Movie · 2005 · Drama, Adventure, History · 2h 7m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 5.8/10 (81.8K ratings)
Based on one hell of a true story.
Overview
The life story of New Zealander Burt Munro, who spent years building a 1920 Indian motorcycle—a bike which helped him set the land-speed world record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.8/10
IMDb: 7.8/10
Letterboxd: 3.60/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
Metacritic: 68
TMDB: 7.7/10
Director
Roger Donaldson
Production
OLC / Rights Entertainment, Tanlay, New Zealand Film Commission, 3 Dogs & a Pony, 3 Dogs & a Pony, Roger Donaldson/Gary Hannam Productions
Cast
Anthony Hopkins, Walton Goggins, Diane Ladd, Bruce Greenwood, Iain Rea, Tessa Mitchell, Aaron Murphy, Tim Shadbolt, Annie Whittle, Greg Johnson, Kate Sullivan, Antony Starr, Craig Hall, Jim Bowman, Phoebe Falconer, Charles Pierard, Barry Ryan, Alison Bruce, Mick Rose, Bill Richardson
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A warm, old-school underdog drama with a big heart and a standout Anthony Hopkins performance. It’s less about racing suspense than about stubborn optimism, eccentric charm, and the pleasure of watching a singular life story unfold.
Best for
Viewers who like feel-good true stories
Fans of gentle character-driven dramas
Audiences who enjoy performance-led films
People interested in motorsport history and DIY ingenuity
Anyone in the mood for a low-stakes, uplifting road-and-race story
Skip if
You want constant tension or high-adrenaline racing scenes
You prefer a more complex or morally thorny biopic
You’re impatient with episodic storytelling and a leisurely pace
You need a film with a modern, gritty sports-movie feel
Overview
The World's Fastest Indian is the kind of biographical drama that wins you over by sheer decency. Roger Donaldson keeps the focus on Burt Munro as a lovable obsessive: a man with a homemade machine, a stubborn dream, and enough charm to turn every obstacle into another anecdote. Anthony Hopkins plays him with warmth and easy humor, making the character feel less like a legend than a very determined neighbor who simply refuses to stop tinkering.
Worth noting
The film’s appeal is in its texture rather than its suspense. It moves through small encounters, roadside kindnesses, and practical problem-solving, building a portrait of persistence that feels almost folkloric. Some viewers will find the middle stretch too gentle or too repetitive, but the movie’s mellow pace is also part of its appeal: it’s a story about process, not just payoff.
Bottom line
What lingers is the movie’s faith in human connection. Burt’s journey across America is full of strangers who help, listen, or simply make room for his dream, and the film treats that generosity as its real victory. It’s a modest, sincere crowd-pleaser with enough personality to feel distinctive even when it stays comfortably in its lane.
Top Letterboxd reviews
sprizzle (1★) · 268 likes
I typed up a long review about how much I hated this movie and copied that review to paste later...
protein pancakes
That's what I get when I hit ⌘+v. So there you have it. I have no desire to write another review. This movie sucks.
Senna Church (3.5★) · 187 likes
In the age of unnecessarily cruel depictions of trans people, it was really nice to see a trans woman who states she's trans and is not belittled for it and is even shown a genuine compassion by a protagonist.
Maybe my bar is insanely low but I really liked her. Also I appreciate a film where the thesis is "if you're nice to people, nice things will happen to you" it's a nice message.
Dylan P. (4★) · 145 likes
Old man Paddington
Godfargher (2.5★) · 115 likes
Kinda heartwarming but also kinda just two hours of anthony hopkins saying "im burt munro" and "we dont have this is new zealand
Lauren! (4★) · 91 likes
definitely wasn’t expecting him to get laid that much but it’s fine, i accept it.
tony hopkins is once again making me emotional :/ he can’t keep getting away with this