Friday afternoon I took in the matinee showing of F1, a movie I was so excited was showing at River City Cinema after not getting it the opening weekend. This was one that generated great interest from the trailer (you can watch below), and with rave reviews from critics and audiences just built up the hype. With a movie like this you need a solid director and Joseph Kosinski was the guy (director of Top Gun: Maverick) and one heck of cinematographer and combining it with the charm and charisma of Brad Pitt makes for what I believe is the top movie of 2025 so far.
F1 centres around racing legend Sonny Hayes is coaxed out of retirement to lead a struggling Formula 1 team—and mentor a young hotshot driver—while chasing one more chance at glory. With Pitt starring as Sonny and having a cast featuring Javier Bardem, Damson Idris and Kerry Condon in the prominent roles it brings the story to life better than expected. Seeing Brad an arrogant has been/never was could be a fitting role with the smugness he brings to the screen to counter the entitled Joshua or JP portrayed by Damson Idris.
While the movie kind of follows a predictable nature in the story, it is very well executed by Kosinski and his team, notably the racing shots that take you into the action and gives you a view of what the drivers see from behind the wheel was very well done and something that will be a standard for auto racing films moving forward. Interestingly The FIA—the governing body of F1—collaborated in the production; racing sequences were adapted from footage of the real 2023 and 2024 World Championships, with real-life F1 teams and drivers appearing throughout including the 7x World Champion Lewis Hamilton who served as a producer on the film.
I did want to find out about the cards and what the final card it was in Sonny’s pocket and if Ruben (Bardem) finds out who betrayed him and the team but those are minor things in what is an experience, not just a movie.
Overall F1 brings you story, drama and of course the action to make one of the years best films.
Final Grade: 10/10
Check Out the trailer:
– Everett
