In 2022 post-Covid lockdowns which had seen cinemas shuttered for nearly two years, Top Gun: Maverick was released and resuscitated the box office with a juggernaut of a hit. I clearly remember people who never went to the movies heading out to catch Maverick multiple times in the cinema. Now in the midst of another crisis, a cost of living one, director Joseph Konsinski returns with a blockbuster film hissing and roaring to get to the starting line. Goosebump-inducing, blockbuster cinema at full throttle, F1: The Movie is a summer popcorn flick of the best kind helmed by one of Hollywood’s last true stars in Brad Pitt. Catch it on the biggest screen you can find. 

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Dubbed “the greatest that never was,” Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was Formula 1’s most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career.  Thirty years later, he’s a nomadic racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), owner of a struggling Formula 1 team that is on the verge of collapse.  Ruben convinces Sonny to come back to Formula 1 for one last shot at saving the team and being the best in the world.  

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F1: The Movie starts slowly and then gradually picks up narrative speed, thundering towards a thrilling heart in your mouth finale. Could its two and a half run time have been trimmed back a bit? Probably. Did I notice the time at all? Not once was I looking at my watch. The story itself is a tried and true formula: a broken, battered former hot shot goes on a journey of redemption, bettering himself and others along the way. 

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But what makes F1: The Movie truly compelling is its star. This role was made for Brad, a loveable rogue who comes good. Sometimes he’s let down a little by some cheesy dialogue, but hey, it’s Brad Pitt, who really cares if there's a little bit of cheese.

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The racing sequences are phenomenal with the camera work some of the best you’ll see on screen all year. How the heck they managed to get some of those camera shots is beyond me. The cinematography along with the sound design is constructed in such a way that it makes you feel like you’re in the car and amongst the racing itself. Truly awesome stuff. 

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Goosebump-inducing, blockbuster cinema at full throttle, F1: The Movie is a summer popcorn flick of the best kind helmed by one of Hollywood’s last true stars in Brad Pitt. Catch it on the biggest screen you can find.