Nostalgic Yet? 10 Best Road Movies from the 2010s

1. "Due Date" (2010)
Think "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" but add Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. The movie kicks off with Peter (Downey Jr.) getting kicked off a flight thanks to Ethan (Galifianakis), who's also on his way to L.A. but for different reasons. Peter is trying to get home to his pregnant wife, while Ethan wants to make it as an actor.

Mishap after mishap ensues – like Peter accidentally shooting Ethan, Ethan crashing their rental car, and a snafu with a handicapped veteran. It's a comedy of errors and an oddball but endearing friendship.

2. "Midnight in Paris" (2011)
So, you're in Paris and at the stroke of midnight, a vintage car picks you up and transports you to the 1920s. Sounds like a dream, huh? But for Gil, a disillusioned writer, it's reality. He hobnobs with Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and even Salvador Dalí.

Meanwhile, his fiancée Inez is uninterested in his new friends (probably because she can't see them). Each night, the car picks him up and Gil is torn between two worlds, leading him to question where he truly belongs.

3. "On the Road" (2012)
Inspired by Jack Kerouac's novel, the film dives into the post-WWII Beat Generation. Sal Paradise, an aspiring writer, meets Dean Moriarty, a free spirit living life on the edge. Along with Marylou, Dean's 16-year-old wife, they embark on a road trip across America. Dean has affairs and leaves Marylou, Sal writes and rewrites, and everyone's searching for "it" – whatever "it" is.

4. "The Way, Way Back" (2013)
Who doesn't love a coming-of-age story mixed with a road trip?

Duncan, a shy 14-year-old, goes on a summer vacation with his mom, her overbearing boyfriend Trent, and his daughter. Duncan finds an escape when he stumbles upon a water park and gets a job there. His boss, Owen, becomes the father figure he's been missing. Amidst the backdrop of this sleepy beach town, Duncan gains confidence and even stands up to Trent.

5. "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015)
This isn't just a road movie; it's a high-speed chase across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Max, captured by the War Boys, becomes an unwilling blood donor for Nux, one of the soldiers.

Meanwhile, Imperator Furiosa, tasked with transporting oil, veers off course with the Warlord's five wives in tow, seeking freedom. Max escapes and reluctantly teams up with Furiosa. Together they fight roving gangs, outrun a massive sandstorm, and make it to the "Green Place," only to find it no longer exists.

With a budget of $150 million, the movie raked in over $375 million worldwide.

6. "The Fundamentals of Caring" (2016)
What do you get when you mix a retired writer turned caregiver and a sarcastic teen with muscular dystrophy? A funny, heartfelt road trip that'll get you right in the feels.

Ben, played by Paul Rudd, becomes a caregiver for Trevor, who has a fascination with America's weirdest landmarks – think "the world's deepest pit." They set off to see it, and along the way, they pick up a hitchhiker named Dot and even rescue a pregnant woman. Trevor confronts his fears, Ben confronts his past, and both find a new purpose in life.

7. "Captain Fantastic" (2016)
Viggo Mortensen plays Ben, a father who raises his six kids in the wilderness, away from the corrupting influences of modern society. But when his wife passes away, the family embarks on a journey to attend her funeral, despite her wealthy father's objections.

The kids are in for a culture shock as they encounter the 'real world,' complete with video games and processed foods. They even attempt to "free" their mom's body to give her the Buddhist cremation she wanted.

8. "Green Book" (2018)
Set in the early '60s, the film follows Tony, an Italian-American bouncer, who's hired to drive Dr. Don Shirley, a black classical pianist, on a tour through the Deep South. Yep, it's as complicated as it sounds.

The two couldn't be more different. Tony is brash and unrefined, while Dr. Shirley is cultured but disconnected from his own community. Through run-ins with racist cops, sharing a bucket of KFC, and even a bar brawl, the pair form an unlikely friendship.

9. "Lady Bird" (2017)
No, it's not a conventional road trip movie, but the emotional journey is just as significant. Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson is a senior in a Sacramento Catholic high school. She dreams of going to college on the East Coast, much to her mother's dismay. Amid fights with her mom, a breakup, and the usual teenage angst, she finally takes off for New York. Even though she achieves her dream, she realizes the value of her roots and her relationship with her mom.

This coming-of-age tale took the box office by storm, grossing $78.9 million worldwide against a budget of just $10 million.

10. "American Honey" (2016)
Star, an 18-year-old, joins a group of young adults traveling the Midwest to sell magazine subscriptions. Led by Krystal and her right-hand man Jake, the group parties hard, struggles with poverty, and hustles in every town they hit. Star and Jake form a complicated romantic relationship as she discovers the darker aspects of this nomadic lifestyle.