F1: The Movie is a Sleek, Fast-Paced Film Audiences Should Be Racing in to See
Image Courtesy of Apple Original Films
By Luis Zonenberg
The summer blockbuster season races on as we’re halfway through the season now. While the live-action How to Train Your Dragon was surprisingly enjoyable to watch, I was eager to see something much more intense and captivating to watch on the big screen. Luckily, the director of Top Gun: Maverick, Joseph Kosinski, knew just the film to drive into the theaters and get my heart racing.
The movie focuses on Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a former Formula One driver for Lotus who now lives as a nomadic racer-for-hire. After winning the 24 hours of Daytona, he is approached by his former Lotus teammate, Rubén Cervantes (Javier Bardem), to fill the spare seat on his Formula One racing team. Sonny reluctantly agrees, finding himself at odds with his cocky teammate Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) as he tries to help their team land on the podium by the end of the Grand Prix.
The story is superbly written, packed with so many charismatic characters that really keep you engaged throughout. Each one is very charming and likeable, with Sonny and Joshua’s complex rivalry elevating the suspense throughout. With each passing race, you really feel the tension as the stakes are raised. The film was also incredibly well-paced, making for an enjoyable thrill ride despite its two-and-a-half hour runtime.
The acting was very engaging to watch throughout, with Brad Pitt making for a very rugged but charming lead. Pitt still commands the screen with a great presence, working well off his co-stars. Damson Idris was a real standout as Joshua Pearce, with his performance elevating the complexity and drama of his character. Javier Bardem and Kerry Condon were also great in their supporting roles, helping to anchor the tension and more emotional components of the movie.
The cinematography was stellar to watch, making for an incredibly immersive experience that makes you feel right in the driver’s seat. From the aerial view of the racetrack to looking out of the driver’s window, it takes real filmmaking craftsmanship to really immerse an audience into the racing world of Formula One. This was a film expertly designed to watch on the biggest screen possible, with the racing scenes especially making my heart race as I watched it in my IMAX theater.
The editing really helped elevate the action-packed races, closing in on the characters in the driver’s seat when the tension kept mounting. It really complimented the photography, perfectly blending stock footage with the scenes in the film. The sound was also a really important factor, creating a heavy mix that really made you feel in the cockpit in the car or in the stands with all the audience in attendance.
The VFX were also really good as well, perfectly blending in with the characters and the environment around them. In an interview with Cinefix, Joseph Kosinski commented, “even in this film, you say it’s all in camera but the truth is there’s a lot of hidden visual effects in this movie.” The best VFX in a movie is invisible VFX and that is really proven to be true here, as everything blended in seamlessly and made me feel fully immersed in the world the movie had created.
While the movie may not reinvent the wheel, it makes a strong case for why audiences want to watch a movie in theaters. From the sound to the performances to the grand action-packed races, this is a real summer blockbuster made to leave audiences cheering in the aisles. With Brad Pitt’s magnetic charm leading audiences across the finish line, F1: The Movie sports a souped-up engine to deliver all the thrills audiences could want.
F1: The Movie is now playing in theaters.
Rating: ★★★★★
