Film Review: F1 the Movie

Welcome back to the blog readers. One of the biggest surprises of 2022 was the release of Top Gun: Maverick (2022). That film put the director on the map and revitalized the theater industry, raking in over $1.5 billion at the box office, becoming only the second film to make over $1 billion since the pandemic. Would this film be another worthy addition to the director's filmography? Stick around to find out.

F1 the Movie was directed by Joseph Kosinski from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger and a story by Kruger and Kosinski. The film stars Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Shea Whigham, Sarah Niles, and Javier Bardem. In the film, a former Formula 1 driver is convinced to come out of retirement to mentor a rookie prodigy for the Apex Grand Prix (APXGP) team.

Like I mentioned in the introductory paragraph, Top Gun: Maverick was such a big surprise that Joseph Kosinski could put on his mantle as a big win. Hearing his next film would be one revolving around Formula 1 racing was definitely going to be interesting to watch, but I have to say I had a very good time watching this film. The performances of Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, the racing scenes, and the music are all highlights, but the cookie-cutter story does not allow the film to soar to the heights it could.

Brad Pitt, in case you forgot, is a four-time Academy Award nominated and a one-time Academy Award-winning actor that has appeared in some of the most high-profile films of the last thirty years. Whenever you need to "class up the joint," Pitt is the man you call for that job. And him taking on the role of former F1 prodigy Sonny Hayes is no different. Pitt takes on sort of the same character that Tom Cruise did in Top Gun: Maverick, but the character works best because Pitt plays the cocky and arrogant old-timer/has-been/never-was racer to perfection. He won't get his fifth Oscar nomination for this role, but getting to see one of the best prove it is always nice for me.

Damson Idris is obviously not as well-known as Brad Pitt is, but he is building a resume for himself. He appeared in a 2019 episode of Black Mirror (2011-) and the film Outside the Wire (2021). He has also been making the rounds on the internet as he is rumored to be the next Black Panther based on "leaked promotional art" for the upcoming film Avengers: Doomsday (2026). After seeing him as Formula 1 rookie Joshua Pearce in this film, I have one thing to say: make him Black Panther. Idris does a fantastic job of playing the equally cocky Pearce and the chemistry he shares with Pitt is unmistakable. I really hope that Idris starts getting more prominent roles like this because I have a feeling he could be getting the Glen Powell treatment after this film.

I next want to talk about the racing that is present in this film. When I heard of this film's existence, I thought it would be another cookie-cutter racing film that was going to reuse a lot of the same old tropes. But when I found out it was Joseph Kosinski, I knew this was not going to be a regular racing film. What he did with Top Gun: Maverick has been expanded on and made to feel more real and more in-your-face. Cameras were placed in the cars to make you feel like you are in the car on the racetrack, and every race or piece of training that we see is exhilarating, pulse-pounding, and thrilling from start to finish (and special props to the final race at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for putting my heart in my stomach).

I want to next talk about the music of the film. The film's score was composed by Hans Zimmer, who arguably is one of the greatest composers alive. Zimmer has done some classic film scores in his day and continues to churn out hit after hit. His score for this film feels like if Lorne Balfe and Ludwig Göransson had a baby. It is slick, it is as exhilarating as the racing, and it really knows how to pump you up. And the licensed music is awesome as well. Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love," Don Toliver's "Lose My Mind," and Ed Sheeran's "Drive" are definite highlights (and I believe Sheeran has a real shot to get his first Oscar nomination for this song).

Finally, I need to talk about the script and the story of this film because I have some questions. The screenplay by Ehren Kruger definitely has a bit of wit to it with the humorous aspect of it (also it was one of the strengths of Top Gun: Maverick). But the old trope of some old-timer coming in to mentor a young, brash, know-it-all rookie feels repetitive a lot of the time. And it has nothing to do with the sports genre, this has happened all the time in film and television. I just wish there was a bit more bite to this script because it feels like a bad copy of the aforementioned Top Gun: Maverick.

In conclusion, F1 the Movie makes good use of its sloppy and repetitive script with great performances, great racing, great heart, and great music. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.