F1 The Movie

Original title:	F1 The Movie
Director:	Joseph Kosinski
Release:	Cinema
Running time:	156 minutes
Release date:	27 june 2025
Rating:

Sonny Hayes was the F1 prodigy of the 1990s until his terrible accident. Thirty years later, now an independent driver, he is contacted by Ruben Cervantes, the boss of a bankrupt team, who convinces him to return to save the team and prove that he is still the best. Alongside Joshua Pearce, a raw diamond ready to become number one, Sonny quickly realizes that in F1, his teammate is also his biggest rival, that danger is everywhere, and that he risks losing everything.

Cookie's Review

From the very beginning of the film, we are swept up in a musical whirlwind with a rhythmic opening credits sequence and moved by the fleeting image of Sonny Hayes after his terrible accident some thirty years ago. Since then, he has led a fairly quiet, dreary life, addicted to gambling, far removed from the madness of Formula 1 racing. His life is turned upside down when he meets Ruben Cervantes, the boss of APXGP, a bankrupt racing team. Ruben tries to convince Sonny to leave his van and join him to help him get back on his feet. Ruben returns to Great Britain and is surprised to see Sonny arrive at the Silverstone circuit a short time later, backpack in tow, looking nonchalant and with a disarming smile. While Ruben is pleased and hopeful, the F1 technicians and drivers are not of the same opinion and look mockingly at this new recruit, who is a veteran in their eyes. In particular, the young driver Joshua Pearce, who wants to be among the first on the podium, looks at Sonny with amusement and has no intention of giving him any gifts. But Sonny Hayes is there to show what he's made of, and despite some hesitant and not entirely successful trials with crumpled cars, he is determined to improve, as he has promised.

From this point on, the film becomes increasingly interesting, as we are treated to live coverage of numerous car races on different circuits around the world. Director Joseph Kosinski has pulled out all the stops to keep us interested and excited about Formula 1 Grand Prix racing. All the detailed scenes help to immerse us perfectly in the action of the races, from the drivers entering the track and getting into their cars, to the mechanics' checks, the technicians' instructions, the final briefings, the sports journalists' commentary, and the start of the races with the lights flashing, so that we feel as if we are there. It's amazing to see how quickly the mechanics change the tires, in three seconds you might say, with no time to lose, every second counts, which, multiplied by the number of laps, can mean the difference between winning and losing the race. With each lap, we grit our teeth and follow the action with excitement and suspense, not without a hint of fear as the cars take the tight and dangerous corners. The drivers know how to push themselves to the limit and even fly off the track, as Sonny likes to point out.

The music is omnipresent, catchy, and accentuates the noise and power of the machines. The special effects are impressive, well used, and realistic. The different race locations follow one another and could seem repetitive, but this is not the case, as each circuit has its own specific characteristics, and we continue to watch Sonny and Joshua's exploits with enthusiasm. The pace of this feature film is sustained, and the twists and turns keep the audience's attention. Brad Pitt plays the driver with charm, charisma, spontaneity, and professionalism. His physique fits well with what one might imagine a professional driver on the comeback trail to look like, and he is the asset of this production.

Ruben, played by Javier Bardem, is also excellent, with his passion for racing, his sensitivity, and his honesty. The role of Joshua, played by Damson Idris, is more subdued, perhaps less credible due to his youth and arrogance, but the character develops and asserts himself as the film progresses. As for Kate, the technical director played by Kerry Condon, we admire her strength of character in this male-dominated world and her natural ability to calm things down when the drivers lose control. This action-packed, passionate film, suitable for all audiences and lasting 156 minutes, is enjoyable to watch even if you're not a motor racing expert. It gives you an idea of the risks involved and the multitude of technicians behind the seemingly effortless and smooth performance of the drivers.

