but it feels like a missed opportunity to explore the implications of such power in a more meaningful way. Instead, Cipher is content to sit behind her computer screens, orchestrating chaos from a distance, and while this makes her a formidable antagonist, it also makes her less interesting as a character.
The action sequences in The Fate of the Furious are, as expected, the film’s main draw. Director F. Gary Gray knows how to stage a thrilling set piece, and the film delivers several standout moments. A prison riot featuring Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs and Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw is particularly fun to watch, as the two actors play off each other with a mix of physicality and humor. Another memorable sequence involves a chase through the streets of New York City, where Cipher remotely takes control of dozens of cars, turning them into a literal swarm of deadly projectiles. It’s an absurd, yet exhilarating, display of vehicular mayhem that feels right at home in the Fast & Furious universe.
The film’s climax, set in the icy tundra of Russia, is perhaps its most ridiculous set piece yet. The crew must stop a nuclear submarine from launching its missiles, and the sequence involves everything from missile-dodging to car-surfing on ice. It’s the kind of over-the-top spectacle that has become the franchise’s trademark, but it also strains credibility to the breaking point. By this point in the series, audiences know to expect increasingly implausible stunts, but the submarine sequence pushes the boundaries of believability even for a Fast & Furious film.
Despite the film’s flaws, there is something undeniably entertaining about The Fate of the Furious. The Fast & Furious franchise has always embraced its own absurdity, and this film is no different. It knows exactly what it is—a high-octane action movie with fast cars, big explosions, and larger-than-life characters—and it doesn’t pretend to be anything else. The film’s self-awareness is part of its charm, and it’s clear that the cast and crew are having fun with the material.
That being said, The Fate of the Furious does feel like a step down from the previous installment, Furious 7. That film, which marked the final appearance of Paul Walker, had a sense of emotional weight and closure that this one lacks. The absence of Walker’s character, Brian O’Conner, is keenly felt throughout the film, and while the script attempts to address his absence by mentioning that Brian is “retired,” it’s clear that the dynamic of the team has shifted without him.
Additionally, the decision to turn Dom into the antagonist for much of the film feels like a misstep. While it’s interesting to see Diesel play a darker version of the character, the betrayal storyline doesn’t quite land, and it ultimately undermines the theme of family that has been so central to the series. The reveal of Dom’s motivations for turning against his team—a secret son he must protect—feels rushed and underdeveloped, and it lacks the emotional resonance needed to justify his actions.
Jason Statham’s character, Deckard Shaw, is also given more screen time in this film, and while Statham is always a welcome presence in an action movie, his character’s arc is problematic. In previous films, Shaw was the villain responsible for killing Han, one of the crew’s closest allies, and yet in The Fate of the Furious, he is not only forgiven but welcomed into the team. The film attempts to gloss over this by making Shaw’s mother, played by Helen Mirren, a key player in Dom’s rescue, but it feels like a betrayal of the character’s previous actions. It’s a glaring example of the franchise’s willingness to sacrifice continuity and character development for the sake of convenience.
Despite these issues, The Fate of the Furious succeeds in delivering the kind of mindless, escapist entertainment that audiences have come to expect from the franchise. The action is thrilling, the cast is charismatic, and the stakes are high enough to keep the audience invested, even if the plot doesn’t always make sense. Fans of the series will likely enjoy this installment, but it’s clear that the franchise is beginning to show signs of fatigue.
As the Fast & Furious franchise continues to grow and expand, it will be interesting to see where it goes from here. With rumors of spin-offs and future sequels in the works, it’s clear that Universal Pictures has no intention of slowing down the series anytime soon. However, if The Fate of the Furious is any indication, the franchise may need to rethink its formula in order to avoid becoming a caricature of itself.