[Early] F1 movie review: Don't believe the critics!

Unlike Drive to Survive (DTS), the F1 movie gets stuck straight into the action. It doesn’t stop every five minutes to explain how DRS works; viewers are exposed to white-hot racing in seconds. This is where the film thrives, in capturing the thrill of the chase. Don't believe the critics. For F1 fans, this is a must-see.

Director Joseph Kosinski's approach is not without its risks. Those who are completely new to Formula 1 could easily get lost. Many of the sport’s rules are only explained in passing. The story itself is also quite stereotypical at times. Young rookie fights experienced pro and learns some life lessons. We’ve been here before—in motor racing movies and many other genres.

But in the heat of battle, inside an IMAX cinema, the F1 movie showcases motorsport at its glittering best. There’s more than enough to keep newcomers entertained and plenty of cameos and insider access moments included solely for long-term fans. As a casual watch, it's hard to fault.

That’s our vague review. If you’ve got any intention of seeing this movie on the big screen, we recommend that you watch it before reading the rest of the article. This is your spoiler warning. For those still with us, let’s delve into the details. There’s a lot to get into here!

I’ll always remember the first time I was wowed inside an IMAX cinema. It was a screening of Dunkirk; the first gunshot nearly made me jump out of my seat. It was incredible.

As a motor racing fan, the F1 movie's opening sequence had me similarly on edge. The film opens at the 24 Hours of Daytona. And it’s immediately clear that this Hollywood hit in the making has been shot in consultation with racing pros. The action isn’t just realistic; it’s visually stunning.

Brad Pitt’s car wiggles under braking, and you can even see a bit of torque steer. Will Buxton has a brief cameo (thankfully), but this movie doesn’t make the same mistake as DTS, which distorts the truth for attention. The corners at Daytona run in sequence; it’s super immersive—and this realism largely carries throughout. Okay, older fans will question certain scenes, but no wobble is too jarring.

For example, Pitt’s return to F1 as a driver at APEX GP is based on a trial where he laps a full second behind a rookie. Not exactly a star turn! Yet, before viewers can ask questions, they are transported to beautifully shot scenes from inside the paddock mid-race weekend and all is forgiven.

It’s astonishing how this is genuinely seamless. Pitt and his co-star Damson Idris appear on the grid and race all the real-life drivers. Toto Wolff, Guenther Steiner, Fred Vasseur, Zak Brown, Fernando Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton all have their moments. It’s a great casual watch for seasoned fans. For the critics, I'm not sure what they expected. A deep-dive into driver psyche? It was never pitched as such.

The F1 community has broadened in recent years, bringing many new fans into the fold. But it will always have diehard loyal supporters that value authenticity over all else. In the case of the F1 movie, they’ll have plenty to get their teeth stuck into.

Slightly cheesy cameos aside, there are a few glaring holes in the plot. For instance, there’s a huge amount of deliberate crashing (giving me big CrashGate vibes). You’d like to think that the FIA would be all over APEX GP like a rash if their driver kept crashing on purpose.

There are also scenes where archive footage appears to have been repurposed or reenacted for the movie. Largely, this is done in reverence to legendary drivers—Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, and Nigel Mansell all get their flowers. But there is a part that seems to show Pitt adopting the position of Martin Donnelly, who was flung from his car in 1990 at Jerez.

Thankfully, Donnelly survived this catastrophic crash. That doesn’t excuse the questionable depiction, though. Why not just make up another incident? This is Hollywood!

In a world of AI editing, we need to be a little careful with which video gets reproduced or altered. What if they’d chosen to reenact Senna’s crash at Imola? Not good at all.

If you’re willing to overlook these indiscretions, the F1 movie is a very entertaining watch that manages to recapture the ‘behind the scenes’ vibe of the original DTS series. You regularly find yourself asking, ‘How did they capture that shot?’ and it’s easy to get lost in the visuals.

Okay, the film is quite long. At two and a half hours, it lasts nearly as long as a Ferrari strategy decision. At times, the movie is a little indulgent. But with this kind of access, wouldn’t you be? There are so many nods to hardcore fans, it’s incredible. Big spoilers: the movie even ends with controversy in Abu Dhabi!

There are more cameos than you can shake a stick at. Even Hamilton’s pet Roscoe features in the credits (although I didn’t see him on first viewing). Upon second viewing—or outside of the cinema—the F1 movie may not pack the same punch. And critics will be quick to point out how Liberty has made the sport more of a Hollywood spectacle than anything else.

Yet, the film itself is a glorious, glittering, and gratifying watch. Most importantly, it also portrays motorsport as the ultimate match between man and machine. There are even flickers of Senna in Pitt’s Sonny Hayes, and that’s the ultimate compliment.

Naysayers might post about the commercial nature of the film (likely from an iPhone built on the cheap in China). But those looking for a fully immersive, largely respectful Hollywood depiction of F1 on the big screen, this is the film for you. The F1 movie opens in cinemas from June 25, 2025.