F1: The Movie (2025) Movie Review

F1: The Movie (2025) Movie Review

Formula 1 or F1 as it’s more commonly known, is widely regarded by motorsport enthusiasts as the best iteration of motorsports in the world. Since the launch of the Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive’ in 2019, the sport has garnered even further attention for even novice fans worldwide. It was only a matter of time, before we received a big-budget, Hollywood blockbuster, in the vein of an underdog sports movie and in 2025, we did, with F1: The Movie’, which was coming to us from ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, ‘Oblivion’, ‘Spiderhead’ and ‘Tron: Legacy’ director Joseph Kosinski and legendary Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer, with Brad Pitt starring in the title role of Sonny Hayes. It had all the ingredients to be a sure-fire hit at the box office, and it was!

The film raked in, an impressive $627 million at the global box office, with $190 million of that coming from the domestic box office. The film struck a chord with critics and audiences alike as well, holding an impressive 82% critical rating, and whopping 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film follows the redemption story of aging former Formula One prodigy Sonny Hayes (played by Brad Pitt) who returns to the racing world after a 30-year absence, following a career-ending crash at the 1993 Spanish Grand Prix. Now a nomadic racer-for-hire, Sonny is coaxed out of retirement by his old friend and former teammate Rubén Cervantes (Javier Bardem), who owns the struggling APXGPF1 team. The team must win at least one of the remaining Grands Prix to avoid being sold.

Sonny joins APXGP alongside cocky rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), sparking a tense mentor-rival dynamic. As Sonny adapts to modern F1 technology and confronts his physical limitations, he helps APXGP secure a crucial win through risky tactics. The two learn to work with each other, as Sonny battles his own personal demons on the road to redemption and victory. As a fan of all the talent involved, both in front of and behind the camera, I was pumped for ‘F1: The Movie’ and am happy to report, this one does not let you down!

F1: The Movie is a thrill ride from start to finish. Joseph Kosinski does a marvellous job behind the camera here once again, to show immerse the audience and put them right in the midst of the action. I was fortunate enough to see this film in IMAX and it as pulsating, exhilarating and downright entertaining. I asked myself before the movie started, what is the difference between filming an actual F1 race with IMAX cameras versus, making a movie with the same technology. And withing the first 5 minutes, the movie answers this question. Kosinski puts the camera on the wheel mount, at the front of the car, in the car, capturing every moment with precision. It creates an entirely engaging and enthralling cinematic experience. Each race sequence feels like an action set-piece from a big-budget blockbuster. It’s all done so well. After watching the film, a second time on 4K UHD I can confirm the home media experience, whilst not as impressive as the state-of-the-art IMAX screen, is still very impressive. With the picture quality and audio fully immersing me in each moment. The film is also bought to life by Hans Zimmer’s epic score. The main theme has stuck with me since I first saw it.

The cast here are also, all fantastic. "Brad Pitt" shows he’s still got it as a leading man now in his 60s. He’s still so entertaining to watch on screen, showing off his charisma and ability to turn any dramatic sequence into an acting masterclass. His on-screen accomplice, Damon Idris, who plays the arrogant and cock young, rookie driver, Joshua Pearce is also terrific, flexing his chops and showing audiences that he is a talent to watch. Kerry Condon backs up her recent critical acclaim from ‘the banshees of Inisherin’, which saw the talented actress nominated for best supporting actress, playing car engineer Kate McKenna. She’s wonderful here and an absolute delight to watch on screen. Javier Bardem’s turn as Ruben Cervantes APXGP team boss, who lures hayes back into the racing world, is also fantastic. Bringing his trademark gravitas whenever he is on screen.

The definition of a crowd pleaser, ‘F1: The Movie’ brings the thrills of Formula 1 to the big screen, in a well-directed, popcorn blockbuster. Brad Pitt brings his regular charm and wit to the screen as Sunny Hayes. His interplay with Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon and Damon Idris, was infectious and resulted in some of the better sequences of the film. But the real highlight, are of course the races. They are high octane, adrenaline fuelled, nail biting and all round fantastic. Director Joseph Kosinski and his preferred cinematographer Claudio Miranda are no strangers to this type of filmmaking, handling ‘Top Gun: Maverick’. Overall, it doesn’t re-invent the wheel, but it will bring a smile to those who get a chance to see it on the big screen! A must-own for film fans. Be sure to pick-up your copy on DVD, Blu-Ray or 4K Ultra HD today from Sanity, you won’t want to miss it!

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Christopher Pattison from Oz-Movie Geek wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here