Fresh off the overwhelming success of the 2022 legacy sequel Top Gun Maverick, director Joseph Kosinski is back with another high octane action film set in the world of sports. Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was a hot shot, promising Formula 1 driver in the 1990# until an accident on the track killed his F1 future and nearly stopped his from driving altogether. Now 30 years later, F1 The Movie introduces us to an older, brainstorming Sonny as he’s approached by old friend and current owner of the struggling Formula 1 team APXGP Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem) to return to F1 racing to help his team record one win and remain under his ownership while giving his young rising drive Joseph Pearce (Damson Idris) room to grow. As the team tries to gel after a rocky start, Sonny and company soon learn that their obstacles to success aren’t just on the track, but also in APXGP’s board room.
From the onset, F1 establishes exactly what type of movie it’s going to be; fast, high octane, and tense in a way that mirrors the sport at the center of the story. The movie opens with Sonny racing at Daytona, treating the audience to a preview of things to come and feeling them in immediately with a display of the well choreographed and shot action sequences that make up a large chunk of the movie. And while car racing is known for the danger and quick pace, many may not think of car races as being a form of action, but Kosinski is able to utilize the camera and editing to make high-speed vehicles just as explosive as any fight. The camera’s perspective switches regularly between the first person, taking the audience right into the driver’s seat as the cars whip around the track at intense speed, to the third person which allows for full view of the cars managing the winding tracks and treacherous terrain. This is aided by the distinctive sounds of the speeding cars that impart just how fast they’re whizzing around and how close to danger the drivers are with one misstep behind the wheel. The quick movements, perspective shifts, and reactions of the drivers make for a viewing experience that builds tension as the danger is made real and as up close and personal as possible without 3D technology.
F1 isn’t just about the thrills and competitions however, it does spend time fleshing out its characters in ways that largely land. Sonny and Joshua’s life circumstances each revolve around potential, with Sonny representing wasted potential and Joshua representing unrealized potential. Sonny has returned to F1 racing in order to rectify his past mistakes while pushing Joshua in ways that will help to allow him to overcome his self-assuredness, arrogance, and obsession with image that will hinder his growth in the same way those things did for a young Sonny. The trajectories of both characters show the struggle of realizing one’s potential in full, from both sides in which stunted growth may manifest. The development of Sonny and Joshua’s relationship is the lifeblood of the movie when the cars aren’t racing and are the source of the emotional investment. Pitt and Idris’s old veteran, young upstart dynamic works well as the two have a believable up-and-down relationship that you’d expect to see from their characters’ archetypes.
Sonny also has a running romantic subplot with the team’s Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon) as the two play the “Will they, won’t they?” back and forth until the sexual tension between the two from the onset finally breaks. The two have a believable chemistry that allows the audience to root for them, which is all that is needed. It hearkens back to typical romantic subplot you’d find in an 80s or 90s action flick with about the same level of impact. It’s cliche, but not distractingly bad or cheesy.
In the vein, perhaps the best quick summary of F1 is that it hearkens back to old school popcorn movies in the same way director Joseph Kosinski’s last hit effort did. The action is intense, well crafted, and builds up tension that is sure to keep audiences entertained and on the edge of their seats. When they aren’t being titillated, a quality story of two guys trying to become the best that they can be through sport and perseverance ties the racing together while romance lingers for the main character so that all in the attendance have something they can latch onto for their enjoyment. It’s an old formula that many will argue was allowed to age because it works. It certainly works here as F1 is a greatly entertaining watch that is sure to draws cheers and satisfaction for those in attendance.
Image: Apple Original Films
