Joseph Kosinski’s F1 movie is lined up on the grid and the lights are illuminated. But before they go out on the 25th of this month, critics have been able to make their own judgements of the film before it reaches the general public. Earning an impressive 88% “certified fresh” rating on leading review site Rotten Tomatoes, the Brad Pitt-led blockbuster seems to have won over its audience.
The F1 movie follows the story of Sonny Hayes (Pitt), a character described to the audience as “the greatest that never was” after a crash brought his Formula 1 career to an end. After 30 years out of the sport, his former team-mate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) reaches out to him, pleading for his mentorship in his team, APXGP.
Alongside the talented rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the outfit tries to claw its way out of the depths of the constructors’ standings.
Premiering at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on the 16th of the month, the movie will be rolled out globally on the 25th, with the United States seeing its release on 27 June. With production by Apple Original Films and Jerry Bruckheimer, as well as input from seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, the movie promises to be one of the most pioneering racing movies ever created.
The consensus
The movie has received high praise from critics. And while there seems to be a reliance on old tropes and a good bit of cheese from a formulaic narrative, it’s been highly commended for its incredible racing sequences and next-level action.
Wenlei Ma of The Nightly noted that “F1 is super entertaining and mostly a bloody good time, it just comes with a lot of buts, caveats and howevers.” Expanding, she wrote: “For a non-racing fan, the amount of time spent on track might be too much, and they’ll have to work out the intricacies of things like tire strategy, pit lane dramas and the drag reduction system from context clues. Terminology like ‘the straight’ and ‘box, box, box’ gets thrown around without explanation.”
Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post wrote: “The races look real, breathtakingly so, and are edited like a bat out of hell. Most importantly, the viewer fully believes Pitt and Idris are actually driving these cars.” This stems from the fact that both actors were involved in real Grand Prix race weekends, with them driving modified Formula 2 cars on track after intense training.
Comparisons to Top Gun: Maverick have been drawn with good reason, with the two movies drawing from the same director, screenwriter, cinematographer, and producer. Even Hans Zimmer has returned after his compositions powered the soundtrack of the fighter pilots.
F1 Movie scene
Photo by: Apple
“It seems Brad Pitt wanted his own Top Gun: Maverick and he got one, using much of the same behind the camera talent,” Grace Randolph of Beyond the Trailer wrote, via Rotten Tomatoes. “A cinematic work of art with everyone is at the top of their game – especially director Kosinski and Hans Zimmer”
As you’d expect, the full potential of the movie’s cinematography and sound design can be found in IMAX cinemas. “F1 is the sort of movie that should be seen on the biggest screen possible, with armfuls of junk food, in a packed theatre,” Brian Eggert of Deep Focus Review said.
Despite the overwhelming positivity, there are common criticisms to be found.
“All of the racing sequences are well executed and build a level of immersion that any other film wishes it could achieve. The problem comes when the movie is asking you to care about what happens in between each race,” Edgar Ortega of Loud and Clear Reviews admits.
Carla Hay of Culture Mix had a similar opinion: “The template of 1986’s Top Gun: Two cocky rival teammates in high-stakes competitions; sexual seduction of a female leader; and thrilling action based on daredevil speeding. Predictable but crowd-pleasing.”
In less than a week from writing this, the public will have the chance to watch and review the highly anticipated movie. If the public is as positive as the critics, this commanding production may be the one to watch this summer.
