The One F&F Movie You Have To Watch Before Fast X

"Fast X" is the tenth chapter in the high-octane franchise, and while seeing every single previous title would get people up to speed on all the pulse-pounding action of the "Fast Saga," there is one particular film that fans should definitely see before checking out the first iteration of the two-part finale set to wave the checkered flag on the main series' narrative.

There's a slew of familiar faces in the stacked lineup for "Fast X." All of the main players are back in the mix, along with some new personas making their debut, like Jasona Momoa's antagonist Dante Reyes. While this may be the "Aquaman" star's first foray into the world of "Fast and Furious" movies, his character has already had run-ins with the Torretto wrecking crew.

In the 2011 film "Fast Five," Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker), and the rest of the team steal $100 million from a drug lord named Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida) by literally pulling the vault out of the bank with their cars, with the massive piggy bank wrecking everything it touches as it's being dragged through the streets of Rio. In the end, they get the money, and Reyes is killed. According to the "Fast X" trailer, Momoa's character Dante was present during the heist, and is the son of the fallen drug kingpin.

In "Fast X," Dante is looking for payback, and if fans want to understand his motivations (and witness that epic heist sequence), watching "Fast Five" beforehand is probably a wise choice. And some might be surprised to discover the fascinating reason the filmmakers chose to revisit that fifth chapter to help introduce their new villain.

"Fast X" director Louis Leterrier, known for "The Transporter 2" and "The Incredible Hulk," is a fan of the fifth "Fast and Furious" movie. He was very excited to incorporate its notorious safe run into the storyline for the tenth installment. While the sequence was exhilarating, it wasn't just the spectacle of seeing a giant safe roll through downtown Rio that got him excited about its inclusion, but the motivation behind the heist and how it differs from the Toretto family's other wild excursions. 

"'Fast Five' was the last [Fast] movie that truly dealt with human stakes — the oppression of the poor," the director said in an interview with Total Film. "Reyes was oppressing the favelas and stealing from them. Dom and the family, they Robin Hood the money, and give it back. But when you think they're doing the right thing, there's always somebody who thinks you're doing the wrong thing. So what we tried to do was to Rashomon the 'Fast Five' safe heist, which is my favorite of all time."

The person who sees the crew's actions as the wrong thing is Jason Momoa's villain Dante Reyes. According to the actor himself, this is a seriously bad guy. "He's very sadistic and androgynous, and he's a bit of a peacock ... He's got a lot of issues, this guy. He's definitely got some daddy issues," Momoa told Variety. Fans can see Dante in action and his attempts at revenge in "Fast X," which hits theaters on May 19, 2023. "Fast Five" can be found for rent or purchase on VOD platforms such as Amazon Prime, Vudu, Google Play, Redbox, or Apple TV.