Joseph Kosinski shocked the world with his exhilarating direction in the 2022 summer blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. He and Tom Cruise shocked the world, capturing the true essence of a blockbuster. Fast forward three years, and Kosinski teams with Brad Pitt to give an inside look at a veteran Formula One driver trying to chase the next high in F1 The Movie. Kosinski and Pitt are a match made in heaven in this thrilling yet vulnerable sports drama.
Sonny Hayes is your prototypical athlete who had all the promise in the world, but one failure led to his demise. For Hayes, it was an accident that nearly took his life, and ever since, Hayes has been chasing the high, whether it was on a dirt track, four-wheeler, or even in the world of NASCAR. His friend and former race partner Ruben is on the verge of losing his Formula One team because of a lack of victories and recruits Hayes to save it.
Hayes is very unorthodox in his approach to how he races. He reminds you of Hall of Fame Head Coach Bill Belichick in how he skirts around the rulebook (because he knows it) to get the job done, which ruffles the feathers of opponents and even his team. Speaking of team, Joshua Pearce was supposed to be the next big thing in Formula One but has fallen short of expectations. Pearce and Hayes have your typical veteran/rookie bond, featuring both of them being extremely stubborn.
The definition of a blockbuster movie is a film that achieves both high popularity and financial success. And if you know anything about movies, typically, they are no-nonsense fun times at the theater. However, Kosinski and many others like to break that mold and not settle for that mediocrity. F1 has every feeling of a blockbuster, but it also delivers within the story.
Like in Top Gun: Maverick, Kosinski makes you feel something within the script. You have the weight of Hayes chasing that next high, Pearce trying to figure out whether he is going to make it, Kate proving the doubters wrong, and Ruben saving his team. All while Kosinski throws audiences in the driver’s seat to feel the adrenaline of Formula One. If you ask me, F1 is a love letter to the sports world.
There is a very relatable line stated throughout this film saying, “It’s not about the money; what is it about?” Be it the fact that he had all the promise in the world and failed, or if you are older, you consistently try to chase the high of your past. As a movie critic, you are always chasing that next great movie. It’s not about the money, because very few can experience that in this space. For me, it’s about chasing that high of sitting in a theater locked in on the screen and walking away completely impressed by what was presented to me.
We are all Sonny Hayes, be it the fact that you might’ve had those dreams as a young kid to be the next Dan Marino and life got in the way. Or if you are older and trying to chase the high of your past. Kosinski understands how to relate to his audiences, and even disguised as this charming, good-looking stud of a man in Brad Pitt, you peel back the layers of Hayes (and even Pitt), and you see yourself.
Speaking of Pitt, throughout his almost four decades as an actor, we’ve witnessed some incredible performances. However, his portrayal of Sonny Hayes just might be his best yet. When you peel back the layers of Hayes, you see a broken man chasing that one high that makes the pain go away. Hayes reminded me of Pitt’s character, Jack Conrad, in Damien Chazelle’s masterpiece, Babylon. At 61, you can see that Pitt understands that time isn’t on his side, and with each passing performance, he reminds us he will go down as one of the best.
The supporting cast in this film is likely to lead to a SAG ensemble nomination, as it was magnificent. Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin) added such profound depth and heart that was needed in the film. Javier Bardem (Dune: Part Two) is electric as the eccentric and even crazy Ruben. And all brought together with Pitt’s counterpart, Damson Idris (Snowfall). Idris delivers his best work to date as Joshua Pearce, and I hope we see more of him in this blockbuster-style role.
Technically speaking, F1 is a pure masterpiece. Hans Zimmer should be on his way to his 13th Oscar nomination with heart-pounding work. There should also be nominations for Editing, Cinematography, and Sound. Kosinski assembled a masterful team around him, and they only amplified what he was trying to accomplish.
Ultimately, F1 The Movie is a thrilling adrenaline rush that never stops. Kosinski delivers his best direction to date, thrusting audiences into the driver’s seat in this crowd-charging hit. Buckle up and enjoy this ride, and see it on the biggest screen possible because you don’t want to be left out of the conversation when it hits theaters.
F1: The Movie releases in theaters June 27.
Rating: 5 out of 5
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