Racing legend Sonny Hayes is coaxed out of retirement to lead a struggling Formula 1 team—and mentor a young hotshot driver—while chasing one more chance at glory.
“F1: The Movie” is exactly what you’d expect from a big budget, full-throttle, action-drama directed by “Top Gun: Maverick“‘s Joseph Kosinski: fast cars, big sound, bigger egos, and a steady stream of testosterone. Packed with slow-motion crashes, macho posturing, and electrifying scenes of real-life racing, you won’t find subtlety or depth here. But if you strap into the passenger seat, what you will find is Brad Pitt in full movie star mode and a thrilling ride that delivers tons of summer blockbuster fun.
Pitt brings his usual charisma and effortless cool to the role of Sonny Hayes, a once-legendary racer haunted by a career-ending crash who is lured back by struggling team owner Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) for one last shot at greatness. Sonny is brought on to mentor the hotshot rookie driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), who challenges him at nearly every turn. While working out his past demons on the track, Sonny is given the chance to make a comeback and earn the title as the Greatest Driver in the World.
The by-the-book plot might not break new ground with its comeback arc, internal team tension, well-timed tragic moment, and dramatic final race, but it delivers plenty of intensity. This is a film that’s not trying to reinvent anything, and it doesn’t. There are no real surprises story-wise and the familiar themes play out exactly how you’d think, but it all makes for an easily digestible, crowd pleaser of a movie.
The real star here is the spectacle. The beautifully shot race sequences, filmed at actual F1 events around the globe with real teams and drivers from the 2023 season, lend the movie a rare authenticity. The cinematography captures the speed and stakes of the sport in dazzling fashion, with racing footage shot both inside and outside the multi-million dollar cars. The behind-the-scenes look at the unsung heroes (mechanics, engineers, and pit crews) gives the film a little more depth than expected.
The film has terrific sound design that captures the roar of racing engines with a polished thunder, which is clearly meant to be felt as much as heard. And the original score from Hans Zimmer is so intensely perfect that it nearly overshadows the stars of the movie.
There are a couple of women in the supporting cast (including Kerry Condon), and while they don’t share much of the spotlight, they’re thankfully not reduced to sexualized eye candy. The focus of the film is on the bromance between Joshua and Sonny and of course, the racing.
The film explains the rules of the sport well, but I get the feeling that fans of F1 will understand more than what’s presented. Kosinski does a great job showing off how complicated and high-tech Formula 1 really is, delving into the science, technology, skill, and danger of the sport. Thematically, the film emphasizes that racing is, at its core, a team sport that performs best when everyone works together.
“F1: The Movie” aims to be successful with a wide audience, and it succeeds. This is a fun film with mass appeal that’s executed extremely well.
