F1: The Movie - Review

Combat.

Review written by Jack Aling

F1: The Movie is directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Ehren Kruger.

Starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem & Kerry Condon.

Racing legend Sonny Hayes is coaxed out of retirement to lead a struggling Formula 1 team—and mentor a young hotshot driver—while chasing one more chance at glory.

I walked into this knowing close to nothing about Formula 1. But a big-budget follow-up to Top Gun: Maverick from Joseph Kosinski was all I needed to be seated.

Fortunately, my lack of knowledge did not impact my enjoyment of F1. A fast-paced shot of adrenaline that delivers fan service for those in the know, as well as explaining the basics to novices, although often to overbearing levels.

Shooting at real F1 races and strapping cameras directly to the cars was incredibly immersive and embeds this fictional underdog story into the reality of an F1 season. Kosinski takes all of his learnings from shooting intense practical action in Maverick, swapping F-18s out for F1 cars.

Like many sports underdog films, the story follows every predictable beat you'd expect as if you're playing bingo. Although this does remove much of the tension, it performs at such a high level that you can't help but enjoy and be in awe.

The IMAX experience delivers super sharp imagery and gave me multiple 'high volume warnings' on my watch - what more could you ask for?

I can only imagine the whiplash of watching this in 4DX.

F1 is everything you want in a summer blockbuster - loud, exhilarating and opens with Led Zeppelin.

Though I probably still won't watch an actual F1 race, sorry Brad...

Our verdict: 4 out of 5 stars.

F1 arrives in UK Cinemas June 25th 2025

Read more of Jack's reviews at: letterboxd.com/TheJackAling