Film Review: F1: The Movie
2 min read
“From Apple Original Films and the filmmakers from Top Gun: Maverick comes the high-octane, action-packed feature film F1 The Movie, starring Brad Pitt and directed by Joseph Kosinski. Dubbed “the greatest that never was,” Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was FORMULA 1’s most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career. Thirty years later, he’s a nomadic racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), owner of a struggling FORMULA 1 team that is on the verge of collapse. Ruben convinces Sonny to come back to FORMULA 1 for one last shot at saving the team and being the best in the world. He’ll drive alongside Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the team’s hotshot rookie intent on setting his own pace. But as the engines roar, Sonny’s past catches up with him and he finds that in FORMULA 1, your teammate is your fiercest competition—and the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone.” – Warner Bros
Snapshot Review: It’s unsurprising that the man behind Top Gun: Maverick could make a high octane thrill ride out of something as polarising – entertainment wise – as F1. Amongst the great performances, continent-jumping narrative, and incredibly realistic driving and stunts, this by-the-numbers story of redemption against adversity is more fun than forgettable, managing to shake up the ‘old mentoring young’ trope and deliver a story that feels genuinely tense at points.
The runtime may be testing for some, towing the line between too long and perfect pacing, but the exclusion of the longest portions – aka, the races – would be a detriment to this racing focused film. Hans Zimmer is also in fine form with his soundtrack, melding nicely with the included artists who pop up before, during, and after races. F1 is well worth a viewing, even for those who know nothing about the sport.
Release Date: 27/06/2025
Genre: Sports Theme, Action
Staring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem, Kerry Kondon
Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.
