Director: Joseph Kosinski
Cast: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Tobias Menzies
Screenplay: Ehren Kruger
156 mins. Rated PG-13 for strong language, and action.

Coming off the exhilarating Top Gun: Maverick, Joseph Kosinski has taken his thrilling film-making skills to the winding road with F1: The Movie, pitting him with another legendary leading man and a series of breathtaking set pieces that showcase the power of the movies. Seriously, this is why we sit in a big dark room with strangers, and F1 is further proof of what can be achieved with a camera, a crew, and a drive to create awe-inspiring experiences.

Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt, Fight Club) is a bona fide racing legend who has taken part in and won a number of different racing forms across his career. When he’s courted to return to Formula 1 by his old racing buddy Ruben (Javier Bardem, Dune) in order to win a race and secure Ruben’s team doesn’t get taken away, he reluctantly takes on the challenge, knowing that past demons and battle scars will surface once again. Between clashes with the young hotshot driver on the team and a possible romance with the team’s technical director, it’s clear that Sonny’s involvement is going to create plenty of chaos, which may just be what they all need.

Kosinski has made a career out of breathtaking spectacle and visual storytelling, going all the way back to 2010’s Tron: Legacy. With notable similarities to Top Gun: Maverick, Kosinski uses the skills he mined for that very ambitious Tom Cruise sequel here, on the ground, with F1. Strapping cameras onto these vehicular bullets creates some dynamic and thrilling action that feels so real because we’re seeing the actors in the cars and clever editing tricks put them in the danger the entire time. I’m sure in a few months we’ll see a bevy of behind-the-scenes features about the making of F1, and I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest to discover that Pitt and Damson Idris (Outside the Wire), who played the young hotshot Joshua Pearce, were both frequently behind the wheel.

I’m loving this phase of Brad Pitt’s career. Now that he’s won the Oscar (for arguably his best performance), he seems to be taking on roles that showcase his thrilling leading man status, from Bullet Train to F1, and his magnetic on-screen presence is palpable throughout the film. His is a flawed character who has just as much to learn as Pearce, but his drive to solve problems and try new tactics to achieve the desired win is both exciting and inspiring. I love how Kosinski visually captures how much Hayes lives within his failures, with an obsessive need to overcome them, which is what makes returning to his biggest failure is so dangerous and difficult.

I also loved Hans Zimmer’s score (which shouldn’t be surprising at this point). The musician, known for the wide range of music he incorporates, pulls this score out of time, with an 80s rah-rah flavor that focuses on the thrilling music and the power of what’s on-screen. It’s incredible to listen to the music and how perfectly it fits into the film, as both feel pulled out of time. The film and music could’ve been made 40 years ago (minus the significant advances in film-making technology) and it would’ve felt right at home. It’s awe-inspiring work from Zimmer, and a score that’ll definitely make its way into my workout mix.

Between Joseph Kosinski’s direction and Brad Pitt’s performance, it can be easy to overlook the film’s main issue, which lies in its screenplay. Make no mistake, this film is steering into the cliches and tropes of the genre rather than trying to subvert or divert some of the more obvious pieces. Some of the dialogue is cheesy and some of the plot beats are incredibly by-the-numbers, and there’s a third act reveal that is so easy to see coming that it doesn’t have the intended impact. Thankfully, the way this crew is telling the story, I found myself less focused on the story and more focused on how it’s being told.

F1 is why we go to the movies, sitting in a dark theater and letting an experience unfold in front of us and a bunch of strangers. While it hits a lot of familiar beats (is it just a more realistic take on Speed Racer? Perhaps), and I’m sure many around me will find comparisons to Days of Thunder given director Kosinski’s previous collaborations with Tom Cruise, but what it lacks in form is more than made up for in style, with a polished and exhilarating visual presence and an enjoyable leading performance from Pitt. I can’t personally speak to the authenticity with Formula 1 racing, but the numerous cameos and appearances from those involved with the sport would lead me to believe that it’s trying to be as accurate as possible. Beyond all that, I’ll probably base all my future fashion decisions on Javier Bardem in this film, so if nothing else, that’s a win. F1 is the kind of film you should seek out that actually warrants finding the biggest screen you can.

4/5
-Kyle A. Goethe