F1 The Movie
Directed by Joseph Kosinski
Written by Ehren Kruger
Story by Joseph Kosinski, Ehren Kruger
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Joseph Kosinski, Lewis Hamilton, Brad Pitt, Jeremy Kleiner, Dede Gardner, Chad Oman
Starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Javier Bardem
Cinematography: Claudio Miranda
Edited by Stephen Mirrione
Music by Hans Zimmer
Production companies: Apple Studios, Monolith Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Plan B Entertainment, Dawn Apollo Films
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, Apple Original Films (United States), Warner Bros France (France)
Release dates: June 25, 2025 (France), June 27, 2025 (United States)
Running time: 156 minutes

Seen on June 16, 2025 at Pathe La Villette Imax Theater

Cookie's Mark:

Mulder's Review

In the pantheon of sports dramas that aim to fuse pure kinetic spectacle with intimate character study, F1: The Movie bursts onto the scene like a turbo-charged fusion of old-school underdog storytelling and cutting-edge technical prowess. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, whose visual language has always been drawn to sleek machines and stoic men grappling with their own obsolescence, this film is both a highly explosive spectacle and a surprisingly elegiac meditation on aging, the meaning of life, and the myth of the rebel. At the heart of the film is the magnetic charisma of Brad Pitt, who plays Sonny Hayes, a former racing prodigy, jaded but undeniably talented, who enjoyed a meteoric career before fading away before he ever had a chance to reach the heights of Formula 1. It's a role that invites comparisons with aging cowboys and disillusioned rock stars, and Brad Pitt wears it like a tailor-made racing suit: wrinkled, weathered, incredibly cool. Like the cars he drives, Sonny Hayes is a machine built for speed and risk, but what sets him apart is the haunting calm that now underlies his personality: a man who touched greatness and turned away from it, only to find himself, against all odds, returning to the one place where his soul truly feels alive.

The film doesn't start with a bang, but with a gentle juxtaposition: serene shots of desert landscapes, ambient sounds of wind and dust, then, like a sudden clap of thunder, the roar of engines plunges us into the frenzied nighttime ballet of the 24 Hours of Daytona. Sonny Hayes, fast asleep in his van outside the track, is awakened to take his shift like a monk called to midnight prayer. He is not surrounded by assistants or fanfare; on the contrary, he walks the few meters from his bed to his cockpit with a calmness that borders on spiritual detachment. He slips into the car, puts on his helmet, and sets off to win his part of the race. He doesn't wait for the applause. He doesn't take the trophy. He doesn't even accept the champagne. Instead, he drives off into the darkness, already on his way to the next unknown challenge. This understated but breathtaking opening tells us everything we need to know about Sonny: a man ahead of his time, equally revered and invisible, always in pursuit of something he can't quite put his finger on. It is in these discreet gestures, these unspoken rituals—like the way he slips a playing card into his suit before each race—that the film sows the seeds of the myth surrounding its protagonist, presenting him less as a traditional action hero than as a wandering samurai seeking redemption through speed.

What follows is a plot that, on paper, seems comforting and familiar: the comeback, the generational rivalry, the motley crew of misfits trying to win a single race to avoid destruction. But what sets F1 The Movie apart from its predecessors in the sports film genre is not the what, but the how. When Ruben Cervantes, the wonderfully disheveled and desperate character played by Javier Bardem, a former racing buddy now crippled by $350 million in debt, recruits Sonny to join APXGP, a Formula 1 team in last place and on the brink of bankruptcy, the script could have taken the turn of a classic sports melodrama. But Javier Bardem imbues every scene with the emotion of a man who sees in Sonny not only a tactical gamble, but also a reflection of his own fading glory. Their friendship, steeped in a shared past of ambition and missed opportunities, adds a poignant touch to the plot. Ruben doesn't just want to save his team, he wants to believe that the flame that once burned within them still burns, that it wasn't all for nothing. And Sonny, despite his gruff protests, is drawn back not only by the prospect of one more ride, but also by the painful need to prove, especially to himself, that he's not a relic.

The counterpoint to Sonny's Zen-like carefreeness is the tense character of Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris, the new star of the APXGP, who is both extraordinarily talented and weighed down by the crushing burden of expectations. The dynamic between Sonny and Joshua is the emotional linchpin of the film: a generational clash that plays out in both frenzied racing strategies and passive-aggressive confrontations in the locker room. Joshua, obsessed with statistics, image, and the press, sees Sonny as a has-been cowboy sent to steal his thunder, while Sonny, weary of the modern game, scoffs at Joshua's need for recognition. Their animosity is genuine, and the respect they eventually show each other is hard-won, not handed out through empty speeches. What gives this story its power is the way Damson Idris portrays Joshua, not as a spoiled kid, but as a man constantly on the verge of burnout. His tension, his bravado, even his missteps are portrayed with empathy. He is a young man who has had to fight to make a place for himself in a sport known for being hostile to outsiders, and every time he isn't perfect, he is reminded that the world is ready to tear him down. In a less accomplished script, their rivalry would have been one-dimensional.

