Joseph Kosinski | 2hr 35min
Casual audiences would be forgiven for finding F1’s team-up between a cocky youngster and an ageing expert extraordinarily familiar. Given the plot similarities to Top Gun: Maverick, it’s certainly no coincidence either. In bringing motorsports to the cinema screen, Joseph Kosinski has chosen to brazenly run with the formula which granted his last soaring blockbuster both critical and financial success, charging this adrenaline-pumping sports drama with the same high-stakes camaraderie.
In simple terms of course, the setup looks very different. Instead of jets, F1 has race cars. Instead of striking an enemy base, the Grand Prix stands at the pinnacle of our characters’ ambitions. In the absence of Tom Cruise, Kosinski centres Brad Pitt, essentially swapping out one old-school movie star for another. With its fundamental elements laid bare, the shine has at least partially rubbed off Kosinski’s grand endeavour to recapture Top Gun: Maverick’s magic – but if anyone is going to run through old archetypes with flair, then he is certainly among the most adept modern directors at stylishly redressing them.
The struggling APXGP F1 team is at risk of sale here, potentially threatening the career of promising rookie Joshua Pearce, who suddenly feels greater pressure than ever to prove his value. The arrival of former Formula One prodigy Sonny Hayes should hopefully secure the team at least one Grand Prix win by the end of the season, though naturally the enormous egos of passionate and talented men stand in the way. Where Sonny sees a chance at redemption for the brutal collision which ended his career some years ago, Joshua strongly believes he must outshine his teammate to climb the ladder of success, and in turn publicly channels that aggression towards Sonny.
Pure self-interest is not an effective strategy in a team sport, and it doesn’t take a huge stretch of the imagination to predict how this rivalry is resolved through compromise and cooperation. The repetitive structure which constantly moves from one race to the next wears a bit thin as well, but F1 is simply not a film of clever genre subversions. Kosinski’s set pieces are extraordinarily polished, smoothly mixing the sharp sound design of cheering crowds, roaring engines, and live commentary with propulsive editing that builds tension through both driving and pit stops alike. On occasion he will even throw to a rhythmic montage, split screen, or slow-motion shot, though no cinematic technique is so consistent as to develop into a formal motif.
Like Top Gun: Maverick, F1 is primarily a bold, sensory experience built on the work of its craftsmen, with Apple especially playing a notable role in pioneering camera technology that uniquely situates us in the cockpits themselves. On a more emotional level, Hans Zimmer’s score offers dynamic layers with his typical blend of electronic and orchestral instruments, while Kosinski’s actors viscerally throw themselves into the heart-pumping action. The pairing of Pitt with rising star Damson Idris reflects the generational struggle of the sport itself, constantly balancing its historical traditions against technological innovations, and underscoring how their synergy elevates veterans and rookies alike to new heights. Humility is certainly a virtue, but it is also a strategy cultivated through injury, resilience, and discipline, setting both on a mutual path to victory.
The ”racing ballet” metaphor given to Sonny and Joshua’s teamwork may be elaborate, but it isn’t too far off nailing the elegance that F1 attaches to motorsports. Fluidity and momentum are one in Kosinski’s action, choreographed with absolute precision, and imbued with a visceral energy that builds to rumbling crescendos. Like a duet performed at breakneck speed, F1 finds its soul in the synchrony between rivals, and is is there where friction finally gives way to steady, hard-won trust.
F1 is currently playing in theatres.
