F1

F1: The Movie races through with style, speed, and surprising emotional depth. While it does overdramatise a lot of the events such as crashes, some unrealistic positions gains and especially how Hayes is not banned after some of his antics, it’s hard to fault—it’s exactly that heightened intensity that keeps the story thrilling and the stakes constantly high which contributes to the runtime flying by.  Visually, it's otherworldly . The cinematography and camera work are nothing short of phenomenal. From blistering track shots to more intimate moments off the circuit, every frame looks unbelievable and serves to immerse you into the driver’s perspective and into the world of Formula 1, its very clear that this film was made with a lot of care and consideration. I’m glad the film also doesn’t tone down much for a non f1 audience, from tyre temps, to blue flags and even to the FIA. This helps to create an immersive atmosphere where all this is plausible in the actual sport. The film sort of leans in to assuming you know about the sport and therefore treats you to many shots of other drivers, commentators and reporters in the hope of you pointing to the screen and saying I know him; a few moments in the film are even shaped about other drivers personalities such as Verstappen or Magnussen. These callbacks may feel useless to those who are not massive on the sport and could even hinder their enjoyment of the film.  The film also shines in its characters and their development. Each character feels carefully crafted, with standout performances that help to give it emotion and heart. The acting is top-tier across the board, with moments of surprising humor that land well, mainly from Pitt, breaking up the tension and adding charm. It’s also great to note how the film handles the representation of women; obviously throughout the buildup to this film many critiqued how the one female engineer hooks up with Brad Pitts character but throughout it’s handled with a lot more dignity and respect really ensuring to make it clear how she got there on her own and is the sole reason why the car got better…..  However, not everything crossed the finish line in one piece. Probably my main criticism of the film is how they handled Joshua Pearce’s character arc; in which he switches personalities and feelings towards Hayes way to much and makes it somewhat off putting and annoying how he keeps acting like a child even though we’ve just seen him go through a lot of development.  Clearly made with F1 fans in mind, with plenty of nods and nuances for enthusiasts, it still manages to be accessible to a broader audience. And despite a longer runtime, the pacing is so well-executed that time flies by. You barely notice the length, a testament to how thrilling the ride is.  I managed to watch this film at the fan first premiere in Londons BFI IMAX which definitely contributes to how stunning the film looked.  In the end, F1 is up there with the best racing movies ever made, a great mix of visually stunning racing and really heartfelt character developments that help to not only make the film fly by but wishing it never ends. Obviously, I am the specific target audience for this film so I guarantee I will enjoy it much more than others but that doesn’t mean that those not interested in racing cannot have a great time.  I would recommend absolutely everyone to go a check this film out, you won’t be disappointed. 2025 Films Ranked  My Favourite Movies Ever 🎬🍿🎥