F1: The Movie Review
High-octane action supports a somewhat cliche tale in this mile-a-minute driving extraordinaire!
With his F1 team on the ropes, owner Ruben (Javier Bardem) enlists the help of washed up former racing buddy Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt). Hayes teams up with young hotshot Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), with the goal to win 1 race of 9 remaining to save Ruben’s team. But the two drivers butt heads, and with car troubles trying to be solved by head engineer Kate (Kerry Condon), they might struggle to pull off a miracle.
For fans of Netflix’s hit show, Drive to Survive, some of the thematics at play here in F1: The Movie may feel a little unlikely. Director Joseph Kosinski serves up a cliche come from behind victory story for a sport where consistency across multiple races is key, and at times that can feel a little grating. Additionally, for anyone who has ever seen a movie before, the twists and turns of the plot will be able to be spotted miles off.
But that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.
F1: The Movie is an absolute BLAST. The action is fast, the camera work is crazy, the one-liners and pulsing Hans Zimmer score on point. It’s the sort of movie that is easy to get sucked into, and will have you on the edge of your seat.
Brad Pitt growls his way through a performance that could be entirely described by a smirk. But he is a heap of fun to watch. He holds this movie easily in the palm of his hand, a certain swagger that makes you feel like the ridiculous driving feats he achieves are just maybe possible. He’s ably supported by Damson Idris and Kerry Condon, who blend into their team roles with ease. But Javier Bardem is a real surprise standout, and the chemistry between him and Pitt is palpable.
The cinematography in this film is insane. While perhaps not quite as impressive as Top Gun: Maverick - presumably because we have already experienced so many cameras in F1 cars through the broadcast and the Netflix show - it is nevertheless a step change forward in terms of the ability to capture this experience. Coupled with some indelible sequences with fireworks on tracks, gorgeously rendered F1 events, and you have a stunning film.
The other high water mark is Hans Zimmer’s score, which is a sort of techno pulsing rock throughline that really anchors everything together, and gets you hyped at the precisely right moments.
All up, this isn’t a film you feel like you haven’t seen before. But it is an absolute blast to buckle in for.
