Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- frantic
- irreverent
- witty
- lazy weekend
- group movie night
What critics said
Critics found the broad ensemble chase energetic and occasionally funny, but judged its constant sight gags uneven and only intermittently effective.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Six contestants separately race toward two million dollars while the film intercuts their increasingly chaotic journeys.
The contestants encounter a succession of absurd obstacles and broad comic set pieces during the race.
The central contest sends multiple travelers racing from a casino toward a cash locker in New Mexico.
Donald P. Sinclair and his associates place bets on the contestants competing for the hidden fortune.
Films like Rat Race, and why
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
shared screwball comedy, chaotic road-trip structure, ensemble cast, and escalating comic mishaps
The Gumball Rally
shared ensemble farce, cross-country race, eccentric characters, and broad physical comedy
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
shared treasure hunt, competing teams, frantic pacing, and irreverent adventure comedy
Movie Details
- Director
- Jerry Zucker
- Release Date
- 2001-08-17
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (2054)
Cast
- Gloria Allred
- Breckin Meyer
- Cuba Gooding Jr.
- Lanei Chapman
- Amy Smart
- Seth Green
- Vince Vieluf
- Whoopi Goldberg
- Rowan Atkinson
- John Cleese
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Paramount Plus Essential
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Rat Race about?
- A casino magnate turns a cross-country dash for two million dollars into a wildly improvised contest of greed, luck, and comic survival.
- What is Rat Race like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Rat Race as breakneck, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Rat Race violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Rat Race as mild.
- What did critics think of Rat Race?
- Critics found the broad ensemble chase energetic and occasionally funny, but judged its constant sight gags uneven and only intermittently effective.
- Which films are like Rat Race?
- Films with a similar feel include It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, The Gumball Rally, and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
- How long is Rat Race?
- Rat Race runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch Rat Race?
- In United States, Rat Race streams on Paramount Plus Essential.
