Mad Max (1979)

Most people think so. 84% of audiences gave it a thumbs up, by Google's archived audience score. Critics agree, scoring it 81%.

In the ravaged near-future, a savage motorcycle gang rules the road. Terrorizing innocent civilians while tearing up the streets, the ruthless gang laughs in the face of a police force hell-bent on stopping them. Wikipedia ↗

Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller, the ultra-low-budget debut that launched one of cinema's most enduring franchises. Mel Gibson, in his first leading role at age 23, stars as Max Rockatansky, a Main Force Patrol officer in a near-future Australia where civilization is beginning to collapse and motorcycle gangs terrorize the highways. When a particularly savage gang led by the Toecutter, played by Hugh Keays-Byrne, murders Max's wife and infant son, the last vestiges of Max's civilized restraint shatter, and he becomes the relentless, merciless avenger the wasteland demands.

George Miller made Mad Max for approximately $350,000 Australian dollars, using real Australian highways, real cars, and real danger — the stunt work, performed at genuine high speeds with minimal safety precautions, gave the action sequences a terrifying authenticity that no budget could replicate. Mad Max entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most profitable film ever made relative to its budget, earning over $100 million worldwide.