One cannot think about the Fast & Furious franchise without immediately thinking about the word “family.” Over the course of 23-years, the popular street racing action series has turned the notion of family, both blood and chosen, into a magic elixir. The special potion, similar to Popeye eating spinach, gives Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his makeshift car-obsessed Avengers their strength.

There is another prominent F-word that does not get talked about as much when it comes to the franchise though. A word that, at least for Toretto, is equally important: faith.

One needs to look no further than Fast X for proof of this. Toretto and crew face off against the ruthless Dante (Jason Momoa), a man who, according to the villainous Cipher (Charlize Theron), is the devil himself. The film is as much a tale about legacy and the sins of fathers as it is about the power of unwavering faith. As Dante wreaks havoc across the globe, like an unstoppable hurricane moving from Rome to Brazil destroying everything in its path, it becomes evident that the family needs to trust something they can’t quantify.

Toretto constantly preaches the importance of believing in a higher power. “Nothing is impossible, you just have to have faith,” he declares while passing his iconic cross chain to Mr. Nobody’s daughter Tess (Brie Larson). The scene carries even greater significance when a wounded Tess hands him back the chain–covered in blood, no less–when she is shot trying to help him capture Dante. Although none of the other characters is as obvious with their faith as Toretto, almost everyone he encounters seems open to listening to his teachings.

Although Fast X openly pokes fun at the fact that everyone who encounters Toretto eventually joins his family, as special agent Ames (Alan Ritchson) states, “it’s like a cult with cars,” it is clear that embracing family and faith is the foundation its hero builds his house on. As director Louis Leterrier notes in the “This is Family” featurette on the Blu-ray, simply being accused of attempting to blow up the Vatican is very hurtful to everything Toretto believes. If Christianity preaches putting Jesus first, others second, and yourself third, then Toretto is, in his own unique way, a walking embodiment of this.

Toretto’s cross is more than a flashy accessory that can hold spy cameras (see: 2017’s The Fate of the Furious) or remind an amnesiac wife of their wedding day (see: 2015’s Furious 7), it is something that has guided him through the some of his most harrowing moments. Many of the franchises most outlandish action set pieces, take the mid-air cross-highway catch in Fast Five or Little Brian’s (Leo Abelo Perry) “find the line” jump in this film for example, have been based on leaps of faith.

The team may tout their ability to improvise on the fly as the thing they do best, but it can also be viewed that they are simply “faithing it until they make it.” Whether attempting to stop a rolling bomb, which resembles a mini-Death Star, in the streets of Rome, or driving off a bridge to evade a trap, there is always an unspoken belief that, ride or die, they will put it in God’s hands.

Believing that faith allows the impossible to be possible adds an interesting layer to Toretto’s conflict with Dante in Fast X. Posing like the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, as he overlooks the destruction he has caused, Dante is all about destroying everything Toretto believes in. Cheekily referring to him as “Saint Dominic,” for saving so many lives over the years, Dante attempts to expose the hypocrisy of his foe’s beliefs every step of the way by forcing him to choose which souls deserve saving.

No matter how often the devil seems to get the upper hand in the film, which is often since this is the first part of the multi-part finale, there are frequent reminders that selflessly serving the greater good will ultimately bring one out of the darkness. Jacob (John Cena) thanking Toretto for “showing [him] the light,” in one pivotal moment that culminates with him clutching his cross chain, is an example of this.

While the Fast & Furious franchise will never be sermonized from church pulpits like traditional Christian-based cinema such as the Left Behind or God’s Not Dead franchises, or even recent beloved works like the controversial Sound of Freedom, it would not be that out of place if it was. In all its physic defying silliness, the series has become a tale of acceptance, redemption, and self-sacrifice. It presents a world were diversity is embraced and saving the world is more important than one’s personal aspirations.

As audiences have watched these criminally inclined street racers evolve from Robin Hoods to superheroes to a covert elite spy force, the notion of family has remained at the forefront. However, if you look closely, believing in a higher power has as always been there. Fast X just brings it to the forefront. When Little Brian tells his father “Dad, I have faith” at the film’s cliffhanger, one can practically hear Toretto’s superpower shifting into sixth gear.

Fast X arrives on Blu-ray in Canada on August 15th

Bonus Features: Gag Reel, This is Family, Fast Breaks: Scene Breakdowns with Louis Leterrier, Xtreme Rides of Fast X , Belles of the Brawl, Tuned into Rio, Jason Momoa: Conquering Rome, Little B Takes the Wheel, A Friend in the End, Music Videos, Feature Commentary with Director Louis Leterrier.