Film

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

Name: Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Released: 2019
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Helen Mirren

Action
Crime
Relentless

A gleefully absurd action-comedy spin-off where Dwayne Johnson's lawman and Jason Statham's criminal actually like each other, even if they won't admit it. Two hours of impossible stunts, genuine chemistry, and jokes that land. For anyone who wants their action served with a smirk and doesn't care if the physics makes sense.

TMDb rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy a buddy pairing built on bickering and bruised pride, where the loud, cheerful chaos of big set pieces matters more than any sense of realism.

Skip it if you want the tight, grounded car-and-crew stakes of the main franchise, since this one runs on swagger and wisecracks, and the banter can wear thin over two hours.

What it asks of you: Settle in for a long, loud ride of close to two and a half hours that rarely stops for breath, so bring patience for the jokes and tolerance for escalating spectacle.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Bullet Train2022

Brad Pitt and Aaron Taylor-Johnson have the same bickering-partners-forced-together energy, with creative action set pieces on a moving train and a script that knows exactly how funny its own excess is.

But It's longer than it needs to be, and the quirky needle-drops occasionally feel like the film is trying too hard to seem clever.

The Nice Guys2016

Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as mismatched detectives with perfect comedic timing and genuine affection underneath the insults. Smart, funny, and the action serves the characters rather than drowning them.

But The plot meanders a bit and some prefer their buddy movies lighter or heavier—this one sits in a tonal sweet spot not everyone wants.

Red Notice2021

Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds trade insults while stealing art and chasing a con artist. Shameless, colourful fun with international locations and the kind of chemistry that makes you forgive the hollow plot.

But It's essentially a Netflix film, which means it looks and feels like one—serviceable but not exceptional. The heist logic is tissue-paper thin.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Midnight Run1988

Both films rest entirely on the two leads actually liking each other beneath the trash talk. Without that genuine affection, everything collapses. Midnight Run invented that recipe.

Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin as a bounty hunter and his target—the template for 'they hate each other but actually don't' chemistry. Funny, warm, genuinely touching, and the best film on this entire page.

But It's from 1988 and shot entirely in real locations with no superhuman physics. If you're coming for spectacle, you won't find it. You'll find something better, but you have to be patient.

Lethal Weapon1987

The blueprint for buddy cop movies: Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, genuine stakes, real laughs, and action that still holds up. This is what every film on this list is riffing on.

But It's from 1987 and it shows in some ways. Also darker and more violent than a quippy modern action film might lead you to expect.

Central Intelligence2016

Dwayne Johnson reunites with Kevin Hart, and the film is basically a long-form comedy sketch about a jacked former geek and a cynical accountant. Pure, uncomplicated fun with genuine laughs.

But Hart's shtick isn't for everyone, and the plot is thinner than tissue. It knows this and doesn't care, which works unless you need substance.

21 Jump Street2012

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as undercover cops at a high school with genuine chemistry and a script that actually surprises you. Funny in ways an action-comedy doesn't have to try to be.

But Relies on you finding Jonah Hill's particular brand of comedy endearing. The second sequel is worse, so don't drift that way.

Ride Along2014

Ice Cube and Kevin Hart as a cop and his fiancée's annoying brother forced to work together. Hart's energy and Cube's deadpan make a genuinely funny pairing, even when the plot is forgettable.

But It's a standard buddy-cop setup with standard resolutions. The action is functional rather than inventive, and the premise wears thin by the end.

London Has Fallen2016

Gerard Butler and Aaron Eckhart as a Secret Service agent and the President, fighting off terrorists in London with no pretence at realism. Dumb but efficient action and the two leads commit completely.

But It's aggressively dumb and the politics are muddled. If you need your action films to treat the world seriously, this will annoy you.

The Gentlemen2020

Same year as Hobbs & Shaw, same approach to making action a vehicle for character and humour rather than the other way around. But Ritchie's version is trying to be clever about it.

Guy Ritchie's ensemble crime comedy with Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, and Henry Golding. Stylish, sharply written, full of moving parts and characters who genuinely enjoy each other's company. Slick storytelling that respects your intelligence.

But It's fast and dense—the dialogue moves quickly and the plot doubles back on itself. If you're not engaged from the start, you'll feel left behind.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang2005

Both films do the impossible chemistry between mismatched men, but Kiss Kiss Bang Bang gets there through genuine vulnerability and darkness rather than winks and stunts. It's the answer to what happens when you take the buddy-film premise completely seriously.

Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer as a con artist and a detective in a noir-comedy that's genuinely witty and genuinely cynical. Downey especially is doing character work that makes you realize he's a real actor underneath the charm.

But It's deliberately fractured—the plot doesn't obey normal structure and the tone is unstable by design. Some find it pretentious. The Los Angeles it's set in is almost aggressively unglamorous.