F1 (2025) Review

In 2022, Joseph Kosinski’s ‘Top Gun Maverick’ took the world by storm. A sequel to Tony Scott’s 1986 classic, the Tom Cruise starrer took in over $1.496 billion worldwide, the highest grossing Cruise vehicle to date. Praised by critics and audiences alike, it was widely seen as the film that reignited the global box office after the COVID-19 shutdowns, with Steven Spielberg calling it the saviour of “the entire theatrical industry.”

Kosinski’s directorial follow-up, ‘Spiderhead,’ flew under the radar, not offering much (other than a great Chris Hemsworth performance).  His newest effort, ‘F1’ desperately wants to be ‘Top Gun Maverick.’ The narrative is essentially the same, but swaps the skies for the pits. It follows renegade racer Sonny Hayes, who is brought out of retirement to mentor a hot-headed young prodigy and help turn a struggling team into contenders. Amidst tension in the garage and friction on the track, can Hayes beat the odds?

If it sounds familiar, that’s because it is. For a film about one of the most exciting and fast-paced sports there is, ‘F1’ is shockingly dull and predictable. Clearly aimed at the same audience that loved the electrifying dog-fights of ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ it is a non-starter in nearly every regard: a film about speed that never gets out of first gear. The narrative isn’t just derivative of the Cruise blockbuster- it also echoes dozens of sports films where a grizzled veteran returns for one last shot at redemption.

Full of cliches, stilted dialogue and cardboard cut-out characters, it lacks the excitement of John Frankenheimer’s masterful ‘Grand Prix,’ the tension of Lee H. Katzin’s ‘Le Mans’, the bravado of Tony Scott’s ‘Days of Thunder’ and the fun of Gordon Chan’s ‘Thunderbolt,’ as well as the emotion of Sydney Pollack’s admittedly troublesome ‘Bobby Deerfield.’

Although Pollack’s film was- and still is- by no means spectacular, it boasts far more interesting, multi-dimensional characters than Kosinski and co-writer Ehren Kruger came up with. Sonny is a walking cliché, who is about as compelling and well-rounded as a blank piece of paper. Neither he, nor any of his supporting characters, display any growth over the course of the film, and the emotional stakes are contrived.

Further, the interactions between said characters lack spark or authenticity, as if torn from a ‘Screenwriting Guidebook for Dummies’. Conversations trudge along, weighed down by stilted, on-the-nose lines, hammering home the obvious. Instead of feeling like real people with real conflicts, the characters merely recite plot points, leaving every exchange flat and lifeless. The film’s attempts at emotional depth fall embarrassingly short, drowning under a tide of awkward exposition and contrived banter.

Technically, the film has a lot more to offer. Fast-paced and frequently gripping, ‘F1’ boasts dynamic camerawork from Claudio Miranda, brilliantly capturing the adrenaline of a race. Furthermore, the crisp editing from Stephen Mirrione and Patrick J. Smith heightens the visceral nature of proceedings. Some of the races are pulse-poundingly intense and beautifully caught on camera; they’ll have you on the edge of your seat.

Additionally, the atmospheric sound design immerses one fully in the roar of engines and screech of tires. Hans Zimmer’s score is evocative and thrilling, amplifying the tension and excitement throughout. The soundtrack also features a handful of great songs from the likes of Led Zeppelin and Queen (though they’re never used to their full potential- often dropped in with little impact and quickly faded out). However, all these technical elements combine to create an undeniably exciting sensory experience- if only the story and characters were as finely tuned.

Brad Pitt stars as Hayes, a role that asks little more of him than to look cool. No one can do that better than Pitt, but charisma alone can only carry a character so far. His talents are wasted on a part that offers no real nuance, development or dramatic challenge. His supporting cast- stacked with skilled performers like Kerry Condon, Damson Idris, Kim Bodnia and Javier Bardem (as well as Shea Whigham in a glorified cameo)- is similarly shortchanged, each saddled with one-note roles of little to no depth.

Despite all the noise, ‘F1’ never finds its footing. It’s a film that looks the part, sounds the part and moves like a blockbuster- but under the hood, it’s running on empty. Director Joseph Kosinski clearly knows how to orchestrate spectacle, but spectacle without soul only gets you so far. With a flat script and hollow characters, not even a star as magnetic as Brad Pitt can steer it to victory. In trying so hard to replicate the triumph of ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ ‘F1’ fails to blaze its own trail, ending up stalled at the starting line.