by Tim Gordon
A veteran race driver finds redemption and renewed purpose when he’s recruited by an old friend to help mentor a cocky rookie in the pulse-pounding, high-speed drama, F1.
Directed by Top Gun: Maverick helmer Joseph Kosinski and written by Ehren Kruger, this collaboration with Formula One’s governing body FIA, aims to bring the thrill of the racetrack to the big screen—and mostly succeeds.
Brad Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, a once-promising F1 driver whose career was derailed decades earlier by a devastating crash. Now older, bruised, and emotionally stalled, Sonny lives on the fringes—sleeping in his van and picking up races for the thrill, not the glory. That all changes when Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), a former teammate turned team owner, offers Sonny a final shot at greatness: join his struggling team, APXGP, to mentor their new rising star.
Enter Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), a stylish British phenom with raw talent but lacking the discipline and maturity to match. The initial clash between the seasoned vet and the arrogant upstart is predictable but compelling, as both men slowly chip away at each other’s defenses. What starts as tension evolves into mutual respect—and eventually, a partnership built on shared ambition and pain.
Yes, the plot echoes Top Gun: Maverick (Kosinski’s fingerprints are all over it), swapping jets for race cars and Cruise for Pitt. But that familiarity doesn’t dull the film’s emotional torque. Pitt delivers one of his most grounded, charismatic performances in years. Channeling the spirit of Paul Newman and Robert Redford, he gives Sonny the quiet dignity of a man trying to outrun his past and redefine his future.
Idris, fresh off Snowfall, proves a worthy on-screen match. He exudes confidence, charm, and layered vulnerability—enough to have Marvel fans buzzing about his potential to take on the mantle of Black Panther. His chemistry with Pitt crackles, especially in moments where mentorship gives way to hard truths.
Supporting turns by Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, and Sarah Niles (who has one unforgettable moment with Pitt’s Sonny that will leave audiences grinning) round out a solid cast. The film’s technical craft is equally impressive. The race sequences—many shot practically during real F1 events—are visceral and intense, plunging viewers directly into the cockpit with deafening authenticity.
Ultimately, while Sinners may be the gold standard of cinema this year, F1 holds its own as a thrilling and emotionally satisfying ride. Fueled by movie star charisma and genuine heart, F1 will satisfy your need for speed.
Grade: B+
by Charles Kirkland, Jr.
A nearly washed-up, nomadic race car driver is allowed to return to racing on the most prestigious circuit in the world, F1.
After a thirty-year absence, Sonny Hayes gets an invitation to drive again for an F1 team by his friend and former teammate, Ruben Cervantes, the owner of the APXGP racing team. Ruben is currently down a driver, and the only driver on the team is a brash and young rookie named Joshua Pearce, who seems more concerned with social media likes than winning a race. Ruben believes that Sonny would serve as a great mentor for the arrogant and inexperienced Pearce and save his racing team, which has not scored a point and is floundering in debt. With a board of directors looking to remove him at the end of another dismal season, Ruben is desperate to try anything, even a fifty-plus driver-for-hire, as he searches for a miracle.
The screenplay for F1 (aka The Movie) was written by Ehren Kruger based on a story by Kruger and Joseph Kosinski. The movie stars Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon, and Tobias Menzies. The film is directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Kruger, Kosinski, and Bruckheimer also worked together on last year’s box office smash, Top Gun: Maverick. Being set in the very real world of F1 racing, there are several cameo appearances in the film of racers, managers, and owners. Champion driver Lewis Hamilton also appears in the film but he also serves as a de facto technical advisor and receives a producer credit for his work.
While Bardem plays a significant role, Brad Pitt is the star of the movie. It is amazing to watch how gracefully Pitt has grown over the ages. While his closeups and lighting are reminiscent of the later years of Redford, Brad’s performance feels more like Paul Newman in The Color of Money. Pitt is the old master trying to impart wisdom upon the talented upstart while at the same time finding the love for the game he once left behind. Instead of Tom Cruise, this film has Damson Idris.
With his work in this movie, Damson Idris may have catapulted himself into serious consideration for being the next Black Panther. The former Snowfall actor carries the weight of being an untested and unproven rookie with ease. He is whip smart and gives no quarter to his “rival” even when they are on the same team. Idris holds his own in a cast of outstanding (and experienced) actors like Bardem and Pitt. This could be his breakthrough performance in film.
The only problem with the film is that it is about F1. In the United States, NASCAR still rules, and F1 is the young kid on the block. The culture and awareness about F1 is quickly changing as the international race starts to host celebrities (even Chris Hemsworth has a quick cameo), but the success of this movie may suffer unnecessarily due to rampaging nationalism and fear of the unknown. Apple has struggled to find a box-office success. This film deserves to be seen and seen en masse. It’s got smash written all over it.
Rated PG-13 for strong language and action, F1 is a thrilling ride full of emotion and joy. Like Top Gun: Maverick, Ehren, Kosinski, and Bruckheimer have another high-octane, edge-of-your-seat action experience that is fully realized when seen in the IMAX format in which it was filmed. Despite being more than a little predictable, it is the greatest family film of the summer so far.
Grade: B+