There are movies that try really hard to impress you. Then there is F1. It just walks in cool as hell, gives you a nod, and drops a cinematic gearshift into your chest. It does not reinvent the sports movie playbook, but it absolutely knows how to run it to perfection.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the same guy who turned Top Gun Maverick into an actual shot of adrenaline, F1 is slick and confident. It embraces the old school sports movie rhythm without apology. You can feel the confidence coming off every scene. This is a movie that knows the road it is on and is fully committed to driving it better than anyone else.
The plot? Yes, we’ve heard parts of it before. Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a veteran driver who never quite made it big and now finds himself pulled back into the game to mentor a fast and reckless rookie named Joshua Pierce, played by Damson Idris. There is also a struggling race team, a technical wizard who talks like she does her job in her sleep, and of course the big race looming in the final act. It is classic sports movie structure. But structure is not the problem. The issue is usually how well the story wears it. In this case, it wears it like a tailored fireproof suit.
The best way I can describe F1 is this. It is the racing movie version of a band playing the greatest hits but doing it with such style and power that you forget you have heard the songs before. And speaking of power, the film has Hans Zimmer’s score pushing it like a jet engine. Combine that with some absolute banger classic rock tracks and it becomes very clear this movie wants to be seen and heard loud.
Now let us talk about the visuals. This movie looks incredible. Claudio Miranda, the cinematographer, brings the same energy he brought to Top Gun Maverick. Cameras are placed inside the cars, beside the tires, practically inside the drivers’ helmets. The shots put you right on the asphalt with every roar of the engine. It is stylish and immersive without ever getting chaotic. The editing by Stephen Mirrione is fast when it needs to be and calm when it counts. There is a pit stop sequence that genuinely got applause in my screening. Applause. For a tire change.
The movie runs a little long at two hours and thirty minutes. For most of that time, it flies. But eventually it does start to feel like the filmmakers had a little too much fun and could not bear to trim the fat. No specific scene falls flat, but there are definitely moments where the movie coasts a little too comfortably. You get the sense that some sequences could have stayed in the garage.
There is also a bit of a missed opportunity in the villain department. Or more accurately, the lack of one. The rival drivers are kind of just there. No one really stands out. They are more logo than character. The tension comes mostly from Sonny and Joshua clashing and pushing each other to the edge. That works, but a memorable adversary would have given the final stretch more teeth.
But let’s be honest. We all showed up for Brad Pitt. And he delivers in a way only Brad Pitt can. He plays Sonny with this perfectly tuned mix of wisdom, weariness, and charisma. It is a role that plays to his strengths, and he knows exactly how to let the quieter moments breathe. He never overdoes it. He just shows up, makes it look easy, and carries the movie like a man who knows this is his track.
The supporting cast is equally solid. Kerry Condon is magnetic as the technical director. Javier Bardem adds some chaotic charm as the friend in over his head. And Damson Idris proves he can hang with the best, playing the arrogant rookie with just enough heart to keep him likable.
and a half stars. Brad Pitt did not show up to my screening. But this movie sure did.
F1 is not trying to change the game. It is just trying to play it better than anyone else. And it mostly does. The pacing might stumble near the end, and the lack of a proper rival holds back the finale just a bit, but everything else roars with confidence. This is a movie that understands the appeal of a well-executed formula and delivers it with energy and joy.It is exciting. It is emotional. It is loud. And in the biggest moments, it genuinely soars.