F1: Why It's Another Kosinski Directed Classic

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

F1, or F1 the Movie, was directed by Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski and stars Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Kim Bodia, and Javier Bardem. Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, an aging racer who left Formula One racing after an accident and bounces from competition to competition never staying in one place for a long time. An old friend of his asks him to return to Formula One to join the APXGP team after their second drive goes down. He teams up with rookie Joshua Pearce, who is a hothead and doesn't respect Hayes. APXGP needs to win a race before the season is over or the team will have to be on sale.

With Brad Pitt starring and Joseph Kosinski directing, F1 was right away one of my most anticipated movies. The camera work and cinematography of Top Gun: Maverick were some of the best I've seen in years. While I don't know a lot about Formula One racing, I was curious to see if Kosinski could translate his excellent camera work into a movie based on racing. F1 has the formulas of Top Gun: Maverick and many other sports movies. An aging character showing a rookie how's it done combined with a sports underdog story of a terrible team making a comeback. Does Kosinski pull it off? The answer is absolutely.

F1 feels similar to Top Gun: Maverick with the aspect of an aging character helping a struggling team and program get back on track. At the same time, it feels different and fresh compared to other takes on the trope. Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes so well, showing how this character masks his struggles and isn't afraid to pull off risky, dangerous stunts to win a race. His relationship with Joshua Pearce starts rocky, but throughout the movie, the two racers realize they are more similar than they thought and grow to respect one another. Damson Idris as Pearce is terrific, playing the talented but hotheaded rookie who learns how to be a better racer and to respect Hayes. The team bonding and development are done perfectly well. The characters and how their arcs develop to where they come together as a team will bring a smile to your face and root for them as the movie continues.

F1’s story will feel familiar to other sports movies, but it's not an easy road like it is in other sports movies. The team is not dominant or undefeated. APXGP has many roadblocks along the way. They only have nine races to pull off a victory before the team investors force a sale. The team deals with many disagreements on strategy, chemistry issues, injuries, and other hurdles. Like Top Gun: Maverick, Kosinski builds tension so well, mainly in the races.  The final race put me on the edge of my seat. The last time I felt this way during a third act was Top Gun: Maverick.

The racing scenes are filmed and handled well. The camera work on the characters, when they are racing, helps show how intense the races are and shows the actors' eyes and how they seem to feel. In one race in the movie, the camerawork on Pitt's character, Hayes does so well in showing how angry he is after something happens that negatively affects the team right before the race. Han Zimmer's score feels fresh and unique as well and fits the feel of the scenes and races.

Overall, F1 is one of the best movies of the year. Some people might feel it's too similar to other sports movies and maybe even Top Gun: Maverick. Even with the similarities it still feels more fresh and unique than ninety-five percent of the movies that come out these days. Brad Pitt gives an excellent performance as does Damson Idris. The cinematography is excellent, and Kosinski shows he is one of the best at filming stressful and intense scenes. The racing scenes are enjoyable and make me want to watch a real Formula One race now. My final grade for F1 is an A. If you love comeback stories, I recommend you check out F1.

What are your thoughts on F1? Let us know in the comments below.