The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 action film directed by Rob Cohen from a screenplay by Gary Scott Thompson, Erik Bergquist, and David Ayer, based on the Vibe magazine article "Racer X" by Ken Li. The first installment in the Fast & Furious franchise, it stars Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Rick Yune, Chad Lindberg, Johnny Strong, and Ted Levine. In the film, Brian O'Conner (Walker), an LAPD officer, goes undercover in the street racing world to investigate a group of unknown hijackers, believed to be led by Dominic Toretto (Diesel).

The Fast and the Furious entered development in late 1998, its concept inspired by Li's Vibe article about illegal street racing. Thompson and Bergquist wrote the original screenplay that year, with Ayer hired soon after. Various actors were considered for the roles of O'Conner and Toretto, with Walker cast in 1998 and then Diesel in early 1999, with the pair attending actual street races in preparation for the film. Principal photography began in July 2000 and finished that October, with filming locations primarily including Los Angeles and the surrounding area in southern California. Record producer BT was hired to compose the score.

The Fast and the Furious premiered at the Mann Village Theatre in Los Angeles on June 18, 2001, and was released in the United States on June 22, by Universal Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with criticism for its story, but praise for the action sequences and Diesel's and Walker's performances, with the film considered their breakthrough roles. The Fast and the Furious grossed over $207 million worldwide. The film's success spawned a franchise, and it was followed by the sequel 2 Fast 2 Furious in 2003.