Speed Racer (2008)

When the Wachowskis adapted the Japanese animated series Speed Racer for the big screen, they put in a huge amount of hard work to create a visually striking action adventure.

We follow racing prodigy Speed, who wants to become the greatest hero on four wheels. He ends up having to sacrifice everything to save the sport from a corrupt billion-dollar corporation in a wild story where dignity, family and some seriously cool racing cars are all at stake.

The production was an extreme feat of effort behind the camera, too.

The directors rejected traditional filmmaking and went all in on a hyper-coloured, digitally animated aesthetic, a choice that made Speed Racer stand out sharply from most films of its time. When the film was released in 2008, it became a commercial disappointment that cost its creators dearly. Today, however, it has earned cult status and is recognised as one of the most creative racing films ever made.