Christian Bale & Matt Damon’s Adrenaline-Inducing Biopic Instantly Speeds Through Netflix’s Top 5 Streaming Charts

Netflix subscribers are getting a shot of adrenaline to start out the New Year, along with a major dose of Christian Bale and Matt Damon.

2019’s racetrack biopic Ford v Ferrari teamed those two stars, along with director James Mangold, and now in the early days of 2026, the high-octane drama is hitting the gas on streaming, zooming to the #5 spot on Netflix’s top 10 U.S. movies chart for January 2, 2026.

Bale and Damon’s Oscar-winning racing film found a new streaming home on Netflix on January 1. The 20th Century Fox release was a success in its theatrical run, grossing $225 million on a reported budget of $97.6 million.

The movie tracks the true-life story of auto designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and race car driver Ken Miles (Bale) as they seek to win the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Ford, a tall task given the manufacturer’s lack of experience in the sport, pitted against Ferrari’s years-long dominance.

Ford v Ferrari did well with critics, boosting it to a 92% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers praised the film’s technical credentials, raving about the racing scenes, while giving kudos to Bale and Damon for their performances.

Critics lauded the film for delivering an experience that both satisfied fans of racing with its technical details, and proved captivating for non-fans as a dramatic underdog story.

ScreenRant’s Ford v Ferrari review applauded the film for making “an entertaining spin on the traditional sports biography.” It continued, “The movie’s racing sequences combine practical stunt-driving with limited CGI, and the resulting spectacle is truly visceral in the way it captures the cacophony and exhaust-clogged environment of the racecourse.”

Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale as Ken Miles in Ford v Ferrari

In a 2020 ranking of the best drivers in movies, ScreenRant gave some love to Ford v Ferrari’s Ken Miles, calling Bale’s character “a maestro behind the wheel,” and saying of his almost supernatural cornering ability, “It’s like a veteran gamer playing Gran Turismo.”

Ford v Ferrari went into the 2019 awards season as a major contender, ultimately scoring four Oscar nominations, and winning the trophies for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Editing.

Both Bale and Damon were snubbed by the Academy that year, a disappointment after a possible Oscar showdown between the two was hyped, but Bale did at least get a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama.

Ford v Ferrari is currently available to stream on Netflix.

Release Date

November 13, 2019

Runtime

153 minutes

Writers

Jason Keller, Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth