On June 26, the sports drama «F1: The Movie» was released in cinemas — another lavish blockbuster, this time with a budget of $250 million plus or minus (probably the most expensive Formula 1 commercial) from director Joseph Kosinski, and starring a big star Brad Pitt. In this review, we state without a shadow of a doubt that the high-profile novelty has every chance to please not only fans of adrenaline-pumping racing passions, but also viewers who are far from them.
Genre sports drama, racing action
Director Joseph Kosinski
Starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Javier Bardem, Kim Bodnia, Sarah Niles, Shay Wigem
Premiere movie theaters
Year of release 2025
Website IMDb, official website
Back in the 1990s, Sonny Hayes was a very promising and promising Formula One driver, but a terrible accident put an end to the ambitious young man’s successful career. Thirty years later, he is living in obscurity, earning odd jobs and living in an old van, but he seems to have no desire for a different fate.
One day, Sonny is approached by his longtime colleague and friend Ruben Cervantes, who now owns the APXGP Formula 1 team, with an offer to join. However, things are not going well for them, but who knows, maybe Hayes will help them somehow save their failed season. After turning his nose up at the offer, he agrees to come to the rescue. On the spot, the veteran meets his new partner, a brash young talent named Joshua Pierce. Despite the fact that two generations of racers have a hard time getting along, Sonny accepts this profeccional challenge.
One glance at director Joseph Kosinski’s filmography, and it’s easy to conclude that the filmmaker specializes in colorful blockbusters, one louder than the other. Having started his career with the extremely stylish «Tron: Legacy» (2010), Kosinski has been known for his fruitful collaboration with Tom Cruise. First, in «Oblivion» (2013), which was loved by many viewers but clearly did not do well at the box office, and later in — in «Top Gan: Maverick» (2022), which became the most profitable film in Cruise’s career. Only «Only the Brave» (2017) with its rather modest budget of $38 million and the much more intimate sci-fi thriller «Spiderhead» (2022).
It was «Top Gun: Maverick», that benchmark old-school blockbuster whose filmmakers preferred the fresh ocean air to stuffy studios, was the crowning glory of the director’s career, at least to date. B «F1» Kosinski tries to to walk the same path.
If the star is at the center of the story, then he or she should be no less than Cruise or Brad Pitt. If you’re filming high-speed vehicles, it should be in conditions as close to real life as possible, with cameras installed in the cockpit of the plane or car, and therefore — with genuine emotions from both the pilot and the viewer. In our time, this is worth a lot — in July, superhero blockbusters that are too detached from reality will be flooding in, and they are unlikely to offer such a thing. If we are talking about drama, it is as safe and cautious as possible, and therefore predictable and formulaic.
Fingers crossed: initial misunderstandings between the stubborn experienced mammoth and the brash newcomer — yes (reinforced by the generational conflict with the appropriate musical setting — Led Zeppelin and Queen on the one hand and trendy hip-hop — on the other). The standard romantic line of the protagonist is present. The insidious enemy, who will get his nose rubbed in the end anyway, is there. The evolution of the characters of the until recently irreconcilable partners and, in the end, the obligatory victory splashes of champagne and fireworks — where without them.
However, this doesn’t make the movie any worse — it’s too much of a magical movie ride to pay attention to such trivialities as typical genre tropes. They openly serve a frankly glue for the stages of this magnificent show and fade into the background of those emotions when Brad Pitt gets behind the wheel of a car. The roar of the engines announces that something damn exciting is about to happen. And it seems like a little more time, and you will feel the smell of burnt rubber seeping through the screen.
Another thing is that Tom Cruise’s aerial miracles at high speed were still even more exciting, impressive and adrenaline-pumping than high-speed races on the ground, but this, again, does not make «F1» any less spectacular. Even for a person who is far from the numerous subtleties and nuances of Formula 1 (and this is the author of this text, I confess that I prefer the good old football), it will be interesting to watch the passions on the local tracks.
The filmmakers have saved enough surprises for those who are in the know: racing stars, including the legendary seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who also acted as one of the producers and is said to have provided professional advice to the filmmakers, are seen here and there. You can read his interview dedicated to the premiere hear. Ukrainian Formula 1 fans will easily recognize the voice of sports commentator Max Podzigun.
«F1» — a classic, reference blockbuster, made on all the molds of big entertainment cinema.
But this is its advantage: you know exactly what to expect from a noisy attraction of this kind. And he lives up to these expectations in fullIn a way, the movie is like its protagonist: he is a dinosaur, but at the same time he hasn’t lost his charm at all. Whatever one may say, old people belong here, not in the presence of Javier Bardem.
