F1: The Movie Review
- Matt Hill
- Jun 25, 2025
- 2 min read
Runtime: 2h 35m Genre: Sports/Drama/Action Release Date: 25th June 2025
Plot: Aged maverick racer Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is recruited by his old teammate, Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem). Now the boss of a struggling Formula One team, he hopes Sonny can help save the team from closure.
Thoughts
We've been treated to some noteworthy racing films released in the past 12 years, with the likes of Rush, Le Mans '66 and even Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story, each delivering phenomenal racing action. Whilst Le Mans '66 and Rush are exceptional movies in their own right, there's hope that Pitt's latest can also join those titles as another excellent sports racing drama.
Fresh off his high-flying plane action in the much-loved Top Gun Maverick, Kosinski has swapped soaring skies for the smooth asphalt of F1 in hopes he can bring the high-octane thrills of the motorsport to the cinema.
F1: The Movie wastes no time, plunging you into the racing action with Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) putting the pedal to the metal in late-night Daytona action. Soon after, he's recruited by the boss of APXGP, an old friend, Ruben (Javier Bardem), to help the team achieve their first win and avoid being sold at the end of the season. He'll come to blows with fellow rookie APXGP driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) as the two learn to co-exist in pursuit of the team's success.
It's a simple enough premise, but it's executed wonderfully. Sonny's reckless charm is perfectly played by Pitt, and the rest of the cast shares great chemistry with technician Kate (Kerry Condon) and fellow driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), who puts in an excellent performance as an endearing yet egotistical rookie.
It's not only the strong narrative and quality cast that make the F1 a great time, but the exhilarating racing action that elevates the movie from a great time to a dazzling one. Kosinski is no stranger to stylish action, and that's no different here, with camerawork putting you as close to the cockpit as possible without the smell of burning rubber. Every race sequence is played out beautifully, and it's hard not to feel the thrill of the action as the cars whizz by and the lap counter ticks down.
It's all backed by a great soundtrack and the ever-excellent Hans Zimmer delivering another striking film score. It all comes together to make one hell of a racing movie, so much so that the 2.5-hour runtime will fly by just as quickly as its high-speed race cars.
In a Nutshell
Unhindered by bemusing technical jargon or dull moments, F1: The Movie continually excites and delights with an on-form Pitt. Pulse-pounding racing sequences and a nice combination of heart, comedy, and adrenaline make this one of 2025's best movies yet.
4.5/5
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