Here, it evolves into something more complex and rewarding: a study of the fact that mentoring cannot exist without vulnerability on both sides. One of the film's real revelations is Kerry Condon as Kate McKenna, the APXGP's technical director, a rare woman in the very closed circle of this sport, sharp-witted and uncompromising. Kerry Condon skillfully juggles her role as the emotional backbone of the team and the voice of reason who doesn't mince words. She's not there to soften Sonny or simply inspire Joshua: she's the architect of their success, the mastermind who turns failures into performance gains. There is a romantic storyline between Sonny and Kate, but it never undermines her power to act. Their relationship is based on mutual respect, recognition of the scars left by their struggles, and a common goal. In a beautifully understated scene, Sonny watches Kate as she adjusts the engine settings in a garage flooded with artificial light. He says nothing. She doesn't look up. But the camera lingers, and we feel it: admiration without objectification, intimacy forged by competence. In many ways, Kate is the heart of the film, less flashy than its protagonists, but indispensable.

What truly elevates F1 The Movie to the status of a must-see event film is its technical prowess. Working once again with cinematographer Claudio Miranda, Joseph Kosinski constructs race sequences that aim not only to dazzle, but to overwhelm the senses. Cameras are mounted inside cockpits, on tires, under spoilers, at angles that would make traditional cinematographers pale. The result is total immersion. You don't watch these races, you endure them, like the G-forces pulling on your chest. Stephen Mirrione's editing (Oscar winner for Traffic) is frenetic but coherent, allowing every turn and every chicane to be rendered with tactile realism. When one car overtakes another at 350 km/h, the camera doesn't cheat, it follows. You can feel the vibrations of the asphalt, the rattling of the chassis, the rumbling in your own ribcage. These sequences are not only visually stunning, they are also narratively precise. Each race has its own arc, its own stakes, its own emotional vocabulary. A pit stop isn't just a logistical moment, it's a test of faith, a communion between man and machine.

Hans Zimmer's soundtrack is a character in its own right, alternating between the ominous buzz of impending danger and the triumphant wave of an almost impossible victory.It's less grandiose than his work in The Dark Knight, more muscular than Interstellar, and perhaps closer spiritually to Rush, his last great car racing soundtrack. But Hans Zimmer knows how to weave a narrative through music, and here he deploys motifs that evolve alongside the characters. A synthetic buzz becomes a triumphant crescendo. A percussive beat turns into an elegy. In one particularly breathtaking scene, the final Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, the music stops completely as Sonny negotiates a critical turn. All that remains is the breath, the engine, the possibility of disaster. Then, at just the right moment, Zimmer returns and the audience exhales.

Yet F1: The Movie is not without its flaws. Ehren Kruger's screenplay, while functional, often succumbs to stereotypical dialogue, relying too much on explanation and not enough on the viewer's trust. The villains are caricatures—Tobias Menzies plays the smirking board member with all the subtlety of a James Bond henchman—and the resolution unfolds with the predictability of a checkered flag waved over a predetermined winner. The film also avoids delving deeper into some of its most interesting themes: the classism of Formula 1, the challenges faced by non-white drivers, the tension between heritage and innovation. There are a few nods to these ideas—a line here, a look there—but they feel more like missed opportunities than intentional restraint. Nevertheless, the fact that these missteps don't spoil the experience is a testament to the quality of the film. They're just bumps on an otherwise flawless track.

F1: The Movie is a very intelligent film that understands the power of cinematic speed. It knows that a sports film doesn't need to surprise to be successful; it needs to move the audience emotionally, visually, and aurally. And in this regard, F1: The Movie is a triumph and a true cinematic event. It's a film where the speed is real, the stakes are high, and the characters, though familiar, are rendered with enough grace and courage to matter. Brad Pitt carries the film not as a star playing a role, but as a legend returning to his place on the podium. He is the driver, the vehicle, and the engine all at once. And when the credits roll and the last tires screech in the final lap, what remains is not just the roar of the race, but the calm, steady hum of a film that knows exactly what it's doing. This is cinema made to move you. And it succeeds. Quickly.

Seen on June 16, 2025 at Pathe La Villette Imax Theater

Mulder's Mark: