Cast: Brad Pitt,Damson Idris,Javier Bardem, Carrie Condon, Tobias Menzies, Sarah Nyles

Written By: Ehren Krueger and Joseph Kosinski

Directed By: Joseph Kosinski

Notable Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Louis Hamilton, Joseph Kosinski, Brad Pitt

Original Score By: Hans Zimmer

Release Year: 2025

Studio/Streamer: Apple

Runtime: 155 minutes

Audio Description Produced By: Pixel Logic studios

Written By: (credit Needed)

Narrated By: Laura post

What Is It?: A professional race car driver (Pitt) near the end of his days of thunder, is offered a long shot chance at redemption, driving in Formula One racing for a team owner (Bardem) he used to race against, to try and help a young racer (Idris) earn his seat. But, old dogs and new tricks don’t always go together, and Team Apex has a long road ahead before they can rally a win. They’ll have to stay driven, drive angry, and stay fast and furious.

What Works: I was a little worried that Kosinski’s follow up to Top gun Maverick wouldn’t lie up to the high expectations. However, Jerry Bruckheimer is still here to lend his advice on creating explosive summer blockbusters, and the gamble pays off. F1: the Movie is the great big tentpole I had been looking for all summer. Other films I might have anticipated more, but there’s no doubt that this exceeded my expectations.

the films is long, but so well paced. I was 45 minutes in, and it felt like 20. Part of this is the attention to detail, and the ability to maintain tension during a race. The races themselves can take up quite a bit of time, so the few scenes away from the track feel necessary. Pitt is excellent here as the old guy, which makes me feel old, because I still remember when he was the hottest actor around. Times have changed, and now he’s a well respected actor with a body of impressive work, so the mentor role feels now totally his speed.

Damson Idris does a nice job playing the flashy new racer, cocky and speeding toward danger if his publicist is able to control him more than he already does. He has a lovely, grounded relationship with his mother, one of the remaining people in this realm who finds Pitt attractive. But don’t worry, Pitt has eyes for Condon, the first female to lead an F1 racing team.

I loved this film, and found it to be such a thrill. the sound design transports you to the track, and Hans Zimmer’s score does a lovely job of weaving in around these intense racing sequences. It is so easy to write off something like this with a been there done that attitude, which I often do for other materials, but you don’t do that when the thing that has been done actually has been improved. Kosinski has made the best racing movie in at least a decade, because it is a blast to sit through. If you can still catch it in theaters, it is worth it.

What Doesn’t Work: Kosinski obviously isn’t as comfortable with directing love interests, which is why Jennifer Connelly felt like a separate piece in Top Gun Maverick, and he’s done nearly the same thing with Condon. To be fair, there’s less of a concerted effort to get Pitt and Condon together at the end of this film, so it never mounts to more than flirtation, but it does feel like a distraction because Kosinski doesn’t do much to flesh out Condon. most of the Apex pit crew never has enough screentime, and Condon could have disappeared even more.

Also, based on the announcer for the race, it would seem he can hear the drivers talk with their crews, which seems unlikely. I’m unfamiliar with the sport, but there are a bunch of teams on the track, so presumably a lot of chatter.

the Audio Description: definitely one of the better things I’ve heard from Pixel Logic. An excellent mix, considering the way the sound dominates. The ducking is kept to near non-existence, and Laura Post’s narration is effortless. One of the best tracks for an action film this year. The racing scenes are so well done, but so are the smaller details in between.

Why You Might Like it: If you’ve been waiting for an excellent racing film, it has arrived.

Why You Might Not Like It: You like to avoid the boisterous summer blockbusters on principle. Honestly, I don’t watch racing as a sport, but I still love a good racing film.

Final Thoughts: F1: the Movie is a blast, burning rubber from start to finish. A wonderful team of Kosinski, Bruckheimer, Pitt, and Zimmer have teamed up to formulate a thunderous experience that is among the years very best films.

Fresh: Final Grade: 8.9/10