With “F1: The Movie”, Joseph Kosinski delivers full-throttle filmmaking at breakneck speed. The film puts you right in the driver’s seat. Shooting the race scenes using mounted and point-of-view cameras immerses you completely in the thrill of the driving. While the story can feel repetitive, this summer blockbuster is worth seeing in a cinema.
“F1: The Movie” follows Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) a washed-up race-car driver who semi-retired after a horror accident as he returns to the scene to prove to himself that he can win the biggest title of them all. He’s joined by his cocky and much younger teammate Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) as they have to learn to work together to win the Formula One. It’s directed by Joseph Kosinski, who recently thrilled audience with the 2022 Summer hit, “Top Gun: Maverick”.
Pitt is well-cast as a loveable but arrogant old-school rebel who makes his own rules. It’s a charming turn for his later career that understands what Pitt is best at. He has a physical presence and charisma that’s unmatched by most movie stars of his era or the present day. The script puts it to go use with most of the story rooting against him.
His younger counterpart, Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris is equally charming and shows how Idris is a commanding force on screen. His determination and grit carry the dynamic between them well.
Even still, the story starts to feel repetitive quickly. There’s only so many things that can go wrong in a Formula One race, and they do indeed go wrong—over and over again. Crash after close-call lands people in danger making them reassess their decisions. After a while, each subsequent close call feels less impactful than the last.
Ultimately, the story is delivers enough tension to feel as though the drivers have to strategize and work hard for the win. It’s just missing the emotional drive that could lift it even further. The story is co-written by Kosisnki and Ehren Kruger, who he previously co-wrote Top Gun: Maverick with.
As the plot summary hints at, this movie repackages a lot of the elements that worked so well in “Maverick”. An arrogant young man is pushing his more experienced teammate too far, leading both of them into dangerous territory. Each character is given a tragic backstory, suffering loss in their youth, and a serious accident that reshapes how they view the extreme activity they’ve dedicated their life to.
Easy enough, but it doesn’t translate as well to F1: The Movie. It’s missing the enigmatic charm that Cruise brought to Maverick, and each character’s backstory feels shoved on top rather than truly layered into the story. Most importantly, it doesn’t achieve the same utter sincerity that “Maverick” did. Perhaps that’s ok though, because “F1” really shines on its own merits. It’s a straightforward Summer blockbuster that delivers an exhilarating time at the movies. High speed chases, a feel-good story, and charming performances deliver a highly entertaining film.
The highlight is the masterfully shot driving scenes. Undeniably, they’re it’s most thrilling, high-octane experience ever visually depicted of race car driving on screen. Kosinki once against proves that he’s simply better than anyone else in the industry at shooting really fast vehicles launch across the screen at incredible speeds.
Kosinski uses a combination of the DJI Ronin 4d, Venice and custom Sony action 6k cameras to shoot the film. Features such as the gimbal on the DJI camera allows for dynamic angles and inventive cinematography that track the speed and sharp angles of the racing scenes incredibly well.
All of the races are filmed with a combination of POV shots from the perspective of the driver’s seat, mounted shots on the front that look into the car itself, as well as a mix of aerial and dynamic ground shots that film the cars racing past the camera. It’s entirely immersive, and paired with hugely impactful sound design, and Hanz Zimmer’s magnificent score, every race scene feels like a complete treat. The movie is well-worth seeing in a cinema for the racing scenes alone.
Beyond the action scenes, the visual style of the film is sleek, modern and stylish. Interior sets include glossy white training arenas for the drivers, fully-branded with real in-world sponsors including Expensify. The press conferences, luxurious hotels, and VIP areas at impressive grandstands all add to the grand and realistic nature of the film that feels like a real trip through the high-stakes world of Formula One.
Kosinski’s use of title cards with sharp and expressive fonts also give the film real personality. Along with the deep oranges and yellows in the city skylines and cinematography, it reflects well the mix of old-school cowboy aesthetic that Sonny Hayes is against the clean-cut and sleek Formula One he clashes with.
Notably, the film does a great job of giving real F1 fans a story that tests the limits of the sport. Kosinski and co-writer Ehren Kruger clearly spent time studying the rules of Formula One. It shows in how their script focuses on how Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is able to exploit loopholes in safety regulations, lap timing, and technicalities in pit stops to win races. When you’re making the first film to officially use the F1 title, it comes with the responsibility to surprise fans that know the sport well. On that front, the script delivers enough surprises to keep even well-versed F1 fans interested in how a race can be won.
The film’s knowledge of Formula One is thanks in part to its co-producer, Lewis Hamilton. As the joint-holder of the world record for winning seven Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles, the most by anyone, Hamilton is an expert on the sport. He played a close role in production of the film, consulting with director Kosinski throughout the process, including visiting the set and playing himself in the movie.
Along with Hamilton, the film featured numerous cameos from real-life Formula One drivers. Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Fernando Alonso, George Russell, and Sergio Pérez are just a few of the drivers that appear in the film. While most of them are limited to appearing int he background of race scenes or pit stops, it helps make the world feel tangible and genuinely like a real Formula One race. The on-location filming, real stunt work for the driving, and incredibly generous budget are all on the screen to make this the real deal.
F1: The Movie straps audience directly into the driver’s seat, with high-speed chases worthy of a big screen and a booming sound system. Paired with a feel-good story where grit and determination win, and this movie delivers a hugely fun time.
F1: The Movie releases in Australian cinemas on June 26th.
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