F1: The Movie Review: Brad Pitt, high speed, and Joseph Kosinski burn rubber on a familiar road

F1: The Movie Review: Story – Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), once dismissed as a reckless has-been, is a racer who lives for speed. Three decades ago, a tragic incident snatched away his dream of becoming an F1 legend. Just as he’s lost all hope and is busy winning rookie races, opportunity knocks in the form of Ruben (Javier Bardem), who offers him a spot on his team alongside Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) to race in the Grand Prix and find his redemption. But the road isn’t as smooth as it seems. He must first make peace with Joshua, confront his own demons, and most importantly, win the race he’s waited a lifetime to conquer. 

F1: The Movie Review:

Few filmmakers worldwide understand how to handle the sheer weight of the star power they hire. The combination of massive stars and acclaimed directors is often a headline-making formula, but it doesn’t always result in cinematic gold. Especially when an aging superstar still at the top of his game is at the centre, there’s a lot to navigate. The fandom must be acknowledged, the star must be showcased meaningfully, and all this while telling the story the filmmaker originally envisioned—before any big names were attached. It’s a tricky balancing act. 

And when your leads are as iconic as Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, it becomes a Herculean task. But it seems Joseph Kosinski has found the sweet spot, cracking the formula—almost, if not completely. That makes his latest outing, F1: The Movie, after Top Gun: Maverick, a very adrenaline-fueled, exhilarating ride with a prolific Brad Pitt at the centre of a speeding storm. 

The announcement that Joseph Kosinski would team up with Brad Pitt after working with Tom Cruise (Top Gun: Maverick) was a surprising and complicated piece of news to process. What follows a film that had one of the world’s greatest action stars at its core? Enter the clever and calculated F1: The Movie. It feels like a spiritual sequel to the Cruise starrer. An aging expert is brought back to guide a group of reckless rookies, disoriented by the glamour of the sport—a world that’s dazzling if you win, and unforgiving if you don’t. But this time, co-writer Ehren Kruger crafts a lead who is far more complex and difficult to read in the film’s first act. 

Sonny Hayes is a gambler, once known as a wild F1 driver whose name spelled danger. A tragic accident pushed him out of the arena and into odd jobs—cab driving in New York among them—and three failed marriages. But one thing remained constant: his need for speed. It’s the only thing that kept him going, even after nearly losing his life to it. Though there’s goodness in him, he’s far from being the most upright person in the room. He’s not afraid to take morally questionable decisions, which underlines why he was once a rogue on the track. So when a man like that is brought in to turn a team around, sparks are bound to fly—literally. 

Joseph Kosinski has somehow mastered the art of telling stories like these. Particularly in his last two outings, he has found the balance between honouring star power and grounding his narrative. He makes the superstar shine when needed and take a back seat when required—without it ever feeling abrupt. The younger cast shines, the stardom is served, and the story flows. His technical prowess and choice of visual format are worthy of a whole separate discussion. 

What’s commendable is how he uses familiar genre tropes to his advantage, all while leaning into his technical strengths. F1: The Movie is built on clichés: the underdog story, the ego-driven rival, the loyal friend, the hopeful mother—everything that can go wrong, does, until it doesn’t. It’s a textbook recipe. But what matters is how Kosinski makes that formula work. The races are the film’s heartbeat. The main drama unfolds during the laps. So even if the surrounding story leans on the predictable, the sheer thrill on the tracks pulls viewers in. 

It’s a clever way to package old wine in a fresh bottle. The camerawork is breathtaking—placing you right in the middle of the action, making you feel like you're at the circuit, cheering for Sonny as he makes his next risky move. The theatre erupted like a live audience at a Grand Prix. Kosinski wants you to forget it’s a movie, and he succeeds. Real-life F1 stars like Lewis Hamilton appear without fanfare. Toto Wolff shows up unexpectedly. That’s the level of authenticity we’re talking about. 

Brad Pitt is in full control of his character, as is Damson Idris. Javier Bardem adds dramatic flair every time he’s on screen. Kerry Condon plays a refreshing role in this male-dominated world, though her character could have used more depth. The same goes for certain quieter moments—like Sonny’s medical condition—which arrive late in the screenplay and aren’t explored fully, missing an opportunity for a richer dramatic arc. Hans Zimmer’s music continues to cast its spell, giving the film a fierce, pulsing edge. 

F1: The Movie Review: Final Verdict

Joseph Kosinski knows how to harness star power—first with Tom Cruise, now with Brad Pitt. Watch this on the biggest screen you can, distraction-free, and let the adrenaline take over. 

F1: The Movie releases in India on June 27, 2025. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more updates from the world of streaming and cinema.