Directed by Joseph Kosinski, F1 is a fictional sports drama film themed around the Formula One World Championship. The film stars Brad Pitt and Damson Idris as the main protagonists, as they strap in and get ready to race into cinemas worldwide.

Sonny Hayes was a Formula One driver who raced in the 90s before a near-fatal crash almost took his life, forcing him to leave F1 and compete in different racing events, while also working as a taxi driver. Soon, an old friend and owner of an unsuccessful Formula One team, Ruben, reaches out to Hayes and encourages him to come out of retirement and join APXGP, the Apex Grand Prix team and mentor rookie prodigy Joshua “Noah” Pearce. At first, he is reluctant, thinking back to what happened the last time he raced in Formula One, but he sees this as a chance to redeem himself, give back and help the next generation.

Brad Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, a talented, competitive racer from the US whose best days seemed to be behind him. Since his last F1 race, he’s found some success in other racing events, while also working as a taxi driver and making extra money on the side as a professional gambler. His experience clearly shows which also attributes to his ego and brash attitude that rubs people the wrong way. Underneath his arrogant personality, however, is a man who does care for the people around him, and they eventually see there’s a point to his questionable methods. His biggest clash is with Joshua, the young prodigy and fellow racer of APXGP.

Damson Idris plays Joshua “Noah” Pearce, an up-and-coming F1 racer from the UK with a promising future, but he needs some guidance to find that success. When Sonny is brought in to also race for APXGP, he immediately feels threatened about his position in the team. This leads to them clashing with each other at various times throughout the film. Joshua shows plenty of character development, showing that even though he has a promising future despite APXGP’s lack of success, he still has a lot of growing up to do.

The main story centres around Sonny and Joshua, showing how they become rivals from the moment they meet, but also shows how they learn from each other as the film progresses. Brad Pitt is, of course, the biggest star amongst the cast, but Damson Idris does an incredible job of not being outshone by his bigger co-star. The two protagonists have excellent on-screen chemistry, trying to one-up each other on and off the racetrack, arguing, and somewhat bond and even their mannerisms around each other show a lot about how they feel about one another.

Kerry Condon portrays Kate McKenna, the technical director of APXGP. She does really well to show Kate’s expertise in motorsports, doing her best to try to improve the quality of their vehicles for better performance. Sonny clearly shows interest in Kate, but she isn’t interested, or at least tries to pretend she isn’t. Their possible romance in the film isn’t bad, but it didn’t feel necessary and comes across as cliche. On the flip side, however, it does add a more personal touch to their working together in APXGP.

Spanish star, Javier Bardem, stars as Ruben Cervantes, a former F1 driver, Sonny’s friend and former teammate, the current owner of the APXGP team. At first, he seems like a typical rich businessman, but quickly shows that everything he does is, he tries to do in everyone’s best interest. He deeply cares for everyone and is the glue that keeps the whole team together.

Other stars include Sarah Niles as Bernadette, Joshua’s mother, Samson Kayo as Cashman, a relative of Joshua, Tobias Menzies as Peter Banning, a member of the APXGP board of directors with possible ulterior motives, Kim Bodnia as Kaspar Molinski, the team principal of APXGP, Abdul Salis as Dodge Dowda, APXGP’s chief mechanic and Callie Cooke as Jodie, a tyre gunner for APXGP just to name a few. Also appearing in the movie are various real-life F1 drivers, including two-time World Drivers’ Champion, Max Verstappen, Sergio Pérez, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jr. and many more.

The main reason to watch the F1 film is, of course, for the action-packed races, and they are pedal to the metal. The racing scenes provide a lot of insight into how fast and dangerous these events can be. Audiences will see what it’s like behind the wheel of the F1 cars and get close-up action shots of how crashes are caused. They will experience the intensity and adrenaline rush of the fast and furious action of the famous F1 events. The close-up shots of the stars’ faces tell a lot about how their characters are feeling, even with their helmets on and just showing their eyes.

The racing scenes shift between close-up views and views from afar, as well as seeing the races through the in-movie broadcasts, which help make them feel like actual F1 events on TV. Adding to the in-movie broadcasts are real-life Sky Sports F1 commentators Martin Brundle and David Croft, who both treat it as if it were a proper F1 event. Aside from the racing action, the film also does a great job of showing the hardworking pit crew and the pressure they’re under to fix the cars and get them back on the road in a matter of seconds.

The film also provides a lot of insight into the world of Formula One driving, from not only the races but also behind the scenes. Audiences will see the F1 cars being worked on, upgraded and redesigned, a simulation game for the drivers to practice in a safe environment and meetings to discuss game plans for upcoming races, though this is usually where Sonny and Joshua clash with each other. It’s interesting to see all the state-of-the-art technology APXGP has.

The movie also does a great job of showing how big of a deal Formula One and some of the countries they have events in. The soundtrack was mainly composed by Hans Zimmer and features an original song, “Lose My Mind” by Don Toliver and Doja Cat that also has its own music video, as well as tracks by Ed Sheeran, Tate McRae, Rosé, Dom Dolla and Nathan Nicholson, just to name a few. All the songs featured help add more excitement and emotion to their respective scenes.

The races are exciting to watch from every perspective,e and the characters are enjoyable to watch. The story is well written, showing the contrast and conflict between a seasoned racer who might be past his prime and a young up-and-coming prodigy who could be the next big star. The dialogue helps move the story and add more excitement to the races, but there are a few times they drag on a little too much, especially for a 2-hour 36-minute movie.

Long movies ranging from 2.5 to 3 hours long seem to be more common than ever in recent years, and if you’re a regular moviegoer, you could be feeling some cinema fatigue. Long movies can absolutely be done well, but F1 may not be the best example. It needs to find that balance of telling the right amount of story without feeling rushed. At least 30 minutes total of dialogue and even the Sonny and Kate romance could’ve been taken out and got the film back to the racetrack quicker.

Overall, it is still a well-thought-out story with plenty of character development for both a seasoned racer and a racer with some room to grow. The ending, however, is an odd choice. It’s not a terrible ending, but it could have you thinking why the filmmakers went in that direction. At the same time though, it is something you might not expect and could surprise you.

F1 is an incredibly well-shot film that gives a lot of insight into the world of Formula One. Brad Pitt does an excellent job of playing the arrogant, seasoned racer with a heart of gold and Damson Idris is never outshone by his bigger co-star. The race scenes are exciting and adrenaline-pumping fun, and the main characters are fun to watch and see their character development. Whether you’re a fan of Formula One or motorsports in general, F1 is a hell of a ride.

Written by: Sammy Hanson