“F1: The Movie”: An Old-School Film in a Modern World

Brad Pitt and director Joseph Kosinski surprise us with a sports drama that reminds us of better times. This is F1.

Around May of this year, I began to see an insane amount of promotion for a certain Brad Pitt’s film. According to all those marketing efforts, we were talking about one of the movies of the year. 

Was I the only one who had no idea this was being released?

Despite the interesting trailer, I did not have big expectations, partly because it is an Apple TV+ movie. While I have watched Apple movies that are enjoyable, let’s be honest: that is not the case with most of them. And the few that have been released in theaters always flop.

This past weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that F1 is not only a good movie, but one of my favorites so far this 2025.

What is F1 About?

Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a racing driver who lost his chance of stardom in Formula One after an accident in his youth. Thirty years later, with a gambling addiction and three unsuccessful marriages behind him, Sonny is suddenly offered the opportunity of a lifetime: a former teammate needs an experienced driver who can save his Formula One team. The investors are not happy with the team’s performance, and he is going to be forced to sell unless they can win at least one of the remaining Grand Prixs. Despite his talent, Sonny’s attitude is not well received by the rest of the team, especially by Joshua Pearce, the ambitious young promise.

You Need a Big Screen For This

I have read reviews that criticize the film for its lack of realism when it comes to raising. Since I don’t have any knowledge of Formula One (or cars in general, for that matter), I have no opinion to offer on the subject. For an ignorant mind, the movie fulfills its purpose and provides a great spectacle.

Not only can you feel the excitement and tension of the races, but at times, it even feels like you are inside the car as well. Joseph Kosinski’s direction is fantastic, the editing is fantastic, and the music and the sound in general are incredible. Even if sports dramas are not your first choice when it comes to movies, this experience is 100% worth the ticket money.

Old-School Stories Still Sell Tickets

Despite the more technical aspects of the project, I believe what makes F1 a very enjoyable experience is that it goes back to the old storytelling. If you’ve watched other movies about racing or something similar, you already know everything that is going to happen.

Arrogant old character and arrogant young character do not get along, and the point of their journey will be learning from one another and becoming a solid team. The old character thinks it is too late to achieve his lifelong dream, but life will give him a second chance. The racing team encounters every possible problem along the way, but they still manage to have a big win at the end. You know that at some point in the film, one of the characters is going to have an accident during a race. And you also know as soon as you see her who is going to be the protagonist’s love interest.

The performances, though good and correct, are nothing career-defining for the actors involved. Not because they are not capable, but because the project does not call for that. There is not a lot of depth to it. And I dare say Brad Pitt has played characters almost identical to Sonny Hayes before.

In short, F1 plays it safe. It does not try to be anything but what it is.

And That Is Not A Bad Thing…

I know I tend to complain about the poor quality of the scripts, but I am more than willing to give a pass to movies that were made to be a spectacle and fully embrace that. It is a kind of entertainment we all need from time to time. I had the same opinion about Twisters last year: the movie was not too special, but the production had good quality, the story was coherent, and the characters were quite charismatic. That is all it takes. And F1 did it all.

What should be our take? Old formulas still work. As much as Hollywood has tried to install the preachy and “socially aware” films, people show up to see the projects that go about the same universal topics we have never stopped loving: passion, teamwork, friendship, and following dreams.

I don’t want to get my hopes up but maybe, just maybe, movies are going back to normal.

A Female Touch

But that is enough praise. It is now time for one of my snarky comments.

The film makes a poor attempt to give “visibility” to women in Formula One by having the first female technical director “in history,” something that is mentioned a couple of times. Because you are not truly empowered unless you remind people how badass you are and how much oppression you had to endure to get where you are. Kate is here to prove all the misogynists wrong.

She still sleeps with Brad Pitt’s character, though, as you would expect. Because at the end of the day, she was written to be the love interest. I don’t understand why the movie cannot be upfront about that.

The character is likable, and Kerry Condon is good in the role; it was not something that annoyed me while watching the movie, but I think it’s funny how they can’t help themselves. You want to show that having a woman in that job is normal? Then let the character do her job in peace, and don’t even address it. There is no need.

Box Office Numbers

The exact budget of F1 remains unclear: some sources claim it to be as high as $300.000.000, while the director has said the actual budget was lowered due to various sponsorships. Which could easily be true; the film is crammed with brand names in every scene. But if the first claim is true, then the project will need to reach at least $900.000.000 to break even.

However, the first weekend in theaters has been a success: $57.000.000 domestically and a total of around $150.000.000 worldwide. I watched it on Saturday, and most of the late afternoon/evening screenings were almost sold out, so people are interested, and most of the commentary I’ve read online is positive. So while the level of financial success of F1 is a mystery for now, making money seems completely possible if people keep showing up next weekend.

Personally, this was one of my best experiences in a movie theater this year, and I’m glad it was with an original project. I recommend it.