The French Connection (1971)

There’s only one car chase in this groundbreaking police thriller, but the fact that it’s still ranked as the best ever is testament to how brilliantly it’s conceived. Building out of an already tense sniper scene, Popeye Doyle’s pursuit by car of a fleeing killer on an elevated train is a masterpiece of staging and intensity. Oh, and the rest of the film is just as great too, which is always nice.