If you felt the need for speed with Top Gun: Maverick, director Joseph Kosinski is back to strap you into another cockpit—this time, one with four wheels. Brad Pitt leads the charge in F1 (or F1: The Movie), a summer blockbuster with thunderous sound, breathtaking visuals, and enough movie star charisma to power an entire racing circuit. But while the filmmaking is firing on all cylinders, is the story running on fumes?
Here’s our review of a film that is unequivocally one of the year’s must-see theatrical experiences, for reasons both spectacular and surprisingly simple.
The Verdict in Brief: F1 is a technical marvel and a stunning big-screen spectacle with some of the most exhilarating racing sequences ever put to film. Its powerhouse cast elevates the material, but it’s held back by a predictable, cliché-ridden screenplay that you’ve seen a hundred times before. See it on the biggest, loudest screen you can find.
The High-Octane Premise
Brad Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, a legendary F1 driver whose dazzling career was cut short years ago. Now living as a racing nomad, Sonny is pulled back into the world he left behind by his old friend Ruben (Javier Bardem), the owner of a struggling F1 team on the verge of being sold.
Ruben’s proposition: come back to the sport, mentor our hotshot rookie Joshua Pierce (Damson Idris), and help save the team. Sonny can’t resist the call of the track, leading to a classic redemption story that pits veteran wisdom against youthful arrogance, all while a brilliant technician (Kerry Condon) works to give them the edge they desperately need.
A Technical Masterpiece That Demands the Big Screen
Let’s be clear: the production is the real star of F1. Director Joseph Kosinski, reuniting with Top Gun: Maverick collaborators like cinematographer Claudio Miranda and composer Hans Zimmer, has crafted a true cinematic event. Shot entirely in IMAX, the film’s budget is plastered on every glorious frame.
The racing scenes are nothing short of brilliant. This isn’t just about watching cars go fast; it’s about feeling it. Miranda’s innovative camera work puts you directly in the driver’s seat, capturing the visceral intensity, split-second decisions, and strategic nuance of Formula 1. The thundering sound design makes every engine roar and tire screech feel seismic.
To anyone who says, “I have a great home theater system,” this movie is the ultimate rebuttal. Unless you have an IMAX screen and a concert-grade sound system at home, you simply cannot replicate the immersive, awe-inspiring experience of seeing F1 in a premium theater. It is the very definition of a big-screen spectacle.
Where the Engine Sputters: A By-the-Numbers Script
Unfortunately, this elite filmmaking is built on the chassis of a far-from-elite screenplay. Penned by Ehren Kruger (a co-writer on Maverick but also the solo writer of films like Dumbo and the notorious Transformers: Age of Extinction), the script for F1 is its weakest link.
If you’ve ever seen a sports movie about a grizzled veteran mentoring a cocky newcomer on a struggling team, you can predict every single beat of this film. The story is packed with so many clichés that you might find yourself quoting lines of dialogue moments before the actors say them. The narrative hits all the expected story points:
- The initial rivalry between the old pro and the young gun.
- The begrudging respect that slowly forms.
- The “wise lessons” learned through failure.
- The final, all-or-nothing race.
While familiar story templates aren’t inherently bad, the dialogue is often disappointingly lazy, relying on lines that feel recycled from hundreds of other films. The ambition of the filmmaking is simply not matched by the ambition of the writing.
Can a Movie Star Cast Out-Drive a Weak Script?
Thankfully, F1 was consciously cast with actors who could elevate these archetypes, and for the most part, they succeed.
- Brad Pitt delivers what can only be described as a “Movie Star Performance.” His character’s main trait is, well, being Brad Pitt. He leans into the effortless charm, quiet confidence, and rugged charisma that has defined his career. It’s a performance that coasts on persona, but it’s an incredibly effective one.
- Damson Idris gives his all as the young rival, tasked mostly with calling Pitt an “old man” before eventually learning valuable life lessons. He brings a fiery energy that makes the dynamic work.
- Javier Bardem and Kerry Condon are excellent, doing everything they can to breathe life into their very standard roles as the hopeful team owner and the determined engineer.
This talented cast is the glue that holds the film together between the breathtaking racing sequences. Without them, the clichéd story would have stalled out completely.
The Final Verdict: Is F1 Worth the Price of Admission?
Absolutely, with one major caveat: know what you’re buying a ticket for. You aren’t coming for groundbreaking storytelling or sharp, original dialogue. You are coming for the adrenaline, the spectacle, and the sheer awe of seeing Formula 1 racing captured with such masterful skill.
At two and a half hours, the film is arguably too long and could have easily trimmed 20 minutes by cutting some of the more repetitive story beats. And yet, it flies by. The pacing is brisk, and the core underdog story—as cliché as it is—is a proven winner that we are hardwired to enjoy.
With less spectacular racing or a less talented cast, this film would have been a failure. But in F1, the parts that work are so powerful they manage to shore up the parts that don’t. It’s classic summer filmmaking in both the best and most frustrating ways.
Go see F1. See it on the biggest screen you can. Just be ready to enjoy the ride, not the roadmap.
F1 opens in the United States on Friday, June 27th, with earlier releases in many international markets. Check your local listings!
What do you think? Are you excited to see Brad Pitt hit the track? Let us know in the comments below!