After the resounding success of Top Gun: Maverick (2022 ), director Joseph Kosinski endeavours to replicate that potent formula with F1.
This is a film which clearly wants to hit the same demographics, with an enormously famous movie star in the lead role. Inspiring, against the odds story. Conflict between the wise, psychologically scarred mentor, and the brash, emotional, protegé at the start of their career, desperate to prove themselves.
Superficially, F1 does tick these boxes, and there is an unshakeable artifice to what we see on screen.
Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt ) is a former Formula 1 driver, who – after an horrific crash, has his career cut short. Thirty years later, he drifts from race to race, team to team, competing to win, before moving on elsewhere. He is approached by a former teammate, Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem ), now the owner of a struggling F1 team, who believes that Hayes has what it takes to win a Grand Prix, and save Ruben’s job in the process.
The race sequences are absolutely electrifying. I would say it is almost impossible not to be completely enraptured by the sustained tension that Kosinski and his team build from start to finish in these sequences. An incredible soundscape captures the sheer power of the cars, and the absurd speed the drivers reach. It makes these racing scenes extremely immersive.
Not only are these set-pieces impressive in their visceral impact, but they are also effective in how they advance the story, including the dynamic between Hayes and his fledgling teammate, Josh Pearce (Damson Idris ). The immediate strain in their relationship is a familiar trope, but through Hayes’ unconventional, loophole-exploiting driving tactics, we learn more about Hayes’ motives and personality.
Backstory
Gradually, Pearce begins to warm up to him as a result. There is enough variety and subversion of expectations in the Grand Prix sequences to hold your attention. Hans Zimmer’s typically rousing soundtrack is not particularly original, and it strikes similar notes to his previous film scores. However, combined with the fast-paced editing and high-stakes of the races, it undoubtedly adds to the experience.
F1 does not have the emotional weight or familiarity with a character that is baked in when returning to the world of a beloved film, a lá Top Gun: Maverick (2022 ). F1 needs to cultivate enough depth of emotion and character to earn our empathy but it falls short in this department. Hayes’ backstory and his evolution is clichéd and devoid of nuance. Nothing about the film or the characters’ struggles resonates. He is one of the best in his field despite his care-free attitude, and just seems to get by based on charm. The inclusion of a traumatic past feels like a desperate plea to earn some kind of emotional connection from the audience.
There is also a flatness to the visuals. Much of the film takes place in an F1 compound or conference rooms. These scenes can feel sterile.
The Formula One brand is all over this film. Familiar drivers and teams appear, names are mentioned and even well-known TV commentators are integral to the most crucial scenes. It is, at times, like watching a very expensive advertisement. Global businesses and brands are omnipresent. There is an over-reliance on popularity and racing industry name recognition to improve the film’s appeal. It feels much more like a product, than a piece of art.
Joseph Kosinski is one of the great blockbuster filmmakers working today, capable of keeping the audience on the edge of their seats, collating a portfolio of work that demonstrates why seeing films in the cinema is still essential to attaining the best possible impact from a film. I would recommend watching Only The Brave (2017 ) for another example of his quality as a filmmaker.
