When I say they should give director Joseph Kosinski the car keys to making high-octane blockbusters every two years consistently, I mean just that. Between this, “F1: The Movie”, and “Top Gun: Maverick”, he’s currently batting a thousand in the “all gas, no brakes” type of movie genre.
“F1: The Movie” (2025) Review | All Gas, No Brakes for Brad Pitt
If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It
What’s best about this time around is the film knows what it is. It’s transparent as can be. “F1 The Movie” is not trying to reinvent the sports drama genre by any means. In fact, it’s doing the exact opposite. The movie hits every single, I mean every single, sports movie trope and cliché you can think of. But it does it in all the best ways possible. It doesn’t try to hide them behind some cryptic message or twist and turn in the plot. It lays it all out in front of you. In return, all it asks you to do is simply buckle up, sit back and hang on tight.
You know the story. You’ve seen it before, time and time again. The old and busted driver is hired to help a struggling team led by a rookie. It’s two polar opposite styles of racing, egos, takes on life, but one common goal. As noted, it’s nothing new, and it doesn’t try to be. The transparency is real and laid out flat. But again, the film benefits from it because it is so well done.
Cast Chemistry Is Everything
Brad Pitt (Sonny Hayes) leads a cast that includes some familiar faces to some and also brings in newcomers. Pitt is great as the old arrogant jerkoff that does things the old school way and doesn’t take it from anyone. His teammate, however, the young up-and-coming “Joshua Pearce,” isn’t keen on Hayes’ arrival. Pearce is played by Damson Idris, who pulled this off beautifully. As this is my first exposure to Idris, I was impressed with his work and his chemistry with Pitt. The spark of competitive nature was strong between the two and took the dynamic of the film up a notch. Had that not been there, this film would have been a complete mess.
Javier Bardem (Ruben Cervantes) just shines no matter what movie he’s in. His role in “F1” is substantial, and you can’t help but focus nearly all your attention on him when he takes the lead in a scene. Kerry Condon (Kae McKenna), whom I was also unfamiliar with, also impressed me. She displayed great chemistry with Pitt and really took control of the scenes she was in. There was something about her that reminded me a lot of Rebecca Ferguson. That says something because I believe Ferguson is one of the best actresses in the game today. Overall, I was pleased with the cast and their performances together.
Director Joseph Kosinski Embraces the Race
Some of the technical aspects of making a film get overlooked time and time again. However, without the actual technical aspects of filmmaking, there isn’t a film. Mind blowing, I know. My point is that the camera work in this film by Kosinski is pretty creative. He has a way of making you feel like you’re in the car with these drivers. My favorite camera is the one he has strapped to the outside of the car. This camera was able to pan from front to back smoothly. Meaning one minute you’re looking out the front with the driver, then the camera pans and you’re looking at the driver’s face while also seeing who is coming behind him. It really made it feel like you were there with them.
But that wasn’t the only camera that got a rise out of me. There are a few seconds in this where you have a split screen of both Pitt and Idris’ cars during the race. The point of view is as if you’re in first person of the driver. So ultimately, it’s like a video game screen, and you follow along with the drivers during the race from their point of view. It was pretty wicked.
Final Review
This movie was a pretty big surprise for me. I had an interest in seeing it, basically because I’ve been a fan of Pitt since I can remember. But in no way did I think that I would like it as much as I did, especially for someone who knows little to nothing about Formula 1. But, to me, that makes it a great film.
Most of the audience won’t know much about Formula 1 or “F1.” But they’re going to be very entertained and witness one of the best thrill rides in a film in a while. This is what summer blockbusters are all about.
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