F1 The Movie

F1 The Movie (2025) is an ambitious visual spectacle that bets everything on the viewer’s sensory experience but doesn't always manage to sustain the impact of its images with equally strong storytelling. Directed by Joseph Kosinski—known for his technical prowess and stylized aesthetics—the film arrives with clear intentions: to merge the thrill of Formula 1 racing with the introspection of a sports drama about aging, rivalry, and redemption. However, despite its polished execution and the involvement of real F1 elements—including actual circuits, footage shot during live events, and technical support from professional teams—the script never quite reaches the same level of sophistication.

The narrative follows Sonny Hayes, played by Brad Pitt, a retired driver who returns to the track to mentor a promising young talent, portrayed by Damson Idris. It’s a familiar setup: the veteran facing his inner demons while preparing the next generation to take over. This conflict between experience and youth, though widely explored in cinema, could still be compelling if handled with more emotional depth. Unfortunately, the film chooses well-worn narrative shortcuts, relying on motivational clichés instead of digging deeper into its characters.

Pitt’s performance is one of the few elements that attempt to lift the story beyond its superficiality. There are moments when his portrayal of Sonny reveals intriguing cracks—especially in the scenes where he finds himself alone, grappling with memories or navigating high-speed danger without any technical support. One such moment occurs when team communication fails during a race. Pitt handles the sequence with the kind of restraint that suggests a man accustomed to both risk and isolation. It’s in these moments that the film hints at something more profound than what the script delivers. Damson Idris, meanwhile, fulfills his role as a counterbalance to the protagonist with conviction. His Joshua Pearce is impulsive, determined, and ambitious—a character dynamic that could have added dramatic weight if it had been more fully developed.

Kosinski, aided by cinematographer Claudio Miranda, delivers electrifying racing scenes. The use of natural light and in-car camera rigs creates a sense of speed that borders on the documentary. The editing shifts skillfully between the frenzy of overtaking maneuvers and the silence of the pit stops. Yet, this technical brilliance contrasts with the film’s reluctance to explore the darker corners of the Formula 1 world. Political intrigue, sponsorship pressure, the psychological toll of a high-risk sport—these are touched on briefly or avoided in favor of a cleaner, more digestible narrative.

Javier Bardem, playing the team principal, and Kerry Condon, as the lead engineer, are solid in their supporting roles but are given little space to evolve beyond functional archetypes. Bardem is the father figure who provides motivational support to the protagonist. Condon, though introduced as sharp and commanding, ends up delivering mostly expository dialogue that underuses her dramatic range. The lack of fully realized supporting arcs reduces the film’s emotional weight, which often feels more invested in building icons than in creating relatable human beings.

Kosinski’s ambition is evident: he wants to make a Formula 1 film that isn’t just about the cars but about the people behind them. However, by prioritizing visual spectacle and following a traditional Hollywood sports-drama structure, F1 The Movie succeeds more as entertainment than as a meaningful narrative. It’s a film that knows how to capture adrenaline, but not necessarily inner tension. When it tries to address themes like fear, legacy, or vanity, it does so tentatively, almost as if afraid of slowing down the momentum.

Still, one cannot deny the impact of the big-screen experience. The racing sequences are filmed with an immersive quality that few films in the genre have ever achieved. There’s something exhilarating about how the sound design and imagery combine to simulate what might be the closest thing to an actual Formula 1 driver’s perspective. This is where the film truly excels—when it stops pretending to be profound and simply lets itself be fast, loud, and alive.

F1 The Movie is, ultimately, a film of contrasts. Visually stunning but emotionally restrained. Ambitious in scale, yet conservative in content. A film seemingly more interested in celebrating the sport than in questioning or dissecting it. If it were a car, it would be an impeccably designed machine, packed with power and precision, but following the same route as so many others before it. Still, for those who want to feel the roar of an engine reverberate through their body in an IMAX theater, few 2025 films deliver that sensation quite like this one.



F1 The Movie (2025 / USA)
Direction: Joseph Kosinski
Screenplay: Joseph Kosinski, Ehren Kruger
Cast: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies
Running Time: 155 min.