Narrative driven entirely by pursuit — hunted protagonist flees, antagonist chases relentlessly. Plot propelled by motion, not dialogue. Terminator, Mad Max, North by Northwest.
The chase is the skeleton of the film — everything else is the flesh on it. You set up a simple constellation: someone runs, someone follows. The entire narrative engine runs on this tension. No detours, no sentimental subplots that don't immediately contribute to the hunt. This is the essence of a Chase Film.
What makes it different from other action structures? The Chase Film has no classic exposition in the conventional sense. You don't need to explain why the chase is happening — it's often enough that it exists. The viewer accepts the premise and follows the rhythm. Terminator works because Sarah Connor is threatened from minute one; Mad Max Fury Road because Furiosa flees with her rig and Immortan Joe pursues her. No flashbacks for explanation, no psychogram of the pursuer — just movement, obstacle, next scene.
On set, you quickly realize: Chase Films thrive on variations in space. A car on a straight road is boring after five minutes. You need urban jungles, traffic, stairs, water, changing terrain. Each chase sequence is a small film story — it accelerates, slows down, revolves around an obstacle part, or splits up. In editing, this adds up to breathless intensity. The montage itself becomes the main character.
Dramaturgically, the Chase Film works because intention and action are identical. The pursued doesn't want to win and then do something else — they want to escape. That is their goal. That is their entire film. This creates a clear internal logic that is difficult to sabotage. As long as the chase continues, the story runs. As soon as it stops, the film ends or transforms into something else.
Important: Do not confuse with Action Film in general or Thriller. A Chase Film reduces itself to the chase mechanics; a thriller might include a chase as a sequence, but must revolve around puzzles or psychological tension. In a Chase Film, the physical hunt is the complete narrative.