The past decade has undoubtedly been a golden age for documentary filmmaking. Many believe that the rise of streaming platforms should get credited for this occurrence.
However, documentaries began to rise in popularity before Netflix when digital and Amazon decided to branch off into video-on-demand. Today, watching docudramas is an established form of home entertainment that rivals enjoying slots at bingo sites, UK gaming platforms.
The number of documentary films released in the UK alone went from 4 in 2001 to 117 in 2016. A similar expansion rate applies to the US.
Naturally, with so many documentaries hitting theatres and s-VOD platforms, there are more than a few focusing on the world of formula 1 grand prix racing. That was not so before 2010 when racing fans only had short TV productions to view documenting the growth of this global sports and its heroes.
Below, we shed light on four films that are worth a watch for anyone that has ever had so much as a fleeting interest in Formula 1 racing.
A Life of Speed
Juan Manuel Fangio, nicknamed the Master, was an Argentine driver born in Balcarce in 1911 that went on to dominate the first decade of F1 racing, whttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt1950186/featuinning its championship five times.
His life story gets shown in the 2020 film titled – Fangio: El hombre que domaba las máquinas in Spanish. It got produced in collaboration with Fox Sports, Netflix, and Cinema 7.
A Life of Speed runs 92 minutes long, and it got released in March 2020. It features the likes of Alain Prost, Nico Rosberg, Mika Hakkinen, and Fernando Alonso speaking about Fangio and his impact on the sport.
Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a name that needs no introduction. That applies not only to racing fans but to virtually all laypeople. Many consider him the Michael Jordan of racing, winning seven Formula 1 championships and boasting the most number of fastest laps ever.
Following his second retirement in 2012, he was involved in a skiing accident the very next year that led him to a medically-induced coma.
The Netflix documentary released in September of this year shows never-before-seen footage that documents his F1 career while providing insights into his private life. It mainly got positive reviews, despite some critics calling it a bit sterile.
McLaren
Bruce McLaren was a racing pioneer, car designer, driver, and innovator. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, McLaren developed a love for racing from his father, a former motorcycle racing enthusiast and competitive club-level driver.
His name lives on with one of the best-known Formula One constructors out there. Famous New Zealand director Roger Donaldson took up the challenge to recount the life of Bruce McLaren on the silver screen via recreations, archival footage, and interviews.
Actor Dwayne Cameron plays McLaren in the recreations featured in this film, which premiered in May 2017. It attained decent reviews but is hard to find, as it did not get mass distribution.
The 24 Hour War
The duo of famous podcaster Adam Carolla and movie producer Nate Adams took up the challenge of enlightening people on the 1960s historic battle between Enzo Ferrari and Henry Ford II. Of course, this story got the Hollywood treatment in 2019 with a feature film starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale.
But, the 24 Hour War was the first to the race. So to speak. Released in 2016, it is currently available on Amazon Prime, boasting a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, that impressive percentage is coming from only six reviews.